What CAN you take to stay sharp and focused through long poker games?
POKER AND FRIENDLY DRUGS! It’s true! Some legal drugs are extremely helpful to poker players. We all know about the effects of caffeine but it can be a double edged sword as heavy coffee drinkers will be aware. Scientific facts are emerging which indicate caffeine is best released into the system via Green tea which is a pleasant herbal leaf infused in the usual manner. There are several compounds within Green tea which deliver the caffeine more effectively and genuinely increase your focus. Secondly, if you play in private live games within clouds of expensive cigar smog, Green tea also contains substances known as phytochemicals. These clever little ingredients sooth the eyes and act as antioxidants.
NO “BULL” HERE! You’ll hear the occasional poker player, usually slightly tipsy, recommending Red Bull as a big booster when you’re starting to flag in front of the PC. Don’t be fooled. You’ll get a boost for sure, followed within ninety minutes by a sugar and caffeine crash that’ll have you nodding off like grandma in front of Countdown.
HERE’S THE REAL DEAL The top players who need to keep going through hours of gruelling tournament play will often use a nootropic compound aptly named “Spike”. This definitely stimulates concentration and mental clarity. It seems to carry almost no side effects. There’s no confusion and no noticeable crash. Most players report Spike gives them at least five to six good hours of sharp focus. It’s key benefit is that the activation process the manufacturers use means the beneficial effects of Spike kick-in within fifteen to twenty minutes, so it’s a real, legal rescue remedy if you’re tiring fast. Side effects. It stimulates the appetite, so if you have a weight problem you’ll want to watch out for the desire to eat other peoples’ hamburgers while they’re actually trying to swallow them. Nobody likes ketchup on their felt and you want the kind of stomach that enables you to reach comfortably across for the pot when you stay awake long enough to scoop it.
AND IF YOU WANT TO GO NUCLEAR Freely available and FDA approved in the U.S. and obtainable on prescription in the U.K. let me present the mega nootropic: Piracetam! This is a designer “smart” drug. If you play at all in Las Vegas and you can’t understand why the sixty five year old guy in front of you is still going like a steam train while you feel like a disability cart going backwards, he’s probably had some Piracetam with his Horlics. This stuff really enhances brain performance and is known as a “brain gainer”. It’s been designed to help in the war on Alzheimer’s and shows very little in the way of any side effects. It is also used to help with dyslexia and rheumatism. Your doctor or pharmacist will explain all if it interests you.
