Five Tips to Take Down Big-Time Poker Tournaments PokerLaws.Org

The growth of poker over the last two decades has been remarkable. Somehow, there was a poker boom, and 20 years later, poker continues to gain popularity. There are so many tournaments today online and on land, finding one to enter is never a problem. 

Going to various online poker sites is one way, especially with bonus codes from sites like Pokerstars PA to make it easier for you.

Everyone wants to take down one of the big-time poker tournaments because the payouts are always sizable, and the credibility you can earn will take you a long way too. However, to get to the level you need to be to win any poker tournament takes some serious dedication. 

Playing weekend games with your buddies just isn’t going to cut it on a big stage. Winning big tournaments takes serious skill, and we want to help. Here, we have five tips you need to take down big-time poker tournaments.

Know Thyself

While this is probably the most obvious, it is the hardest to follow. Everyone thinks they are a great poker player. The problem is only 5% of people are correct in their thinking. 

There are many players who are average at best. Most are just bad. To be a great poker player, you need to have a bit of an attitude. Confidence is everything, especially in the bigger poker tournaments. 

However, there is a difference between confidence in your game and delusions of grandeur. It’s only a thin line that separates the two, and you need to be on the right side. 

Be honest with yourself, and the best way to do this is to take every loss hard. Never make excuses for yourself to feel better. They only thing that feels good is winning. 

This attitude will let you know if you are, in fact, even ready for the big poker tournaments.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Of course, you knew this would be here. It’s true about anything in life. If you want to be good at something, you’ve got to practice, practice, and then practice some more. 

This is especially true with poker and poker tournaments. Poker is such an interesting game because there are an infinite amount of scenarios that may play out at any given time. 

It’s this “anything can happen at any time” factor that makes tournament poker that much more difficult. 

To know how to react in every situation, you are going to have to experience a lot of situations. Practicing is the only way. 

Never miss a game with friends, get an app to play on your phone, play all weekend long online. The more poker you see, the better you are going to be at it.

Have a Game Plan

Now that you know the poker player you are and have practiced for hours on end, it’s time to develop your game plan. You will never be successful in tournament poker without a game plan. 

We are not talking a step by step gameplan of what will exactly happen without the entire tournament. That’s impossible. What we mean here is to get to a place where you know your next move without really thinking. Again, practice is important to hone this skill.

For instance, what will you do if you get raised after the flop? Based on the cards in your hand and the flop on the table, you should be able to answer this question immediately because you have a game plan. 

Maybe you fold. Maybe the raise is small enough for you to continue. 

There are key scenarios you’ll see time and again, and game-planning for them is the only way to have success in the big poker tournaments.

Know Tournament Poker

Poker tournament play, especially in the more coveted tournaments, is completely different from any other poker you’ve played before. 

There are many players from many parts of the world, and all of them have different styles. There is an intensity in tournament poker that you just won’t find in cash games. 

Again we refer to Tip #2, if you what to know tournament poker, you are going to have to play tournament poker, and the best way to do this is to start small. 

You have to crawl before you walk, so seek out smaller tournaments to get a feel for tournament play. Then work your way up, bringing along what you know. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes

Many players feel that to be successful in tournament play is to be a perfect poker player. Of course, this is simply not true because there is no such thing as a perfect poker player. 

You aren’t going to take every pot and call every bluff. More importantly, you aren’t going to play mistake-free. 

The best players are the ones who can limit their mistakes and recover from them. Taking chances and getting burned is one thing. 

Making a mistake and being able to own it is another. Mistakes are how we learn, and there is much to know in tournament poker. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because they are simply part of the game. 

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