If you are a player who plays at a decent level online and in live poker then you will have had sessions where you simply play on and on without really thinking about when to stop. Your thoughts are so focused on playing poker that assessing how well you are playing, whether it is in your interests to carry on this long session or what else you may be doing are never at the front of your mind.

Here are a few handy poker tips to handling the monotony of long poker sessions.

Long sessions in poker are sometimes necessary. A poker player has to do what a poker player has to do. There is no single length that is defined as a long poker session but any session which lasts long enough where you would not normally play poker for that length of time will be a long session for you. For some players that may be 12 hours or more, for some that may be 4 hours, it is totally individual. It is right to sometimes sit in a game for a long period of time as the game may be full of fish and the potential earnings are so great you simply must see the game through until either it breaks or you feel it is time to leave.

The benefit of playing a long session is that you can maximise your focus and it gives you good practise. It may be a tournament or cash game that you sit in for a while but the benefits of both are that normally you will only be sitting in a game that is a good spot for you. If you only find yourself only playing long sessions in games when you are losing you need to reassess when you are leaving games and if it is going wrong get out of there sooner. That can be a leak in many peoples game. They win and leave, or they lose and keep going hoping to get it back. Be careful not to follow this style. Conscious thought is better than just doing things without thinking.

When you are in long sessions try these tips out to alleviate any boredom you may begin to feel.

Chat to Opponents

This is beneficial in many ways. You get vital information about the players who are probably happy to chat due to the boredom they are feeling during the poker session. Some players just will not talk, but those that do can be entertaining and also give you information that helps you out when contesting a hand against that player. Every little helps and talking to people does make sitting for long periods more tolerable.

Listen to your iPod

Remember to charge your iPod before a game and load it up with some good songs. Easy listening is good as it keeps you relaxed and you can play it at a low volume without getting distracted. It can also be a good distraction from getting drawn into table talk if you want to keep quiet. Just remember to not drift away with the music and stay focused at all times.

Get Up and Step Away

Without leaving the table permanently you are allowed to go to the bathroom and have the table fold your hands whilst you are away. Moving away briefly from the table even for a couple of minutes will keep you fresh and able to play your best game at all times. However, keep these sorts of small breaks to a minimum.

Playing long sessions of poker is part and parcel of being a good player. You need to gradually learn to handle longer sessions but I would say that the reported sessions of 24 hours or more by well-known players are not something a normal player could make work too often. I personally play short focused sessions but certainly there is often a benefit for playing longer. Bear the above tips in mind so in a long session you maximise your earn rate whilst sitting in the game and make it worthwhile.

By Malcolm Clarke