Preparing for Poker Tournaments

Each poker tournament is going to offer its variables. This is regardless of whether it is the same weekly tournament, a turbo sit-and-go or a big online poker circus with thousands participating. You can’t control the cards, the other players or when there are breaks in the action.

The only thing you can control is how you prepare for your competition. Competitors will change, those who become regular faces (or nicknames) will probably improve and hopefully you’ll do some improvement of you own. Ultimately, you can create more consistent tournament results by preparing consistently for your tournament play.

Some of what follows definitely falls into the category of common sense; yet putting it into practice is easier said than done. And you need to do it.

Mental Preparation

Tournament play requires tournament practice. That’s obvious, right? If you want to enjoy success in your online poker tournament career, you have to know how to play poker in a tournament setting. Remember, a large tournament is going to feel like a slow grind sometimes.

You must consistently build your stack through playing solid poker without getting over anxious to eliminate others early. Remember, many bad players will eliminate themselves from the action. Once you’re in the money you can begin shifting focus towards advancing to the final table.

Playing a smart and aggressive tournament poker strategy will help you continue to advance. It’s good to get into some single table sit-and-gos to help you flex your final table muscles. Once at the final table, it definitely becomes more about eliminating the other competitors rather than building your stack.

That being said, you’ll also know when two players are going for the gusto, and when you see that train coming, get off the track. Again, your competitors will often do the work for you; continue to play smart!

Physical Preparation

Many people probably don’t give much thought to how they physically prepare for a poker tournament. Partying hard the night before while racking up three hours of sleep may be typical Vegas behavior, but it’s not advisable to the online tournament player. Poker tournaments can last several hours and in some cases can go on for a day or more.

he last thing you want to do is show up in front of your computer with less than 100 percent of your mental capacity. A consistent sleep schedule leading up to the event (for big events) will definitely help you capitalize on your investment.

If you happen to play smaller daily tournaments at the online poker rooms, that’s great! You probably don’t rely on a detailed preparation plan, but at the same time you can’t argue with how much better you play when well rested, with a strong energy level.

Another thing to consider is nutrition. Your brain functions on carbohydrates. For anyone swearing by a protein only diet, don’t forget this. Snacking on something nutritious the way Jamie Gold snacked on blueberries when winning the 2006 WSOP Main Event is an excellent idea and will keep your mental motor running.