My Six Favorite Songs to Listen to While Playing Poker

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This list was hard to come up with since I don’t play poker all that much, but when I do, I prefer to throw on some headphones to help me get into the zone. You all know that every life activity has a different soundtrack. You don’t listen to the same music in the car that you listen to when you’re working, unless you’re a professional driver of some sort. Anyways, here’s my list.




Till I Collapse – Eminem feat. Nate Dogg

OK so, this particular Eminem song is about not giving up on rapping, but I play it when I’m down on my luck. Nate Dogg’s chorus gives all the explanation I need: “Till the roof comes off/ Till the lights go out/ Till my legs give out.” I will never lay down and give up. The video has clips from Green Street Hooligans, too, which is one of the best movies I have ever seen.



#1 – Nelly
I can’t think of a better song that pushes me to win. I usually hold off on playing this one, until the table is down to just a few of us. I don’t want to get to confident too early. “I am number one/ Don’t matter if you like it.” And a fun fact for those that didn’t know: Nelly is a great poker player that has been featured on the World Series of Poker.




 Fn Pig – Deadmau5
Now I’m not normally a huge fan of house music, but for some reason this Deadmau5 song gets me pumped and focused at the same time. I think it’s the layout of the song that makes it work for me. The first three minutes are very chill, which helps me focus. Then it starts picking up for the next 40 seconds or so, which leads into the bass-heavy part that gets me pumped and ready to kick some a--. This song is so great for poker that it actually made the playlist for the Sunday Majors on PartyPoker, which they say will “help take [your game] to the next level.”




Stronger – Kanye West feat. Daft Punk 
 Stronger probably isn’t the best Kanye West song for everyone, but it works for me. The chorus is perfect for when I just lost a big hand to someone and I’m going heads up with them again, because I’m “harder, better, faster, stronger.

Sky’s the Limit – The Notorious B.I.G.

I like this song during the early stages of the game, shortly after it starts. It keeps me calm and focused, which is a must in the early stages. “The sky’s the limit and you know that you keep on/ Just keep on pressin' on.” I don’t like getting to hyped up early, which is something I learned from Card Player.



On My Block – Scarface 
 I can only describe this as the perfect song for the heads up play. It gives me the perfect mindset, because confidence is the key here. Where else are you more confident than on your block? Nowhere. As Scarface says, on “my block - we make the impossible look easy."


Words by Guest Writer- Winford Jarrell