I was awake until 5am on Thursday morning. Wednesday is my usual poker night, which I have blogged on before. This is the 4th week in a row I've cashed out a good amount. This week finished slightly later than usual and I didn't get home till just after 4.30am. I have the strangest feelings after a long poker session.
A session usually last 5 hours and during that time I will have one or two beers, food and generally a relaxing and good time. However consistently and continuously my analysis is in hyper mode. Every hand that I play, and I play a lot more that the usual player, I run through a list of questions which have no definitive answer. What did he raise with pre-flop? Why is he betting? Should I raise? What are the pot odds? What are the implied odds? Can I bluff? Will this be profitable? Remembering all the time that your money is at risk. I find the game pretty easy to crack and I have already gained a reputation in our small game.
The problem is, however, that I just can't get out of this mode of thinking easily. It's not just poker, it happens after a long reading session on politics or philosophy. I lie down and close my eyes. My body is exhausted but my mind continues to buzz. It feels like my brain molecules are whizzing around at a hundred miles an hour, riding on an adrenalin rush that just won't go away. I replay hands in my head over and over again, smile at my victories and analyse my loses. I make plans for future games or books to read. If my mind wonders off from poker every imagination seems more vivid and runs like a video in high speed. Like an electro-chraged spark my brain jumps from one topic to the next and back again. Sometimes I feel if I just put the pedal on accelerate and went where ever my my mind wanted to take me then my head would explode in a shower of light. I have such vivid dreams after these episodes.
I think it may just be a consequence of a average active mind, running on the last of a nights excitement, in conjunction with a tired body. It makes me think that instead of a constant 5 hour poker session I should try it with a classic novel or textbook.
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I think like that, not about poker right enough. It's called being obsessive. Don't you find it only gets worse when you try to sleep as you're not distracted by doing something, so it keeps you up ALL night. Welcome to my world mate.
ReplyDeleteEveryone gets that nob jockeys. Sorry to disappoint but its not the sign of a special one.
ReplyDeleteDarren I do not ever wanna know what weird thoughts keep you up at night.
ReplyDeleteI guessed most people feel like that; as I said an active mind with a body that's knackered, Nothing special but still a strange feeling. I am just thinking that instead of being from poker or a mental night out I could do it with a book on science or politics.
ReplyDeleteThat would make you sadder than... well, me.
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