Drinking and Playing

How long should you wait after having been drinkign to play poker again?
I just got back from the Mifflin St. Party here in Madison (it's CRAZY! )and had something like maybe 3 shots of rum or so, and a little beer. I feel allright, and I can type fine. My coordination doesn't seem to be off, but I am missing keys every once in a while. Not too often. For instance, I misspelled about 4 words typing this post.

I drank one beer last night about 2 hours before I started playing and I felt fine, and I played a great night of poker, with my reads and all.

I feel ready to play poker, but if I'm a little tipsy, I might feel the same way.

How long do y'all normally wait after drinking a little bit of alcohol before you start playing again? And do you think I can play poker now or should I wait?

I think you're fine so long as you know what you're doing. I haven't done it too much, but i've played several times when i'd had small amounts to drink, and i don't reallly think it affected me too much, so i think if you're ok enough to be typing this you're probably ok. Just if you do it this time and end up tilting away 5 buy-ins or something, keep in mind next time that where you're at now isn't sober enough.

I've played twice when i had a lot to drink, one of them i knew i was still ok and i played for several hours and did fine. the other one i was half blackout drunk and had no idea what i was doing, but it turned out ok.

I drink and play all the time. I drink and multi table cash games. I drink and play MTT's. I drink during live sessions. It does not affect my play over 2-3 hour sessions at all. In fact, 2 or 3 drinks will do wonders to loosen up your game a bit.

However, if you are in a big MTT and need to play for a long while, I would recommend water or soda.

Poker is a social game. Loosen up a little and make it a party, especially live.

By no means are you going to be doing beer bongs or shooters, but sipping a few beers never hurt anyone.

I think anything more than the equivalent of one shot in your system is too much while playing poker. Sometimes I will drink a beer before playing to "take the edge off", but any more than that and you might be hitting call too much.

In live games I actually prefer a beer or 2, not only for table image, but it also relaxes me. I'm nervous when I first sit down, so the beer helps. After 30 mins or so, i'm playing my A game.

I've played when I was totally wasted on a few occasions. I was still able to play pretty well.

Originally Posted by Greedo017

I think you're fine so long as you know what you're doing. I haven't done it too much, but i've played several times when i'd had small amounts to drink, and i don't reallly think it affected me too much, so i think if you're ok enough to be typing this you're probably ok. Just if you do it this time and end up tilting away 5 buy-ins or something, keep in mind next time that where you're at now isn't sober enough.

I've played twice when i had a lot to drink, one of them i knew i was still ok and i played for several hours and did fine. the other one i was half blackout drunk and had no idea what i was doing, but it turned out ok.

So...I started off by losing $225 on one table. whoops...
Then, I think the alcohol started wearing off enough just so that I could have a little bit more courage in my pot stealing attempts. I got off the table that I lost $225 on that had become infested with sharks, and went to another one. Went from $300 to ... more than $300 (sorry; I'm a bit superstitious about telling my winnigns) and enough to more than cover my $225 lost from earlier. Woohoo!

So I guess I should have waited a little bit, but eventually, everything turned out well. Yay me!

Thats funny, when I drink and play, I sometimes play an amazing game because I get so hyped and focused. Then, if Ive drank too much I bluff my stack off real quick.

Originally Posted by SmackinYaUp

Then, if Ive drank too much I bluff my stack off real quick.

THAT's what I was afraid of. :P that $225 I lost initially? Half of it was on a failed bluff. the other part when my straight ran into a rivered full boat.

Not everyone has the drinking tolerance of a 10 year old. It dependant on the person.

Originally Posted by lonnie

I think anything more than the equivalent of one shot in your system is too much while playing poker. Sometimes I will drink a beer before playing to "take the edge off", but any more than that and you might be hitting call too much.

To make a formal reply.

I drink 10+ drinks at least a once a week. I typically play BETTER when slightly drunk. My friend who is a very solid HE player plays his best when stoned. Don't make large judgements.

I would say it depends on one thing: Are you someone who drinks a bit then cannot control himself? Or are you someone that controls himself and his alcohol well?

For the record, 3 shots and a beer wouldn't even get me a bit tipsy.

I'm still learning HE so I make sure I'm drunk when I play so I don't have to make this decision later on.

Whoops. Did I type 3 shots? Make that 6. :P

An imperial gallon of cider is too much. Trust me.

Originally Posted by doggz

To make a formal reply.
My friend who is a very solid HE player plays his best when stoned.

I can fully believe this. Although pot ususally makes me scatterbrained, and I've never played poker stoned (didn't start playing til I joined the military) I used to play chess quite a lot with a few friends of mine, very competitive games. However when we were stoned the games were even better thought out. I can't explain this and I don't want anyone going on a "Just Say No" rant but something about a cerebral game (which I consider poker on par with chess in that category) and a little weed just gel together.

P.S. To get technical pot+adderol is even better.

Hmm...I seem to be a lot less patient when I'm sober than when I'm slightly intoxicated.

I lost $200 on a failed semi-bluff because I was tired of sitting around doing nothing and my VPIP is rising.


Hmm.....

I think I play my best game when I'm a little drunk, my worst game when I get real drunk.

Originally Posted by ensign_lee

Hmm...I seem to be a lot less patient when I'm sober than when I'm slightly intoxicated.

I lost $200 on a failed semi-bluff because I was tired of sitting around doing nothing and my VPIP is rising.


Hmm.....

solution: add more tables. When I get restless with four I add a fifth

I have a bad habit of drinking 2-3 beers almost every day of the week..

