Is Your Brain Ready for Cards? : Brain Foods

Article by Andre Thunestvedt

Money like there’s no tomorrow.

You’ve no doubt imagined hitting the jackpot. The trouble is, most games give you extremely low odds of winning. The slots are unimaginably low, and Roulette is a joke—throwing good money after bad.

Instead, think of a game where you have some control of the odds, where your skills can make a difference. There’s a reason why expert gamblers never look twice at the slots. They head over to the blackjack tables and compete with their minds. There, they have a chance at beating the house and coming away with a small fortune. At blackjack, you, too, can develop your ability to concentrate and remember the cards. You can be a winner.

To start competing with expert gamblers, you need to start programming your memory. That’s right, playing cards is a memory game. Getting ready to compete is a two-part program. First it takes shaping up your brain for the fight, and second, learning the memory techniques used in playing cards.

Put Your Brain in Training for Cards

Every true athlete knows they have two jobs. One is to get their body in shape and the other is to learn the skills of their sport.

To get the body in shape you can bet they don’t sit around watching TV and ordering pizza for lunch. They get up early, run a few miles, work out at the gym, and practice their unique skills. They follow a careful diet, making sure they get a variety of nutrients and the right amount of calories.

You may be surprised to know that the human memory works much the same way. The brain works best when it’s given plenty of mental workouts, and correct nutrients. When the brain is “in shape,” the memory performs with impressive rigor. Thus, “brain training” will help you with remembering cards.

For starters, put your brain on a regular program of puzzles and crosswords. As often as you can do a puzzle, do it. The harder the better. Take on the Sunday New York Times puzzle, or a deadly level Sudoku. Check out the new games and pick the challenging ones. The harder that brain works, the better it gets. And, the better your memory function becomes– more alert and more aware, and more in command of the information you’re processing. At the card table, the more likely you’ll remember cards played and cards to come.

As for food, you may be surprised. Keep blueberries on your cereal. Research shows that these blue morsels increase your concentration levels and mental alertness. Another thing to throw on your cereal is sunflower seeds and nuts. They are also super foods that improve brain health. And the old saw about fish being brain food is true. The omega 3 fatty acids in fish—especially fish like salmon—promote brain health. So keep your diet “card-friendly” with blueberries, nuts, and fish.

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