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Taking the Next Step as a Poker Tournament Player

At some point, most serious poker players look to take the next step in their evolution. For some, this simply means graduating from home poker games to casino poker. For tournament players, this means trying your hand against new competition and seeing if you can actually compete against stronger competition.

Today we will take a look at some of the ways you can try and take the next step in your evolution as a tournament poker player.

Playing “Casino Tournaments”

For a lot of us, our first excursions into live poker involve picking a live poker room and making a trip there for a couple of days. Many live poker rooms hold regular poker tournaments. Some are daily while other hold them during peak times, usually on the weekend.

Many of you will consider playing in a casino tournament. These tournaments are popular for a couple of reasons. First, they are typically at a price point that most recreational players can afford. Next, they almost always conclude in a few hours or no more than a day.

There are a few downsides. First, the rake is almost always too damn high. In some cases, as much as 40% of the prize pool may be absorbed by the casino. Next, many of these tournaments are small fields that pay no more than the final table – if that.

For stronger players, these are good events to test your strategies and get a feel for the live tournament arena. For those learning the game, this is an inexpensive way to gain some experience against a field of players that are not usually going to be significantly better than you.

Graduating to a Tournament Series

If you look around at the various poker news sites on the web, you will see them report on various poker series going on around the nation. Most of these are larger events that we will talk about later but they are not the only games going on.

There are dozens of live poker tournament events going on every month at casinos all around the nation and these events are a great way for you to build your bankroll. They are also a good place to test your overall skill against better players.

Unlike your standard casino tournaments, the buy-ins are higher and the rake tends to be a bit more reasonable. You may even have some guaranteed prize pools, which means more money up for grabs.

The potential downside is that the level of competition will be higher. You’ll start playing against low-tier pros and regulars that are going to present a tougher challenge than standard tournaments. Also, the events will take longer to play. In many cases, you’re looking at two days to complete a single event.

The upside is that prizes are much larger and if you are able to compete competently in these events, then you may be ready to try your skill at larger events.

Minor League and Mid-Major Events

The next level in live tournaments is your minor league and mid-major poker events. These include the World Series of Poker Circuit, Mid-States Poker Tour and other larger casino events such as the California State Poker Championships and many of the events at larger events such as the LA Poker Classic.

Buy-ins will be larger at these events and this is where you may need to start playing satellites to offset the costs. You’ll also start seeing more well-known pros in these events, especially at events such as the WSOP Circuit. Prizes in these events are at a level that is appealing to many mid-level pros and you may catch a few big name pros splashing around to gain some practice.

This is the level where you’ll start to see pros beginning to brand themselves. Winning a couple WSOP Circuit rings or an MSPT title can start to get your name in headlines and start to get others to take notice. Also, the prize money which can eclipse six figures can transform your bankroll overnight.

This is the level where you will be able to tell whether you have the skill necessary to be a legitimate tournament player. If you find yourself struggling here, then it is time to start evaluating your game and working on ways to improve.

Major Tournaments

If you find yourself doing well at all of the other levels, you may be ready to hang with the big boys of the poker world. The major poker tournament circuit includes everything from the World Series of Poker to the World Poker Tour and beyond. This is where you start seeing regular buy-ins of $5,000 and higher. However, there are plenty of large field events with buy-ins starting at $1,500.

This is where you will start seeing true life-changing money. Taking down a major event, a WSOP bracelet or a WPT title can change the course of your life and will definitely make you a name in the poker community.

Of course, this is where the elite players compete so you must be able to regularly adjust your play against a wide range of styles. This is also where you will see the wildest swings in bankrolls if not careful.

Careful bankroll management is key to survival at this level. Regularly working on your game is also important to stay ahead of the competition. If you can play consistently well at this level, then you probably have what it takes to become a poker pro.

Don’t Be Afraid to Take Shots

Like you would in cash games, don’t be afraid to take shots at games in the next level as you can afford it. The great thing about poker tournaments is that there’s almost always some type of satellite available which makes it easier to take a shot.

Years ago, I took a shot at the WSOP Circuit in Tunica and stuck with satellite events. Unfortunately, I didn’t cash in a single tournament. However, I ended up making around $3,000 in satellites in addition to my buy-ins. I took that and took shots at some second-tier tournaments in California where I found modest success.

If you take a shot and don’t succeed, don’t sweat it. Just go back and work on your game with the goal of taking another shot in the future. The great thing about poker is that there will always be more games to play. Few of us are going to be successful the first time we take a shot at something new. However, with time and practice, we either find a way to accomplish our goals or learn a valuable lesson about our limitations.

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