In chapter 20 of A-Game Poker, Elliot Roe explains the purpose, structure, and detailed implementation of the A.G.A.M.E. Pre-Session Protocol—a 20–30 minute routine designed to shift you from everyday life into a focused, high-performance poker state.

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Why a Pre-Session Protocol Is Essential

Roe emphasizes that poker sessions should be treated as high-performance events requiring a deliberate mental transition. Most players sit down “cold,” expecting to perform well by chance. A-Game players instead adopt routines similar to those used by elite athletes, chess masters, or performers.

Key points:

• A structured pre-session routine separates performance time from normal life.

• It helps you:

  • Enter a focused, distraction-free mindset

  • Activate the mental systems needed for decision making

  • Set and reinforce priorities for the session

  • Increase the likelihood of reaching high-focus states or “the zone”

• Unlike athletes who might need hours of preparation, poker players can achieve this shift in 20–30 minutes using five specific steps.

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Overview of the Five Steps (A.G.A.M.E.)

The protocol is built around five components:

1. A — Attend to Physical Needs

2. G — Goals for the Session

3. A — Activate Your Mind

4. M — Mindset MP3 or Meditation

5. E — Eliminate Distractions

Each step forms part of the transition from preparation to peak performance.

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Step 1: Attend to Physical Needs

The goal is to ensure your body supports your mental performance with no preventable distractions.

Key actions:

• Have water and nutritious snacks ready.

• Adjust clothing to avoid discomfort from temperature changes.

• Use the bathroom before starting to avoid breaking focus later.

• Reduce physical discomforts that could interrupt concentration.

• Include a brief bout of light exercise if you haven’t done any earlier to boost alertness.

Purpose:

• A comfortable, prepared body provides the foundation for sustained attention and decision quality.

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Step 2: Set Goals for the Session

This step directs your focus and establishes intentionality.

You:

• Review strategic priorities for the upcoming session.

• Identify specific parts of your game you want to reinforce.

• Visualize or anticipate possible challenges.

• Adjust the level of difficulty you want to take on (e.g., playing fewer tables for added depth or more tables for volume).

Benefits:

• Creates a mental target for the session.

• Helps maintain stronger focus over time.

• Increases the chance of achieving a flow state.

Time required: About 5 minutes

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Step 3: Activate Your Mind

This step warms up your decision-making processes before money is in play.

Possible activities:

• Review a handful of poker hands, ideally connected to the goals set earlier.

• Study hands from your database, saved hands on your device, or scenarios from solver tools.

• Perform brief mental visualizations of key situations.

Purpose:

• Trigger poker-specific thinking pathways.

• Reduce the cognitive “cold start” that leads to early-session mistakes.

• Function like a warm-up set before heavy lifting.

Time required: Around 5 minutes

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Step 4: Mindset MP3 or Meditation

Roe calls this the “secret sauce” of the protocol.

This involves:

• Listening to a guided visualization or meditation audio designed to finalize the mental shift into performance mode.

• Using mental imagery and relaxation techniques to prepare for entering the zone.

• Allowing an external guide to help you release distractions and focus intensely.

Details:

• Roe’s audios range from 6–20 minutes; the sweet spot is often 12–15 minutes.

• If you don’t have his MP3s, you can substitute self-guided meditation or breathing exercises, though the tailored audios are more effective for poker performance.

Purpose:

• Solidify your focus.

• Create emotional calm and confidence.

• Complete the transition into the performance mindset.

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Step 5: Eliminate Distractions

This final step protects your carefully prepared mindset.

Actions include:

• Turning off your phone or placing it out of reach.

• Letting friends or family know not to interrupt unless there’s an emergency.

• Closing unneeded apps, social media, and websites.

• Ensuring your environment supports undivided attention.

This step should take 2–3 minutes if your environment is already prepared.

Purpose:

• Preserve attention by removing external pulls.

• Reinforce the idea that this is performance time.

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Primed to Perform

After these steps, you are fully prepared to play your A-Game. Benefits commonly reported include:

• Better concentration

• More consistent high-level performance

• Longer stretches of A-Game play

• A clearer emotional and mental baseline

Roe notes that many initially skeptical clients found this routine transformative once they tried it.

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Adapting the Protocol for Multiple Sessions

If you play more than one session per day:

• For short breaks between sessions:

  • Use an abbreviated version, completing all steps in about 5 minutes.

• For long breaks:

  • Complete the full protocol again, or at least repeat the Mindset MP3 portion.

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A-Game Exercise: Implement the Protocol

Roe assigns a practical exercise:

• Commit to using the full protocol for your next three sessions.

• Immediately after each session, record:

  • Changes in focus

  • Changes in consistency

  • Duration of A-Game play

  • Any noticeable shifts in behavior or mindset

• Writing down the benefits reinforces habit formation and accelerates improvement.