I know I am getting excited for the WSOP. Everyone goes dreaming of what might be, whether you are an amateur going to compete in a single event, or a seasoned pro with a list of events to partake in. Plus, Vegas is fun. There are night clubs, golf courses, restaurants, pools, strip clubs, shows, and anything you can think of to do recreationally while you are there. For many people, poker is recreation and Vegas is recreation. But one hurts the chances of being successful at the other.
To truly compete at your highest level in poker, you need to be mentally clear and well rested. While it is a lot of fun to indulge in the pleasures Vegas can offer, those pleasures can lead to you being in sub-optimal condition to compete in a poker tournament.
WSOP events are 3 days long. Each day is about 13 hours. You often don’t make the money until the second day, or the final table until the third day. It is important to put yourself in a good position to compete if poker is your priority.
Personally, I try to make sure I have adequate rest every night. I try to allow myself at least 8 hours to sleep if that’s what my body wants. If I wake early, that is okay. I try to make sure that I eat a good breakfast. Getting food in and around the tournament is very different than what you are used to at home. I try to get some kind of exercise 3 or 4 days a week. I try to allow myself some time for relaxation each week. I may take a full day off and golf and go to dinner. I may bust early one day and not be scheduled to play until the afternoon tournament the next day. Then I can maybe go out for a few drinks with some friends and have time to sleep in/recover in the morning before I play again. I try to allow myself some days to run errands. I still need to grocery shop, get an occasional haircut or maybe do some banking.
There is nothing bad about going to Vegas for vacation or to have fun. However, if your goal is to be successful at poker in Vegas, you may want to separate the fun trip from the poker trip.