Ways to keep a level head when deep into a tourney????

I will get to a point in a touney and it becomes hard to keep my mindframe sometimes or i will slip and make a dumb move.Any suggestions on how to maintain a level head i mtts???

You have to learn to be more patient, and when you decide to make a move to steal a pot there are many different factors to consider. E.g position, your table image, reads on your opponents, your stack size versus your villains stack size, your stack size vs the blinds etc. This list goes on. Don't "death bet" yourself out of a tourney, keep focused and take all the information available to you and factor it in with your decision making

At some point, after several unsuccessfull calls and blind bleeding you might start feeling a need to win some chips urgently, or, pretty much, next hand. This is the main reason of your so called dumb moves. In such situation, being shortstacked, I tend to choose my playing hands much more carefully, because I will have to make an all-in move (most probably), and I will face several opponents (probably, because my all-in will not be too big). Patience is a real virtue here, you can double - triple up, or just give your remaining chips away.

If you realise you are doing something stupid, walk away for 3 -5 mins.. Stop playing and have a cup of tea or something. Chill. breathe properly.

Come back in time for your big blind as you don't have to be there for every hand.

I get the same feelings deep into tourney. Does anyone elese get the feeling if you're not playing at least 1 in 3 hands that your cards get worse and worse?

Yes it happens to me ever time CHIP FLICK.Next thing u know ur gettin beat up by blinds waitin.But I think it can also get in ur head that the cards arent coming and it just stabs u every time u peek at ur cards.

when im playing in a long tourney i like to get a bite to eat and watch tv while im waitin for a hand. i wouldnt think too deeply about how many hands i folded or played. that dosent help except make me over think. also i wouldnt regret any fold you made preflop. and probably the most important advice i can give dont let a bad beat tilt your game. ive seen some many players lose a big pot and do the tilt all in as long as you have 10 times the BB, blinds wont hurt, you dont have to push. hope this helps you

...like when you have to throw away 24 straight hands. I used to have the same problem. It's a bit of a drag, but it's necessary. Taking emotion out of your game is huge aspect of your game.

So what helped me out? Freerolls.
If you are going to avoid early elimination you have to learn how to throw away the first 12-15 hands if not 20-25 hands. Period. After awhile you start to learn how to be patient.

Good luck. Self mastery at the tables takes work.

seems like i can stay pretty pateint in freerolls until i start to get near the money and then its like a switch gets turned on called gotta go . just yesterday in bodogs 500 $ freeroll at 240 lasted thru 3 breaks 83 to go and 63 pays out and had 28000 chips so i get a pair 9s in the bb and guy next to me all in 32000 so yes im sayin no right not go allin lose to a pair tens 31/2 hours down the drain . and always in hindsight i say why didnt i just fold but if i hit . have to learn to focus more on the end .

As everyone has said, patience is the virtue.

And the problem could be more acute than you realize. I would venture to say that you are remembering the times that this type of play put you out of a tourney. This leads me to believe that you have probably made similar bad plays that you have gotten away with - perhaps getting everyone to fold when you should have folded yourself when stealing blinds.

You are focusing on one of the primary factors required to be a good poker player. And, that is making good decisions.

Making good decisions requires good presents of mind. Therefore, practice self-discipline to not act on impulse, but a clear evaluation of the situation.

Easier said than done. But, this goal can be achieved with work.

Good luck,

A good question is half the answer.

mange