First, what type of game are you playing? Odds are that you are playing Holdem, but beyond that, are you playing NL or Limit Holdem? Depending on what you are playing, there are several things that you can be doing while waiting for hands and while other hands are going on.

First, start to pay attention to what is going on around you. Try and take note of how players act when they are getting ready to come into a hand and how they fold. Afterwards, start to pay attention to their betting patterns and try and put a player on some type of a hand. Pay attention to all the action and take mental notes on the types of hands that the play shows down.

Another thing that you can do at the table is to talk to other players and try to work up some type of psychological profile on them. Many times, a person’s personality will give clues about how they play poker. Someone that is a skydiver will likely take more risks than someone that is a Rabbi. (I have played with Rabbi’s before.)

When someone tells me that they have a problem with patience at the table, the first thing I tell them is to learn to play 7 Card Stud. In stud, patience is key in starting hands. Also, there is a lot of information in each hand. If you are an astute stud player, then you will not be playing very many hands in the game. Also, the pace of the game is much slower. If you have the patience to play stud, then Holdem should be a breeze for you.

If you find yourself becoming too bored, walk away from the game for a while. A break from the game may energize you enough to allow you to focus more. Ultimately, if you are too bored at the table and find yourself playing hands just for the sake of being in a pot, it is time to walk away.