How to Win

Poker – learning to swim before you sink

After serving an apprenticeship at the kitchen table, graduating to a card room is the next step for many poker players. If that transition makes you feel like you’re small fry being fed to the sharks, before taking the plunge, you may find it helpful to enter a few poker tournaments.

Poker tournaments are a great way to get a lot of experience for a small price. They are often cheaper than regular casino play. Players can test their skill against a large field of competitors. A minor tournament may have several hundred competitors. Major tournaments attract several thousand players. You’ll get the chance to play against all levels of skill from hopeless to pro. A small entry fee lets you play for as long as your expertise allows. For those shy of revealing their poker face, there are also online tournaments allowing you to compete in the privacy of your own home.

As play can last for up to 14 hours or more in a day, tournament poker requires stamina and concentration. There are breaks which are usually scheduled every couple of hours but they are typically only10 minutes long with an hour for lunch. To play at your best you’ll need to ensure that you get plenty of sleep before the tournament starts. Avoid drinking alcohol as it slows down your reactions.

Before you play watch as many tournaments as possible. Familiarise yourself with how they operate and how the betting is organised. Start by competing in minor tournaments. Register early as many tournaments are over subscribed. There are different types of tournament with a variety of methods for deciding the winner. Make sure you are clear which type of tournament you are competing in. Get a copy of the tournament rules and ensure that you completely understand them.

10 tips for winning

1 Keep notes of your games and analyse the way you and your competitors play.

2 Aim to win the top prize. Don’t give up once you’ve reached the minor prizes as you’ll only break even.

3 Don’t let other players intimidate you.

4 Try to eliminate weak players with aggressive play.

5 Fold early with a bad hand and save your chips for good hands.

6 Take advantage of buy-ins so that you’ll have enough chips to attack with when you get a good hand.

7 Adapt your play to suit each stage of the game. Play aggressively in the early stages to accumulate chips and intimidate the other players

8 Bluff more than usual. Tournament players tend to be more cautious and fold more easily.

9 Attack players who are low on chips. They are more likely to fold to stay in the game.

10 Don’t attack aggressive players. They will cost you a lot of chips. Wait until they have folded, then concentrate on attacking the other players.