Fatigue and length of play time

[Mr Rick]

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I was wondering how long the better non-tournament players play in a session/day/week?

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Because it takes me over 2hrs 1-way to get to a casino, I play at least 12 hrs on Friday up to a max of 18 hrs. On Saturday I then play 10 hrs or so and get home by 11pm.

I am an intense person by nature, so when I worked as a programmer/manager it was not unusual for me to do the same thing. I know that if I try to play through the night I will play very badly in the early morning hours and through the next day. I tried it once, even though I knew from work experience that I make more mistakes on no sleep, and I got hammered.

My disclaimer is, that while I am a winner, I may not be one of the "better" players...

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How they deal with fatigue issues?

How they know when they are becoming fatigued? What then, coffee? Call it a night altogether?


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During a session I will drink coffee or tea so that the caffeine can wake me up. When I play tired I play very passively and usually lose. When the caffeine wears off Friday night, is when I will leave. Or of course if the game is unfavorable I will leave before I start feeling tired.

I should note that aside from this I drink no caffeine at all. It makes the affect of the caffeine when I do drink it much more pronounced.

I get some sleep on Friday night by renting the cheapest motel room I can find in the area. I need at least 4 hrs sleep to function well.

I know I am tired:
1) because I feel tired.
2) I catch myself thinking "if I raise he is only going to call me anyway." or "I'll call (again and again and again)" or "how much is in the pot now?"
3) The guy next to me nudges me and says, its your bet...