Prep
3. Get Rest I put thought into my morning routine, what I’m going to wear, what food I am going to bring, and when I am going to arrive at the tournament venue. Part of my motivation for preparing is purely based on anticipation — I only get a few shots a year to participate in a live poker tournament, so I better make the most of them and have my head well focused on my poker tournament strategy. But I also believe that preparing helps me reach a strong mental state for playing.
1. Play Some Hands
can hop online, or if there are nightly tournaments available to you at local poker rooms. But if you can find a way to get in some hands before playing a tournament, it’s worth doing so.
2. Listen to Podcasts / Watch Videos
Listening to this podcast really makes you think about different ways to approach hands. In fact, I’ve never heard Meyvis or Brokos use the word “standard” when talking about a hand.
If you’re not a podcast fan, then search the web for video content on multi-table tournaments. There are several sites that offer quality strategy videos, and even if it’s the most basic content, going out of your way to think about poker will help you prepare for the many decisions you’re going to have to make at the tables.
3. Get Rest
This isn’t an optimal strategy, and unless you find yourself in the craziest cash game in the world where a player is shipping blind every hand, go to bed. Being well-rested will help you focus the next day and give you the energy you need to build castles at the table. It will also save you from pumping your body full of artificial sugars and crap by drinking a dozen cups of coffee or Red Bulls.
4. Bring Food
Bringing food to a poker tournament benefits me in two ways. First, I always have something to eat if I am hungry, and I try to make it something healthy. Granola bars and nuts are quick pick-me-ups that oftentimes have good amounts of protein as well. I’ll make up a bowl of chicken salad or something else that I can store in a small Tupperware box and take along. This will provide me with a nice meal during the tournament and keep me away from the greasy snack bar.
Second, when I take food, it makes me feel like I am going to be in that poker room all day. Sure, I could run middle set into top set during my first orbit and hit the rail — that happens sometimes. But I know going into the day that I am prepared for a long, successful grind… and I know that when I do, I won’t go hungry!