Kristen Bicknell’s Top 5 POWERFEST tips for success

Team partypoker’s Kristen Bicknell, the number one ranked female poker tournament player according to the Global Poker Index, knows a thing or two about MTTs so we picked her brains and asked her for five POWERFEST tips.

After months of living out of a suitcase, I’m really looking forward to being at home for a few weeks and playing POWERFEST on partypoker! In preparation, I like to remind myself of all the things I can do to make sure I can play my absolute best. Here are my top five tips to feeling good and bringing your “A+ game” to the tables.

POWERFEST TIPS: Exercise – Get Moving

There are countless benefits that regular exercise can bring to your life. The impact that it has on your brain specifically is undeniable and scientifically proven. Exercise boosts brain function, can increase your IQ, has a positive impact on moods and emotions, and has a massive impact on the neurobiology of the brain to name a few. So, get moving!

This POWEFEST, it is my goal to not let long days in front of the computer keep me away from the gym and improving my body and mind every day. Find something that you enjoy doing and try to spend at least 30 minutes to one hour practising some sort of physical movement and exercise each day.

POWERFEST TIPS: Diet – Eat Well

To perform your best, feed your body the absolute best fuel that you can! This is going to vary from person to person, but when it comes to brain function, there is a lot of research that shows the benefits on focus and concentration when following a high healthy fat, moderate protein, low carb diet, especially in the morning and during the day. Nutrition is alongside poker as one of my biggest passions! If you haven’t tried ‘bulletproof coffee’, you must.

My strategy is to have bulletproof coffee fuel me through the day. In short, I make this coffee creation by blending coffee with grass fed butter and mct oil. It is high in healthy fats, which are great for your brain, and I feel completely satiated for hours.

POWERFEST TIPS: Sleep

Good quality sleep is important. I find what helps me the most is making sure I sleep in a cool room that is completely dark. Also, ensuring that you get exercise every day is going to help you sleep much better!

POWERFEST TIPS: Limit distractions – FOCUS

When you’re playing poker, play and focus on what you’re doing! It can be tempting to do other things at the same time, but even when you’re not in hands, try to watch how other players are playing and try to learn from the hands being played. It will help you make the best decision when you are in hands vs those opponents and you can take the information to try and improve your overall strategy as well.

POWERFEST TIPS: Have fun – Stay Positive!

Poker is full of ups and downs. Having a negative attitude and being in a bad mood during the low times does nothing positive and will not make things better. Try to appreciate that you can’t always win at poker and enjoy the process of playing instead of the result. We all hope to win when we play, but unfortunately that isn’t always possible. Appreciate the opportunity to play and have fun with it and enjoy the experience. Keep the focus on your decisions and the process instead of reacting only to the outcomes of hands.

See you guys at the tables, good luck!
– Kristen