How to not get unpatient/bored in tourneys?

Hey guys,

Almost all of the time I've spent playing poker, I've been playing zoom CG. It's alright, but after nearly 600k hands in total at 2nl/5nl/10nl I decided to cash out leaving myself with $100.

I really would like to get into tournament play, but I usually get bored and unpatient being used to the zoom tables, which often ends with me going out somewhere in the middle by just trying to force some action.

Been playing some MTTSnGs and I've done alright in them. But how do you guys manage to keep the cool and stay patient for hours and hours when the field is slowly slowly moving down from the 7k+ entrants?

Play several tournaments at once? Try rush poker tourneys at FT?

Share all your secrets!

All I ever play is tourneys. It's just something you get used to over time. I used to play too many hands out of boredom but I have tightened up, maybe tightened up too much but that's for another thread. Don't get me wrong, I still spew multiple stacks at times for no particular reason!

Maybe try turbo tourneys as you have to play more hands or you'll just get blinded out. Play as many tables as you are comfortable with and I doubt you'd be bored then.

I would say if you are starting with only $100 don't play any of the huge field mtt's stick to smaller ones 90 or less, play more tables as many as you can comfortably concentrate on to deal with boredom, with the variance you will be doing well to cash 1 in 5.

Try to play more omaha than holdem you'll find more action there

I would suggest yoga... No really how can you teach a person one of the most important values of tournament playing... (How to be patient) It is unbareable at times the amount of hands we have to fold only to finish on the bubble repeatedly. It's all about timeing and luck now a days... So GL with your TIMEING.... Look forward to learning along side of you here ....

I have a big screen and would watch a movie or TV show in a smaller window while I play. These days I only play one table at a time and give it my full concentration. Actively trying to figure out peoples ranges and keeping track of betting patterns and all that keeps me entertained. Before I didn't know how to do all that and played my cards and not the table, if that is your problem then just work on looking for information you normally wouldn't look for.

Candy Crush Saga

and porn of course, lol

Why 7k entrants? What about MTT SnG, of course in speed or turbo formats?

Btw. why to switch from cash game to tournaments? More profit or you are bored with cash game also?

If would get bored radily I would suggest just playing cash games, what I do if I am really bored I either stop playing after I win or loose the tourney or while playing I sign up for one of those double or triple up tourneys, it's a great way to make more money on the side an since it's a double or triple up more places pay, So you don't need to pay too much attention whole focusing on the tourney. S

Tournies have way different strategies than cash games. I mean early on, you can be more loose/force more action, but as you get to the later stages, you needa tighten up(unless you're a monster stack, then you wanna steal blinds and force others into uncomfortable situations). Start with smaller tournies though if you really wanan begin playing tournies

Alright thanks for the input guys!

Acesinthebig said:

Candy Crush Saga

Click to expand...

Haha nice one, already completed 3 stars in all 35 first levels - greedy bastards that wants my money so i can get more levels

bnasp2 said:

Why 7k entrants? What about MTT SnG, of course in speed or turbo formats?

Btw. why to switch from cash game to tournaments? More profit or you are bored with cash game also?

Click to expand...

Well to answer both questions: The 7k entrants tourneys usually have a large prizepool and that is what is tempting me. Sure I've made a decent amount of money on the cash tables, probably way more profitable, but it's the big chunk of money that has made me attracted to the tourneys.

in the MTT SnG I usually play turbos, but looking at my results I usually do better in the normal speed ones. I guess it's because I'm not really familiar to the whole push/folding concept, I'm more able to play my normal solid game in the non-turbos. Might also be too tight to play tourneys since I rarely push TP hands in CG but it seems it's a common thing in tournaments.

BLACKSTACK said:

If would get bored radily I would suggest just playing cash games, what I do if I am really bored I either stop playing after I win or loose the tourney or while playing I sign up for one of those double or triple up tourneys, it's a great way to make more money on the side an since it's a double or triple up more places pay, So you don't need to pay too much attention whole focusing on the tourney. S

Click to expand...

Thats one of my golden strategies lol. Any time I join a MTT, I also join a DoN for the same amount. They are easily beatable on Bovada. So once I beat that, the MTT becomes a freeroll in a sense and I have no worries about playing with scared money. I do this 85% of the time i'd say, if not more! More often than not, it is profitable and I can get my buyin back. If only I could use a HUD there, I would be crushing sng's instead of playing mtt's I think.

Edit: And unpatient isn't a word It would be impatient...

The double up suggestion is a very good one IMO and have used it frequently...aslo have opened up one or two cash .02 .04 games if I only have one tournament playing at the time...gl

ph0n3_j4ck said:

Tournies have way different strategies than cash games. I mean early on, you can be more loose/force more action, but as you get to the later stages, you needa tighten up(unless you're a monster stack, then you wanna steal blinds and force others into uncomfortable situations). Start with smaller tournies though if you really wanan begin playing tournies

Click to expand...

imo this is completely opposite to my style. loose play early is ridiculous because you have people pushing every other hand. but normally what i do is i watch tv or fool around on the internet to keep entertained until i stop getting shuffled around tables, and i have to start observing the table.

If you get bored, you're playing the wrong game. Why not concentrate on something else such as Heads Up Sit n go? You can't get bored playing that!

Knowing I can't win every tourney, my MTT session will consist of at least 3MTT's and some SNG's on the side. This keeps me "Attentive" enough to go deep in something. That's when the fun starts. I'll sometimes have Netflix if it's going slooooowwwwwwww but I wouldn't recommend it if you can't multitask. Most of my attention is on my games anyways. Like I said, get deep and then it's on.

Just don't play tourneys if you getting bored by them.
No one can teach you how to be patient realy.
Maybe is better for you to start with cash game heads up, maybe sitngo.
Good luck.

Playing multiple tournies could help and playing small field tournies would be an even better idea. Don't play the deepstack tournies with long levels, as they will never end with a huge field. I just play on Carbon so I like the field sizes there - which are usually under 1000 and most under 500.

I listen to music... that inspires me to play better... hell I test out some periodically but usually go back to the same 12 tunes.

Playing turbo is faster play... but you should be trying to figure out what is going on in the table. Who is your next victim? Read the players who is loose and tight... if your not doing dat or don't want to highly recommend not playing tourneys.

Another thing I do cause I know what u mean is I late add on to tourneys... lol. I don't got to deal with too many donks and I got a 1 hr mental edge on my opponents who might be sluggish.

But ideally you want to set asside 3hrs to play and know your schedule... some people are night people... or morning hell no... lol... for me. So figure it but don't be too distracted cause its a sure way too lose.

I also listen to music - big Linkin Park fan. I've set up a Youtube account and have favorited a couple of their hour and half live performances. I play it from the start and do my thing.

ph0n3_j4ck said:

Tournies have way different strategies than cash games. I mean early on, you can be more loose/force more action, but as you get to the later stages, you needa tighten up(unless you're a monster stack, then you wanna steal blinds and force others into uncomfortable situations). Start with smaller tournies though if you really wanan begin playing tournies

Click to expand...

thats is almost 100% the wrong way round, impressive post lol, the only bit that is right is stealing blinds, but even then you should be doing it with most stack sizes

to answer the original question, some people just aren't cut out for MTT play, as you said yourself, early on they can be pretty boring, give it some time, your going from the fastest game zoom to MTT's so thats quite a jump it might just take a few weeks to get used too