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Should you listen to music while you play poker?

Many cash game players put music on for every session, and many play in silence. Both work. What matters is whether the music keeps you level or pulls your attention off the table.

What music does for a session

A cash game has no clock. Sessions run long, and most of the hands are folds. Calm music fills the quiet between hands without asking for attention, which makes a three-hour session feel shorter and keeps you from clicking into hands out of boredom.

It also helps with mood. A steady track in the background is easier to come back to after a bad beat than a silent room where the hand keeps replaying in your head.

What gets in the way

• Words. Lyrics compete with your thinking. When you count outs or read a bet size, a song you know by heart pulls at the same part of your attention.
• Volume. If the music covers the table sounds, you miss the warning that your time is running out.
• Hype. Fast, loud music can push you into playing faster and looser than you planned.

When to turn it off

• In a big pot. Take the time you need in silence, then turn it back on.
• When you notice the music sets your mood instead of calming it.
• When you are tired. Music can keep you at the table long after you should have stood up.

Where to start

Lofi hip hop is the usual choice: slow, steady and without words. The streams on Music for grinding run all day and play right on the page, so you can start one and open the tables.

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