Poker can be a truly captivating game, and you might find yourself enjoying one poker download game after the other for hours on end. But sometimes, playing for too long can be counterproductive to your goals.
Sometimes, players can hit a brick wall after playing online poker for too many hours straight. When you reach a certain level of tiredness, it's hard to focus on the game, you make rash decisions, and you start losing bigger chunks of money. Tapping out before you hit this state of mental exhaustion is important, but how can you know when it's time to quit?
Learn how to recognize the signs you're simply too tired to go on, and you might save yourself some unnecessary disappointment.
Top Signs You Should Stop Playing Poker RIGHT NOW
Involuntary actions and certain behavioral patterns can help you identify dangerous levels of tiredness. Take a look at the most common signs you should quit poker and get some rest!
- You keep checking your hole cards – Usually, experienced players only need to look at the cards once to decide on the best move. But if you find yourself checking your hole card every time another player raises or calls - or when the community cards are revealed – that might mean you're not 100% focused on the game.
- Eye blinking patterns change – Studies have shown that people usually blink about 10-15 times per minute. Your blinking rate can increase or decrease exponentially when you're tired, as it is a proven sign of drowsiness. So, if you find yourself blinking too little or too much as you place bets, you should consider stopping for the day.
- You can't recall the last few hands – Concentration is key when playing poker. You have to keep track of every move and every decision made at the table to make the smartest and most accurate decisions. The moment you can't do that – you're probably too tired to keep playing.
- Restlessness sets in – One of the clearest signs of tiredness is restlessness. After sitting a few hours in front of a computer, you might find yourself unable to find a comfortable position. Once you start moving around a lot – it might be time for a break.
- You look for better head support – Have you ever felt like your head weighs 100lb and that you can't hold it up any longer? Most people have experienced this level of tiredness in their lives. If you feel that you need to rest your head on your hands or lean back a lot as you play poker, it might be a sign you've been playing for too long.
- Too much yawning – It is believed that when we are tired, we don't breathe in as deeply as we tend to do. Therefore, to get more oxygen to our brain we yawn more often. If you start yawning a lot during an online poker session – that's a clear sign you're too tired to keep placing bets!
- You get annoyed or angry by inconsequential things – When most people get tired, they get more emotional. Even the smallest things can upset you: loud noises that you usually ignore, a harmless comment you hear, and so on. Once you find yourself unable to control your anger or annoyance – end your poker session right then and there!
- You make bad decisions time and time again – If you don't exhibit any of the signs we've mentioned so far, there is one last thing that should alert you to the fact you're too tired to play: when you stop making smart decisions. Whenever you find yourself making the wrong call in seemingly simple situations you usually deal with easily, it might mean you we've been playing for too long.
In Conclusion
Learning when to stop playing is an important skill when it comes to online poker. Taking a break at the right moment can reduce your chances of losing money, so don't be afraid of quitting when you've had enough!