So you're about to enter your next poker tournament and you're wondering: How can I get an edge over my opponents? We've got you covered with our top five tips that we have compiled:
Tip #1
Gather as much information as you can about the tournament beforehand. Poker is an information game, therefore equipping yourself with important details going into the tournament can help you improve your overall results. Take the time to find out things such as: the buy-in format, poker variant being played (no-limit texas hold'em versus seven card stud for instance), the starting stack size, blind levels, and the min/max entrants allowed. If available, you can also research the type of players that you expect to see registered in the tournament and assess their skill levels relative to yours.
Tip #2
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Read up on tournament concepts and theories well before the competition starts. Today, there are countless books and online articles available to you that have been written by the experts. Here you can be exposed to information that will open your mind to new ideas and perspectives that you may not have considered before. Mathematics and psychology are two major components mastered by the top players in the world today. The acute understanding of key concepts found in these fields have allowed them to consistently produce world-class performances.
Tip #3
At your next practice session, ask a friend to monitor your body language while you're playing. While it may not be obvious to you, chances are that you may be giving off glaring poker tells that may be affecting your game. A friend may be able to pick these out and allow you to make the necessary adjustments. These small changes may reduce your opponent's ability to get live reads from you.
Tip #4
You've probably heard the phrase, "Iron sharpens Iron." This couldn't be more true, especially as it relates to poker. As bad as an idea as it may sound at first to play against players that are considerably better than you, this in fact can potentially elevate your game to new heights. Alternatively, if you don't wish to play with these persons you can also opt to either engage them in discussions or follow their blogs or social media pages (where possible). Many seasoned players out there often share concepts and hand analysis online for free.
Tip #5
Make sure that you are well rested before going into your poker tournament. A key part of achieving great results in poker, is one's ability to consistently make good decisions. If you can make better decisions than your opponent in a large sample size, mathematically your results will be better in the long-run. A well rested and positive mind, is more likely to produce better results than a tired and negative one.
We hope that you found this information useful and we look forward to seeing you with your A-game at our next event!
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Barbados Federation of Poker Inc. Dec 28th 2019.
