I was in New Mexico, visiting the many poker rooms around the Albuquerque and Santa Fe area (something I'll report on in more detail in a future column) when I happened to check my email from a remote computer terminal. I was pleased to have an email from a reader. I receive a fair number of emails from readers and listeners (I have a poker radio show at houseofcardsradio.com).
Most of it is quick feedback, praise, correction, or criticism for one opinion or another. Rarely, but significantly, I sometimes receive valuable insights into practices that foster winning play. I received such an email from Don Gergler who has given me permission to share it with you. He noticed a hole in his game and then literally took some corrective steps that have made an enormous difference to his bottom line. Here's what he wrote:
"While I found myself winning more often than losing, my losses were so much greater than my wins that over all I was losing. So I gave it a lot of thought, reviewed my records, and realized that I seemed unable to play well for more than a few hours. And sometimes, even during the first few hours, I would make some boneheaded plays.
"I pondered how to stay mentally sharp for the entire session, and how to extend their length to overcome the natural ups and downs of the game. Now I take a 'power walk' about every 45 minutes for the entire time I'm there. I drink a lot of water-and sometime coffee, along with an occasional beer-so I need to visit the men's room fairly often. When I have to go, and sometimes when I don't, instead of using the nearest men's room, I go upstairs.
"I stomp up the escalator at a brisk pace. Then after using the men's room I walk briskly through the casino to the stairs at the other end of the poker room. I go down those stairs at a very fast pace and continue my power walk back to my table. This only takes about five minutes and by the time I get back to my seat my heart rate is noticeably elevated and my brain is clearer.
"During my walk I think about the game and consider any changes I might need to make, and the results are dramatic. Today I set a personal best by winning for the thirteenth time in a row. And the beginning of that streak corresponds exactly with the beginning of my new 'exercise regimen.' And four of those wins were sessions of nine to ten hours; I've never had a winning session that long before. The average length of the sessions in this streak is just under six hours, and the total won was $798, for an average of just over $61 per session. By most measurements, including yours I believe, averaging over $10 per hour at 1 - 5 is pretty good."
I can't think of a better testimonial to the importance of taking breaks during a playing session. I've written about this before, but usually with the recommendation that a player go for a cup of coffee and maybe something to drink. Don's more athletic interlude strikes me as making more sense. It's healthier; it's free, and it doesn't promote weight gain!
I'd just add one additional suggestion to Don's. Insights gleaned during brisk walks taken to reinvigorate the brain and break up a playing session shouldn't be lost. So I suggest that you take a notebook with you. When you're done with your walk, sit down for a few minutes and jot down what you've come up with - even if it's just a sentence or two about the game you're in. Those notes may help cement the lessons you recently learned.
