Water – it’s useful stuff. After all, essentially your body isn’t much more than a bunch of chemical reactions taking place in a skin-bag full of water. As far as you need to know for your poker play, water is absolutely vital for maintaining proper concentration and longevity at the table. Of course, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword as too much water is going to lead to a few bathroom timeouts but it’s a sacrifice worth making.

What should I drink?

Due to the sugar and/or caffeine content you should avoid most soft drinks, including sugar-free varieties, and energy drinks. ‘No energy drinks?’ I hear you cry. No. These should be avoided and only used as a last resort if you’re really starting to lag. The vast majority of drinks you consume at, or away from the table, before and during a tournament should be just plain old water. Pretty boring, eh?

How much should I drink?

As a nutritionist I would say that for an average person with no health problems you should be drinking three litres of water a day, but more if you’re exercising and/or in a hot part of the world. If you’re taking this really seriously I’d suggest that you start cutting out your caffeine intake in the three weeks beforehand (this will help with hydration and mean you do actually get a boost when you need to use caffeine to help concentration).

Start consuming up to three litres of water a day in the weeks leading up to the tournament to allow your bladder to get used to the volume. Sneakily, on game day, reduce the amount you drink by a just a glass or two so that you don’t hit capacity and need to visit the bathroom too frequently. Nothing destroys concentration quite like a full bladder!

Here’s a recipe you can use as a quick breakfast or snack for later on.

Poker Power Shake

1 large cup of green tea
20g of whole rolled oats
1 banana
1/2 pint of skimmed milk
2 tbsp of flax seed meal
2g Taurine
2g Tyrosine
20g of whey powder (optional)
2-4 cubes of ice

Simply mix all the ingredients in a blender and you’re good to go. If you’re in a rush, drink on the way to the tournament room. But if you have time make some in advance and take to the tournament for later. All the above ingredients can be found online at www.hollandandbarrett.com.