Many players experience rapid heartbeat, shaky hands, dry mouths, and other signs of anxiety when they sit opposite poker giants in a live poker tournament.
The stressful environment of a poker tournament can even lead the calmest and toughest souls to make grave mistakes at the game table.
Live poker tournaments are battlegrounds for serious poker players. You are probably told many times what to do when you play live tournament, but here, we are highlighting things which you should not do in a live tournament.
If you want to survive in the ruthless world of poker for a long time and make profits whenever you play on a live table, avoid doing these things at all costs:
Getting Intimidated By Fellow Players
Poker players know how important it is to maintain concentration and focus in the game to make logical decisions. “Bullies” on the table usually try to intimidate new players through eye contact, body language, and aggressive raises and re-raises. Their only motive is to distract the player by psychology attacking him and prompt him to take wrong decisions. Confidence and determination are the critical factors which can help you deal with such type of players.
Undervalue Bankroll Management
Bankroll is definitely something that should not be neglected when you play a high stake live tournament. Bankroll is the money which you keep aside just to play poker. A well-managed bankroll put you at an advantage over your opponents and support your game at the time of downswings. Unhealthy money management forces you to after other sources of finances and ultimately make you end up with little-to-no money to keep your game afloat.
Lack Of Preparation
Playing a live tournament without proper training and practice will only lead to failure. Preparation allows you to become calm and cool-headed during a tense poker session. Poker playing is not a one-shot deal. You need to continuously improve your game play to eliminate your weaknesses. Participate in a real stake live tournament only after acquiring proper knowledge, skill, and experience of the game. It will help you Identify the type of opponent you are playing against, analyse his betting pattern, calculate the odds, and choose the best strategy to implement as per the situation on the table.
No Control On Emotions
Many novice, as well as established players fail to control the temptation of venting out their frustration to other players when they face bad beats or downswings. NEVER belittle your opponents in any situation or abuse when you lose or your bluff get caught. If you make players uncomfortable, they will stop committing themselves to the pot and start avoiding playing with you in the future. It is important to let weak players involved in the game to earn profits from their mistakes.
Not Changing Gears
It is crucial to stay unpredictable on the game table and change the strategy time-to-time to confuse opponents. Maintaining a balance is important. For example- If you are a loose player, you can start playing starting hands tight as per the situation on the table like- when you have reached the bubble or you are short stacked or deep stacked. The objective of changing gears in poker is to not let your opponent read your playing style and devise a game plan against you.
There are so many methods to improve your chances of winning and maximize profits when it comes to playing live. There are also several methods to crush your game with your own hands. It is necessary to learn thoroughly and understand what to do and what not to do before joining a live poker tournament table.