F
FrothyGoodness
Visionary
Silver Level
You don't need a large bankroll for Tourneys , Just depends on what types of tourneys you are trying to play. Or I guess what someone considers large. You need patience most of all. Tourneys take time to accumulate large amounts of dollars unless you're in a high dollar buy in but to become successful most will have to fire a few shots. You have to learn to read the field more than at a cash table, Cash IMO you see more range of Hands while in Tourneys you have a huge portion of the field just trying to make it to the bubble instead of playing for 1st. Cool Calm Collective
kowrip
Rock Star
Silver Level
There are at least 4 big skills/traits you must have to become a successful tournament poker player.
1) Patience - There will be many periods where you will be folding hand after hand because it's the best possible move based upon the action at your table. Sometimes, you may be tempted to get involved in all the action with mediocre hands or call a huge bet with only a marginal holding. You must be disciplined enough to resist these temptations and wait until you have a more favorable situation.
2) Adaptability - Stack sizes changes, blinds/antes increase, players change tables. You must be able to change your style of play based on all these factors. If you don't, it's going to be very difficult to have any significant success.
3) Fearlessness - Don't confuse this with stupidity. There will be times in the tournament where you will have to risk your entire stack. Whether it's going all-in with your short stack or calling against multiple players on a big drawing hand, you need to have the courage to make these big plays. These are the kinds of moves that get you deep tournament runs. If you are scared of these moves, you will have a hard time getting to any of the top tournament prizes.
4) Persistence - You can play a "perfect" game and get dealt the best hands, but still get knocked out of the tournament. You could easily go 10-20 or more tournaments without cashing. You must be able to push through these disappointing outcomes in order to make a deep run for some serious cash.
1) Patience - There will be many periods where you will be folding hand after hand because it's the best possible move based upon the action at your table. Sometimes, you may be tempted to get involved in all the action with mediocre hands or call a huge bet with only a marginal holding. You must be disciplined enough to resist these temptations and wait until you have a more favorable situation.
2) Adaptability - Stack sizes changes, blinds/antes increase, players change tables. You must be able to change your style of play based on all these factors. If you don't, it's going to be very difficult to have any significant success.
3) Fearlessness - Don't confuse this with stupidity. There will be times in the tournament where you will have to risk your entire stack. Whether it's going all-in with your short stack or calling against multiple players on a big drawing hand, you need to have the courage to make these big plays. These are the kinds of moves that get you deep tournament runs. If you are scared of these moves, you will have a hard time getting to any of the top tournament prizes.
4) Persistence - You can play a "perfect" game and get dealt the best hands, but still get knocked out of the tournament. You could easily go 10-20 or more tournaments without cashing. You must be able to push through these disappointing outcomes in order to make a deep run for some serious cash.
JJP
Visionary
Silver Level
Patience, mental fortitude and a little luck 
Poker in every form will test all of your emotions, and the key is staying level headed and trying to make the most optimal decisions we can. You will face many obstacles and curveballs along the way, and being able to fight through and continue to process the information we receive to reach the optimal conclusion is the key !
Poker in every form will test all of your emotions, and the key is staying level headed and trying to make the most optimal decisions we can. You will face many obstacles and curveballs along the way, and being able to fight through and continue to process the information we receive to reach the optimal conclusion is the key !
A
AJantwan
Rock Star
Silver Level
To reach the top? Like, to win a tournament, or rather, to be at the top of a lot of tournaments? Big difference.
A lot of others have discussed a variety of factors, but if you're also referring to being at the top of a lot of tournaments: discipline to study. You'll need to play around with GTO and ICM tools and run various scenarios and understand how changing conditions should change your play. It's a bit tedious, but you don't get to be the best without effort.
fishfood80
Rock Star
Silver Level
I think the only things poker really demands from you is an enormous amount of patience, a willingness to admit and work on your short comings, and a desire to always keep learning and studying. If you can commit to those things you will be a winning player.
D
Darth_Moola
Rock Star
Silver Level
I think tournament play incorporates a lot more of the meta-game than cash does. Since tournaments are finite they demand you to have an awareness of alternative things like the bubble. Cash is essentially endless. So needing to be aware of alternative factors besides what is going on right at the table means you need to have a lot more control of your decision making. Patience and precision are very important.
Asixx014
Rising Star
Bronze Level
@kowrip said it pretty well, I'd just like to address the luck factor. You're going to have to be a little lucky getting good hands that hold up, and completing draws that pay off.
@ Darth_Moola also brings a good point of the meta-game in tournies. There can be levels of I-know-you-know-that-I-know-you-know, and playing against that. Its high level thinking, but its important for the deepest runs IMO.
The last thing I want to mention is the math. Simple pot odds can get you deep, and will make all your decisions a little easier. Implied odds will maximize your earnings and reverse-implied odds will minimize your losses.
All these things are important for consistent deep runs in MTTs, and all games for that matter.
Disputes and comments welcome!
@ Darth_Moola also brings a good point of the meta-game in tournies. There can be levels of I-know-you-know-that-I-know-you-know, and playing against that. Its high level thinking, but its important for the deepest runs IMO.
The last thing I want to mention is the math. Simple pot odds can get you deep, and will make all your decisions a little easier. Implied odds will maximize your earnings and reverse-implied odds will minimize your losses.
All these things are important for consistent deep runs in MTTs, and all games for that matter.
Disputes and comments welcome!
L
Lisavandervelden12
Rock Star
Silver Level
KristaK
Visionary
Silver Level
wait!!!!! let's talk about he also said SINGLE
you gotta be kidding,,, really? to play serious poker need be celibate and a hermit
count me out hahaha
