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Poker & Food - What Should You Eat At The Table?

A GUIDE TO EATING YOUR WAY TO POKER SUCCESS Poker is a sport, and as such a balanced diet is needed to ensure you perform at your peak. Salty, fatty snacks and beer usually feature high on most people's poker menus, but are they the best fuel for a successful game? Read on to discover the nourishments you should be enjoying and avoiding when you're at the table. HELPFUL FOODS 1 BLUEBERRIES Blueberries are full to the brim with antioxidants and vitamins, and are therefore one of the healthiest - and tastiest - fruits around. improved vision, coordination and cognitive function - ideal for keeping you alert to all that's going on when embroiled in a heated game. The antioxidants in blueberries are linked to 2 CHOCOLATE No, we don't mean your bog-standard bar. Chocolate that is made up of at least 75% cacao solids is full of antioxidants, catechins, thebromine and flavonoids. Eating good-quality chocolate while playing poker will release brain chemicals that keep you positive and optimistic - both vitally important if you want to come out victorious after a poor start. 3 A WATER While many people will reach for a cold beer, sugary drinks or coffee to keep hydrated while playing poker, they all have significant side effects. Plain-old water may not be the most exciting drink in the world, but it is your best option to keep hydrated. Concentration, alertness and short-term memory all suffer when you are dehydrated, and drinking water is the best way to keep your thirst quenched, without the side-effects associated with other beverages. 5 4 ALMONDS SUSHI A A A For a quick, filling snack while engrossed in a game of five-card, it doesn't get much better than sushi. Omega 3 fats are incredibly good for you, so sushi consisting of seaweed and salmon is the ideal choice. Instead of the usual chocolate, crisps or pretzels, carrya bag of almonds with you next time you play. Omega 3 helps to insulate the brain, thus aiding the thinking process - perfect for helping you decide whether to raise or fold. high-energy snacks, helping to keep you alert and on the ball when things are starting to get interesting. Almonds provide a huge energy boost without the crash associated with other UNHELPFUL FOODS ENERGY DRINKS COFFEE As we mentioned above, keeping hydrated is very important when playing poker. Caffeine is known to have diuretic properties, drying out your system and making you feel like you are dehydrated. Poker is full of highs and lows, so drinking substances that will exacerbate this is not a good idea. Energy drinks raise your heart rate considerably, and give you drops of a similar size. Avoiding coffee will mean that you don't suffer from concentration, alertness or short-term memory issues while you are playing, and will stop the caffeine drops that are common too. While drinking such liquids in moderation is ok, large quantities should be avoided. Jumpiness followed by drowsiness is not conducive with winning a game of poker! CONCENTRATION ISSUES А BEER Although some studies have shown that red wine can be ok, in general alcohol is not your friend when playing poker. When you are getting to the business end of agame, the last thing you want is poor decision making and slow reactions derailing what could be an otherwise successful game. Beer and spirits can bring on both ofthese feelings, so go for a tap water instead to keep hydrated and on the ball. FRUIT JUICES CRISPS A As mentioned above, stability is the key to keep a cool, consistent mind while playing poker. Therefore, fruit juices should also be on the avoid list, The high sugar content of juices such as orange and apple mean that you get an almost instantaneous blood sugar rise, followed shortly after by a sugar drop. Such a drop impairs key cognitive abilities, meaning if you have a glass of orange juice early on in a game, you will likely experience a noticeable drop in concentration later on. Just stick to water. A Crisps are regularly- and wrongly- consumed alongside a game of poker. Other than the obvious negatives that come with saturated fats, the oily, greasy nature of crisps raises the risk of cards slipping out of your grasp at an inopportune moment - the last thing you want when your poker face is in full effect. "I was really surprised with some of the recommendations! In the past my advice was always to eat small - there's nothing worse than going to the dinner break, eating too much and then coming back lethargic. It's a mistake l used to make when younger but I am much better with it now. K I know many poker players - myself included- rely on a few cups of coffee to keep us alert during a long day at the tables. Similarly, I think an occasional beer can be a good thing-sometimes you need a little courage or just something to steady the nerves. It's a case of every man needing to know his limitations, as Dirty Harry once said. I'm actually going to try the almonds and blueberries at my next live event too, just to see how that goes. Overall though lfound this advice interesting and thought-provoking." - Julian Thew, Sky Poker Pro sky POKER

Poker & Food - What Should You Eat At The Table?

shared by Mikepiphany on Jan 12
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Everyone snacks at the poker table, but are they eating the right kinds of foods? What you're eating could be instrumental to your success.

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