Join the military and go to Korea...You wont know how to function without a sixpack down and six waiting for you. God I'm an alcoholic

the problem I have with playing stoned is that I begin to overanazlyze every situation and play scared poker. I start envisioning everyone out to get me, or that they're slowplaying monsters.

"solution: add more tables. When I get restless with four I add a fifth"

Experiment: when you get restless, drink a fifth

It does not affect my play over 2-3 hour sessions at all. In fact, 2 or 3 drinks will do wonders to loosen up your game a bit.

QOTD...

:P

IMO, if your playing better because drinks are loosening your play... then you should try to learn to play that way sober, and not drink when playing...


But thats just me, I dont drink mutch at all anyway ( /blah beer! )

Problem is, I seem to get TIGHTER when I'm drunk. I'm just more aggressive with my bets when I do play and I trust my reads more.

For instance, here are my trains of thoughts when I'm trying to bluff someone on the river. I raised preflop 3x the BB, got like 4 callers. Flop checked all around. I'm second to last to act, I pump out a $25 bet. Last position thinks about it a little bit, then calls. Other two fold. Now, I'm trying just to nab this pot on the river. These are the things I'm mumbling at the screen while I'm staring at my opponent's avatar.


Slightly intoxicated me: "Fold. Fold. FOLD!!!!!! You have NOTHING, I KNOW you have nothing, because of your weakass call on the turn. You were on that spade draw and now it's played out and you didn't hit it! No WAY you can call $70 into this $90 pot. 'Cause you have NOTHING. Never mind that I have six high! YOU....HAVE....NOTHING! FOLD!"

Sober me: "I don't think he has anything, but I'm not sure I'm willing to risk my chips here. I check." ..... "fuck. He bet. I have six high. I fold."

I think that about sums up the differences.

Originally Posted by ensign_lee

Problem is, I seem to get TIGHTER when I'm drunk. I'm just more aggressive with my bets when I do play and I trust my reads more.

I've been having that problem when my bankroll starts dropping


I'm working on it, but it's not easy

I have a bad habit of drinking 2-3 beers almost every day of the week..

I remember those days.
Weren't they fun!
Someday I'm gonna do that again.
Until then,
I've got to try to cut down.

[quote="sykotik489"]

Originally Posted by doggz

To make a formal reply.
My friend who is a very solid HE player plays his best when stoned.

I play my best game when stoned as well. Before any tournament (or any game for that matter) I make sure I get nice and toasted. Weed is a drug for the brain, and if you know how to use it correctly, it can work wonders. (I'm not even gonna mention all the other benefits and medical uses) My reads become amazingly accurate, and I become entirely submerged in whatever game I am playing. However trying to mulitable while stoned is a mistake, because weed causes you to focus and analyze a single situation too much.

Liquor or beer causes you to lose your inhibitions, become more loose and out of control (in an extreme), while weed does the exact opposite, causing you to be more focused (if you know how to focus correctly, or else you just zone out), more aware and paranoid.

I guess my point is... to each his own... as long as you know the effect that everything has on you beforehand. We are all different.

I've learned that I can not play and drink at the same time. Sometimes I can do ok but I have never won while drinking. In fact, I didn't start winning until I stopped drinking at the table. That was a big turn around.

This past Sunday I was playing at a table of friends and their were 7 of us. I was drinking a few beers and I ended up going out first. I then bought back in, stopped drinking and won it all.

Oh well, I can drink other nights.

? I doubt that had to do with your drinking unless it was lack of concentration while drinking. If you were fine to rebuy and win you should've been fine before.

lol no kidding.. unless you magically become sober when you put your beer down??

Personally I find a couple beer will help improve my game, in a live event anyways for sure. Helps to take the edge off and allow me to play the way I want to.

Although sometimes I don't know when to stop and when it's getting close to heads up and I have about 6 empties beside me I know it is affecting me.... Although I am lucky in that the people I play with are normally drinking as well. Since it is more of a social/serious game. Some weeks $5 each, some weeks $20 each(6-8ppl) last 2 times I won though, and I think the extra beer help me become very loose agg when it went heads up and I finished it off in about 15min...(bout 20hands)

I like to have a small buzz (~3 beer) for anything competitive, my friend and I used to hammer 2 shots before and during breaks in 9-ball tourneys. If your a high-strung person it can do wonders to even you out a bit.

my friend and I used to hammer 2 shots before and during breaks in 9-ball tourneys

Difficult to do while breaking. :P

I drive better when I'm drunk, and I'm much better at supervising small children when my inhibitions have been chemically depressed.

I remember those days.
Weren't they fun!
Someday I'm gonna do that again.
Until then,
I've got to try to cut down.

Is this a Haiku?

I like drinking, I'd have to severely cut down too to make it under 3 drinks/a day. I really like drinking in the B&M casinos and it works very well with my game.

When I first sit down at the table, I'm very tight & cautious, I'm trying to figure out the players at my table and don't want to make any stupid mistakes by not understanding my opponents. So in this early stage I'm very tight.

The players at my table usually notice this, and start respecting my tight game after about 2-2.5 hours. Well, after about 2 hours of drinking, my game loosens up... and just on time.

I switch it up a bit and start owning the table - I can buy some pots because of my image.

Tuesday sat down at a $300 NL table and walked out with $1,000 and a very nice buzz 4 hours later.

Originally Posted by NUGEN

the problem I have with playing stoned is that I begin to overanazlyze every situation and play scared poker. I start envisioning everyone out to get me, or that they're slowplaying monsters.

I played poker high once and it felt like some sort of transcendent experience. Like there was something almost magical about being able to gain information through bets.