1: MP3 players – You see it on TV all the time, players with Ipod’s or other mp3 players in their ears while they’re playing poker. You too can use mp3 players to relax in a few different ways, firstly, just listening to your favourite music can stop you from being bored and help to motivate you to play better. Secondly having earphones in means other players can assume that you can’t hear them, giving you another great reason to ignore the ‘know it all’ player trying to trash talk you and draw you into conversation. Another great thing about mp3 players is that you can download almost anything onto them these days and there are many relaxation mp3’s that you can use while you’re playing poker that can really help you to stay calm and focused. These relaxation mp3’s will be especially useful to listen to if you have just suffered a bad beat and you feel as though you might be starting to tilt.

2: Exercise – Some people think that exercise is only important for the body but it is well known that exercising reduces stress and focuses your brain, increasing your mental ability. So as well as your normal keeping fit routine I suggest adding an extra run or any physical activity hehe into your schedule on the day you know you’re going to play a long poker tournament and also that you get up from your poker game regularly making good use of the breaks to walk around, stretch out and get some exercise.

3: Food - can also really help or hinder your performance, eating too much can leave you feeling sluggish and bloated and not really in the mood to play whereas eating the right portion of healthy ‘brain’ food can really increase your mood making you able to concentrate and play a better game. People think coffee is a good choice for keeping them awake and alert but I don’t think coffee is a very good solution, above all else once the coffee runs out you will hit a low if you don’t keep drinking it and this can be detrimental to your chip stack! Apples have been said to keep you alert and awake even more than coffee, and they’re tasty too. Cheese is said to be ‘brain food’ and can help you make better decisions and think more clearly. So why not try a ploughman’s lunch during your tournament break to keep you awake and alert, if it doesn’t work at least you’ve had a tasty snack. Avoid turkey and lettuce as these are well known sleep inducers, it’s never good to fall asleep at the table during a game?.

4: Temple balms and scents – There are many temple balms and scents that you can buy to relax you or make you more alert. Lush cosmetics is one of the companies that has a selection of fantastic temple balms that you rub into your wrists and temples and can give you an instant lift to perk you up or relax you and calm you down, depending on which one you use. Any scent that reminds you of being calm or being happy will really help you out. Spray some onto a tissue and keep it in your handbag so you can just pull it out and breathe in the lovely scent whenever you feel like it and it will take you back to that happy feeling once again.

5: Sleep – If you’re playing a tournament that lasts more than one day then it is important to make sure you get some good sleep in the time before you start the next day. It can be tempting if you’re playing at a venue away from home to go exploring in the local area and of course I’m not saying you should turn down this opportunity because this kind of thing can help you to relax. It is very important though that you get a good sleep under your belt too so that you’re awake and refreshed the next day with a clear head for taking all those chips.

6: Clothes – Make sure the clothes you wear are comfortable and you feel good in them, if you’re wearing a corset or really tight jeans that cut into your tummy when you sit down then you’re obviously not going to be comfortable and this could make you mood low and your play bad. So think about what you’re wearing before you go, make sure it is comfortable and also that you feel good wearing it. An outfit that we don’t feel good in can make us feel a little miserable whereas an outfit that we feel gorgeous in can make us feel confident and that will be reflected in the way we play.

All these ideas can be used during and before live poker tournaments but can also be used when playing online poker too. As well as these tips it is also important to remember that a lot of the time that players are getting stressed at the poker table is because they’re getting so called ‘bad beats’ but if you look into the situations properly you will often find that the player didn’t actually suffer a bad beat at all, they just played badly and assumed that their pocket pair should always win or other such nonsense, so my last bit of advice is to make sure you’re armed with all the facts, keep studying poker and odds etc... So that when you get outdrawn you can sit back safely in the knowledge of knowing it will balance itself out and you played correctly.