The Poker Player’s Diet
To look at most poker players, you wouldn’t think that they really gave much thought about what they eat at the poker table. Personally I never thought I’d be one of the diehard regulars on my favorite card room that actually eats a full meal while playing a session….until of course I found myself plowing down a tray’s worth of $1 orange chicken. It was delicious, but it also made me feel very full and tired within an hour.
There is a small trend occurring thanks to some of the more health conscious pro players on the circuit, and that’s the preparation and consumption of food designed to keep a person alert and energetic. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. How many other activities do you participate in that could easily last 6-8 hours while requiring a high level of concentration almost the entire time? Poker players have all the reason in the world to want to be as full of energy as possible during a session, yet the only food we typically see coming out of the card room kitchen is greasy burgers and meatloaf.
There really isn’t a special diet plan for poker players to follow, you can simply follow any eating regimen that provides a lot of energy. Lean meals such as a simple turkey sandwich isn’t a bad choice, especially if it was made using ingredients from a whole foods store. A lot of pros that are eating to win digest a lot of items such as carrots and fruits, and stay away from eating giant three-course dinners that will result in nothing other than multiple trips to the rest room.
If preparing your own food before you go to the card room is just something you can’t imagine yourself doing, take a moment to search out all the options your casino offers. Chances are you’ll find some decent items at the deli or snack shop, and if not you can scour the in-table menu for small plates of chicken breast or fruit. It may not be as tasty as the double-layer cheeseburger, but the long term poker benefits will more than make up for it.
Chris Iaquinta
