Poker Lesson 22: Nutrition

There is a debate out in the sports community that can get pretty raucous. It centers on the question of whether or not poker is a sport. When you look at a World Series of Poker Tournament or World Poker Tour tournament and see a room full of competitors who physically have more in common with Cookie Monster than Mark Mcguire, than you can almost see the point of somebody who does not consider card games a sport. Whether it truly is or not, one thing is for certain, poker can be a marathon event that goes on much longer than the traditional Baseball or Football game. To remain sharp from start to finish, nutrition must be part of a poker player's routine.

When people think of poker, one of the things that come to mind is scantily dressed cocktail waitresses bringing the players glass after glass of alcoholic beverages. This should be a no-no for the serious player. We all know the effect alcohol has on the brain. It lowers your inhibitions. I have seen more than one smart player become very loose after a few shots. Their profits usually go down in geometric proportion to their blood alcohol level. Another less known aspect of drinking alcohol while playing is that it dehydrates the body. After a few hours it is unlikely you will be on the top of your game when your body starts to crave fluid. Caffeine has the same dehydrating effect, albeit to a lesser degree. During the game a player should be sipping on either water, fruit juice or Gatorade. Sports drinks that replace electrolytes are probably the best choice. This will help keep you mentally sharp.

When snacking during a game, avoid high protein/fatty and high sugar snacks. First of all the problem with sugar is that you will get a rush that is followed by a crash. Your mind may be alert during the rush and react well, but when the crash comes a percentage of function is lost. That is not something that will help you during a hand. High protein/high fat snacks such as meat, fast food and the ever present pizza are also not the best for keeping mentally sharp. Meat takes a lot of effort for the body to digest, and much of the energy you would use over the long haul for poker will be diverted to breaking down the "Slim Jim" in your stomach. In short eating this way will make you tired.

To keep sharp, snack on foods that is high in complex carbohydrates. These will keep a constant and steady supply of energy without the crash of sugar, and not make you as drowsy as the traditional high protein/fatty foods. Snacks that are good for you are listed below:

- Breads, both whole-grain and white
- Breakfast cereals, cooked and ready-to-eat
- Flours, whole-grain and white
- Pastas, such as macaroni and spaghetti
- Barley and rice
- Legumes - dried peas, beans and lentils
- Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, butter beans, corn, potatoes, sweet peas, lima beans, and navy beans
- Good Sources of Fiber
- Whole-grain breads, other grain bakery products
- Whole-grain cereals, cooked and ready-to-eat
- Legumes - kidney beans, lima beans, navy beans, and split peas
- Fruits, especially the skins and edible seeds
- Nuts and seeds

Most poker players may not be able to bench three hundred pounds, but that does not mean that proper nutrition will not help their game. Using nutrition to help stay mentally sharp will payoff for you in the long run.