PokerWorks

I've had to learn some things about my poker game since the twins were born seven months ago, but I think my most important skill is one that many others should learn as well.

I learned how to play exhausted.

Endurance, more than skill, sometimes is the difference between the top pros and the rest of us. Ted Forrest's a legend for his play, but he's also well-known for being able to sit at a table for days (yes, days, not hours) on end and play as sharp as he did in the first hour. Doyle Brunson is 185 years old (not quite, but close), and yet plays with the energy of a 36-year-old (wait, that's me, he plays with a lot more energy than that).

Yet that's a skill we all need. If you want to play long tournaments, like the World Series of Poker, you'll need to play for more than 12 hours a day. If you want to play cash games, especially live, you'll need to spend hours at the table to even out the luck factor, and the later it gets, the looser the money flows. And if you want to play online, life can attach itself to your game - like your toddler puking. You can't get away from it. I discovered that all too well. I played only a few hours a week this summer, when I wasn't sleeping much at all. Even those few hours a week were layered in exhaustion.
But I loved the game too much to completely give it up.

Here's a few tips on learning how to play exhausted:

• When you're tired, play tighter, especially pre-flop - The temptation is to play looser because you won't have the mental energy to get rid of the "awfugit" calls that can cost you a lot of money. You probably won't have the capacity for making a great lay down either, the ones that save you money in the long run. Make it easy on yourself. If you play tighter and play only good hands or hands in position, your decisions will be easier, and people may have to make great lay downs to you, not the other way around.

• Be more aware of your game - You'll have to understand how you're feeling at the moment, far more than you would if you were alert and awake. You probably want to call more, take more chances out of position or even shove on most hands because it removes the decisions out of the process and you don't have to expend any more mental energy. But you might also play too tight because you secretly don't want to expend more energy thinking about a hand. You constantly have to ask yourself how you're feeling and play the hand and the player and don't let your weariness affect your play.

• Get up and walk around more often - Even standing up at the poker table (and this includes the times you're playing on Full Tilt, Poker Stars, Ultimate Bet or Bodog) can be refreshing and clear your head. I like to spend a few minutes, after each hour, walking around a bit, especially during those inevitable times when you're card dead.

• Watch the multi-tabling - Unless you want to play really tight, watch those times when you're really tired and playing so many tables that you can't concentrate on the numbers you normally would. Remember, when you're tired, you're not playing your best, unless you're Ted Forrest. Most people aren't. And speaking of distractions...

• No chatting while playing, unless it's someone rail birding you and paying attention to your play - It can help to have a trusted friend talk to you while you're tired, as you'll not only stay sharp because you don't want to look stupid, the person will help you play well. Just don't allow the chat to distract you, as it will when you're more tired.

• Finally, avoid large MTTs - Turbo SnGs are nice to play when you're tired, as are low limit cash games, because they won't tie you down for hours. You can play a bit then go to bed. Right after a few more hands.

*editor's note - Online Poker Rooms are the easiest and best way to learn to play poker; it's free, which makes it very affordable, while you hone your skills at the green felt. Once you are comfortable in the play of the game, you can move up to real money play, or win your own bankroll starting from -0- by playing free rolls. It's a win, win. You don't have to leave home, the price is $free$, and you stand to gain a wealth of poker information and make $$ too.*