Get Into a Winning Mindset Before You Play

Whether you’re grinding online tournaments or heading to a high-stakes cash game, one thing is clear: how you start your session influences how you finish it. While most players jump straight into the action, elite players know that mental sharpness and emotional stability begin before the first hand is dealt. Enter the poker warm-up routine—a performance ritual that primes your brain, sharpens your focus, and locks in your A-game from hand one.

Why a Poker Warm-Up is Crucial

Poker isn’t just about math and cards—it’s about managing your emotions, avoiding tilt, and making optimal decisions under pressure. A warm-up routine works like a pre-game ritual for athletes: it tunes your mental engine and transitions you from everyday thinking into high-performance mode.

Without it, you risk:

• Playing passively out of the gate

• Overreacting to early bad beats

• Failing to recognize game dynamics quickly

• Letting distractions erode your edge

A good warm-up routine helps you avoid autopilot, build confidence, and approach each decision with clarity.

Step-by-Step: Build Your Poker Warm-Up Routine

1. Set the Environment

Clear your desk. Shut off notifications. Adjust your lighting. The physical space around you should feel like a zone of control. Noise-cancelling headphones? Yes. Caffeine? Maybe. Comfort is king—but so is discipline.

2. Review Your Intentions

Ask yourself: What’s my goal today?
Not just “win money”, but deeper intentions like:

• Focus on 3-betting spots

• Stay aggressive when in position

• Recognize tilt triggers

Intentionality separates grinders from guessers.

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3. Quick Technical Refresh

Spend 5–10 minutes reviewing:

• A few recent hands you played

• A spot you struggled with (e.g. river bluff-catch ranges)

• A chart or note you've been meaning to internalize

You're not studying—you're reminding. It’s about mentally loading the tools you’ll be using.

4. Visualization or Mindfulness

Close your eyes. Visualize:

• A session where you played your best

• How you reacted to a bad beat with calm

• Making a huge call because you knew it was right

Or, simply breathe. 3 minutes of mindful breathing can reset your nervous system and help you start with stillness, not stress.

5. Final Affirmation: Lock In Your Identity

Say it aloud, or write it:

“I am calm, focused, and confident. I don’t chase. I think clearly and make good decisions.”

Identity is powerful. Start your session already believing you are the kind of player who plays well.

Bonus: What Not to Do Before You Play

Avoid these traps that sabotage your mindset before you’ve even started:

• Scrolling social media (dopamine junk food)

• Watching results-based content

• Jumping into a session right after emotional turmoil

• Eating heavy meals that make you sluggish

Discipline starts before the session begins.

Elite players do It, so you should too!

Phil Galfond? Daniel Negreanu? They don’t just click buttons. They prepare. Because poker is mental warfare—and the sharpest minds arrive ready.

So next time you sit down to play, take five extra minutes. Build your poker warm-up routine. The ROI? Fewer mistakes, less tilt, and more consistency. And in the long run, that’s what wins.