Have you decided to head to Las Vegas to play in several WSOP 2025 tournaments? Great idea—an incredible experience is ahead of you! A must-attend event on the poker calendar, the WSOP tournaments draw countless poker fans each year, including many amateurs and, of course, numerous regular players hunting for a coveted gold bracelet.
Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, one thing is sure: you need to be in top shape to compete at the WSOP. This is especially true if you’ve committed to playing for several weeks. You’ll need to manage fatigue, stress, bad beats ans also positive emotions. In short, there’s still time to prepare and develop a health strategy. Here are some tips to maximize your chances and, who knows, maybe leave Las Vegas with a shiny bracelet on your wrist.
Quality Sleep
Alongside nutrition, sleep is probably the most important factor. There’s no way to maintain focus for hours at the poker table without a proper night’s sleep — especially if you were out late the night before, possibly with a few drinks in the mix.
Of course, there are many variables when it comes to sleep, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing it. Anyone over 30 knows that a wild night at 20 doesn’t hit the same at 40 or 50. The younger you are, the faster your body can recover from excess.
If you’re serious about performing well at the WSOP and want to give yourself the best possible edge, it’s a good idea to take a break from overindulgence — or at least keep it to a minimum. That said, Vegas is full of distractions, and pretending otherwise would be naive. They don’t call it Sin City for nothing.
Here are 8 practical tips to help you sleep better and bring your A-game to the tables.
1. Prioritize Consistent Sleep Schedules
Try to establish a regular sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at the same times daily. We know that’s not easy to do when you’re playing WSOP events. You never really know when you’ll be in bed but if you manage to keep a consistent sleep schedule, it will reinforce your circadian rhythm, enhancing sleep quality and daytime alertness.
2. Know Your Optimal Sleep Hours — and Protect Them
Adults generally require 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. For athletes and anyone facing high cognitive demands — like the adrenaline spikes of a poker tournament — quality sleep is essential. Poker is a decision-heavy game, and your ability to think clearly depends on being well-rested. Not everyone needs 9 hours of sleep to feel sharp in the morning; some function well on 6, others need closer to 8. The key is knowing what works best for you. What’s your optimal sleep duration? Try to consistently hit that number during the WSOP. It may seem minor, but the edge it gives you at the table can be real.
3. Set the Stage for Deep, Restorative Sleep
Some people can sleep through anything — even a loud, laughing couple stumbling down the hotel hallway at 3 a.m. Others, however, need near-total silence and perfect conditions to get real rest. If you’re in the second group, set yourself up for success: make sure your sleeping environment is dark, quiet, and cool. Tools like earplugs, an eye mask, or a white noise machine can go a long way in helping you stay asleep and recharge properly between tournament days.
4. Limit Screen Time Before Bed
That’s a hard one! A lot of us are addicted to X, Instagram or Yik Tok feeds. When we spend hours in front of screens before bed, especially phones or computers, our brains are exposed to blue light that disrupts melatonin production — the hormone that signals it’s time to sleep. This confuses the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm), making it harder to fall asleep and reducing sleep quality.
Mentally stimulating content (video shorts for instance) also keeps the brain active, delaying the transition into deep rest. As a result, we may experience shorter sleep duration, fragmented sleep, and reduced REM cycles, all of which impair memory consolidation, decision-making, and emotional regulation the next day. Try to avoid screens at least one hour before bedtime, as blue light can interfere with melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep. If you need to work on your computer before going to sleep, consider using blue light blocking glasses.
5. Caffeine and Alcohol Intake: Moderation is Better!
Once again, there is no one-size-fits-all rule. Every individual reacts differently to caffeine and alcohol. That said, a general guideline is to avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Caffeine blocks adenosine, a brain chemical that promotes drowsiness, making it harder to fall asleep. It also stimulates the central nervous system, which can reduce deep sleep and shorten total sleep time. The result is often lighter, more fragmented sleep and feeling less refreshed in the morning. As for alcohol, while it may initially promote drowsiness, it disrupts sleep cycles and often leads to poorer overall sleep quality. Not what you’re aiming at when you’re playing many WSOP tourneys!
🧘 6. Incorporate Relaxation Techniques
Having calming activities before bed is the best way to help your sleeping patterns. It will help your body and your mind that it’s time to wind down. Instead of stimulating your brain with screens, read a physical book, practice stretching exercices to release physical tension, or you can do a meditation session to quiet racing thoughts. We will go deeper into that field in another part of that guide. Low-stimulation activities will help lower cortisol levels and promote the release of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.
7. Consider Short Naps
A short nap (10-20 minutes) fights sleep deprivation by boosting alertness and cognition. It lowers adenosine, a drowsiness-causing chemical, without deep sleep, avoiding grogginess. Naps will help you by enhancing memory consolidation improving reaction time, mood, and focus. We need all that at the poker table! It also reduces stress. The best is to have access to a hotel room close to the WSOP casinos (Horseshoe Las Vegas + Paris Las Vegas). If you stay for many days at WSOP, that’s an option to consider.
Have a good night!
