Sometimes, you’re not able to enjoy a game of poker online or in the real world.  It happens — you’re on a long plane flight without wifi, or your bankroll’s depleted, or maybe the internet’s down again because you’re stuck with some crummy local ISP.  Don’t despair, pilgrim!  There’s products and exercises you can do to sharpen your game even if you’re not going all-in while holding 7-2.

There are software packages out there that allow you to practice the game of poker when you’re not connected to the internet but have a computer handy.  Set up games against computer opponents and just play hand after hand of poker for the sake of playing hand after hand of poker.  The best software packages will engage you in a matter akin to real players and you’re not really risking any money.  Most of these packages let you skip through hands you fold on so you can sometimes fit in up to a hundred hands of poker in an hour if you’re a tight player.  You can develop strategies, work out traps and more against your virtual opponents and see what needs to be adjusted before you hit the tables.

A word of warning, though: no computer program is going to be as good or as unpredictable as a live opponent and you might find that your game is dependent on their predictability more than your own skills at the tables.  Software is a great learning tool and a fantastic way to keep yourself sharp, but it’s not a substitute for the real thing.

If you’re stuck somewhere and you don’t even have a computer (the horror!) you can still play poker against one opponent you never mind losing to: yourself.  Deal out hands of seven card stud to yourself and two or three other imaginary players and then go through each step of each hand with them in turn.  Fold to yourself, figure out why you might find yourself playing certain hands even if you didn’t know what the other player was holding, and really get to the guts of the game with only your mind.  Personally, this is my favorite exercise to perform because it relates to the game and allows me to see weak spots in my performance and work on them.

There’s also a good old-fashioned game of concentration.  Place eight to ten cards face-down in a row.  Turn over the first card and say what it is and try to memorize it.  Do the same with the second, the third, etc.  Then, randomly pick cards and attempt to remember what that card’s value was.  Do this again and again and again.  The more you perform this action, the better your memory will become, and memory is something that you can take to the bank in any kind of poker game.

These are just some of our preferred ways to keep your poker mind sharp while you’re away from the tables.  You might have your own that you can incorporate into them to create the ultimate free poker workout plan!