Tips to Help You Focus for a Poker Tournament

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How do you prepare for a live poker tournament? Do you have a routine that you take part in before heading out to the casino or do you just wing it? Every poker player is different, but most have some sort of routine that they take part in before playing a poker tournament.

If you are finding that you are having trouble getting focused for a poker tournament, setting a routine may help. Today, we will go over a few things that you can do to help you focus on a poker tournament.

Read a Poker Book

A lot of people find that reading calms them. If you’re someone that enjoys reading poker books, one way you can prepare for a tournament is by taking some time to read. This is something that I have done before various events with mixed results.

For me, I’ve found that reading poker strategy books help to get me in the proper mindset for a poker tournament. I read part of Gus Hansen’s book prior to a particular event and a situation he outlined in the book happened in my event, and his words helped me make the right decisions.

I’ve done similar with Stud books before Stud poker events and have found myself making better decisions in games. You may find that reading general poker books help to calm you. If that’s the case, do what works best for you.

Take Part in a Pre-Event Ritual

Some people have pre-event rituals that they take part in before playing in a tournament. When I am at the Bike in Los Angeles, I get a turkey sandwich at the deli before the event. I’ve done well in a high percentage of events after this routine.

You may choose to pump yourself up using music, watching your favorite movie, reciting positive mantras, or anything that helps get you in the right mindset.

Yes, this is a bit superstitious, but if it helps you perform better at the poker tables, it’s worth giving a try.

Meditate or Pray

Meditation and prayer often help people with mental focus and the ability to control their emotions. If you’re a spiritual person, prayer to your deity may help calm your nerves and allow you to center yourself prior to playing in a poker tournament.

For those that prefer meditation, the practice often helps to build strength of mind along with helping to control one’s emotions. Regardless of which method you choose, meditation or prayer is something that can benefit most poker players, both at and away from the tables.

Create a Plan of Attack

For those of you that are planners, you may want to create a plan of attack for the tournament. For example, you may want to map out how you want to play the opening levels. Set a goal as to the number of chips you want to have and map out a plan of how to achieve it.

In the instances where you happen to know some of the players at the table ahead of time, make a plan of how you want to play them. Do you want to attack that one regular who likes to play too many hands? Maybe stay away from the two-time bracelet winner who has been on a hot streak lately. Making a plan can help focus you on the task at hand and help you improve your results.

Don’t Make Plans For the Day of the Tournament

One mistake I see too many players make is that they make plans for days they play in poker tournaments. They use the rationale that “if I go deep, I can always cancel.” However, this also can work against them.

For example, if you’re a short stack and have tentative plans to go out with friends an hour from now, you may play recklessly to “build a stack or go party.” Too many people do this and end up busting out in time to make their plans.

Personally, I always tell people that I am unavailable on a day of a poker tournament. The exception is for events that have static stop times or those with hyper structures that I know will end before my plans. Otherwise, always enter the mindset that you will go deep in a tournament.