Every good poker player has his or her own special way of preparing for a cash game or a tournament.
Some do it through music. Classical, rock, jazz or inspirational. Some work out with weights or visit a spa or a gym and exercise until they feel they are ready to take on the competition. Some run for a mile or simply work out for 30 minutes.
I have used several methods of preparation to get ready to compete, including some of the above. I know it makes a difference.
Once I made a final table for a major tournament in Las Vegas. That night I was so excited I hit a couple of bars and drank wine. I overdid it and in the morning I visited a health spa and went through all the therapeutic methods they had to improve my blood circulation and fill my brain and blood with pure oxygen. At noon I sat down at the poker table and finished third. I was happy with my performance.
Every now and then a poker player needs a complete makeover in order to perform at his best. It's like a boxer preparing for a championship fight. He would not go into the ring unprepared and neither should an aspiring poker champion sit down at a poker table without being in the best condition and frame of mind possible.
'Rocky' was one of my favorite films. I loved the way Sylvester Stallone prepared for his fight with Apollo Creed. The theme music fit the story very well and set up the proper emotional scene for the magnificent war of fists and stamina that Rocky went through in the championship battle.
The same emotions prevail in a poker tournament. You are at war with yourself as well as with the other players. You jab and you punch and sometimes you fold and drop back. But you always stand ready to deliver a roundhouse right that will take out an opponent and add to your stack of chips.
It takes a lot of stamina to win a poker tournament or to prevail in a tough cash game. If you lack that stamina, you have no business being in the game. That is why people like Phil Hellmuth will sometimes take a break from a tournament and nap on the floor next to the poker table. I have taken advantage of those 10-minute breaks by going to the restroom and doing 50 quick pushups to recirculate the oxygen through my brain. Does it help? Absolutely.
A poker player is an athlete who has a task to perform. He cannot accomplish it if he is not ready to do the job. If you haven't had a good night's sleep or didn't eat well that day, you have lessened your chances of winning. It's that simple.
You cannot over train for a poker tournament or a good cash game. You need to be at the top of your game physically, emotionally and spiritually. If you falter, you lose.
Think of a woman who goes into a beauty salon. She may have personal problems, her hair may look frazzled, and she might be in pain from a toothache. But when she emerges from the salon after the full treatment, she looks and feels like a million. That is what a poker player must do in order to get ready to play his best.
Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to start my exercise.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
