Mindset of a winning tournament player

[1player2]

Hello Cards Chat Grinders,

I'd really like to hear from some successful tournament specialist. What is your mindset going into a tournament? Take it one level at a time? How aggressive are you being in the early levels? What is your overall strategy for putting yourself in a position to play deep into the tournament? Obviously you need to win hands but beyond that what are your short and long term goals in a Deepstack tournament? Thank you for your time.


Good Luck To All

 

[_xgeb_]

Hello Cards Chat Grinders,

I'd really like to hear from some successful tournament specialist. What is your mindset going into a tournament? Take it one level at a time? How aggressive are you being in the early levels? What is your overall strategy for putting yourself in a position to play deep into the tournament? Obviously you need to win hands but beyond that what are your short and long term goals in a Deepstack tournament? Thank you for your time.


Good Luck To All

I think you should play very conservative at first. Avoid deluding yourself with hands like JJ or QQ, which has happened to me that I have had bad times several times against AA or KK for wanting to go everything at the beginning. That is a little tip. Then the more advanced stages try to steal blinds. And try not to block and have a good post flop game. The experience will make you a better player.

 

[1player2]

I think you should play very conservative at first. Avoid deluding yourself with hands like JJ or QQ, which has happened to me that I have had bad times several times against AA or KK for wanting to go everything at the beginning. That is a little tip. Then the more advanced stages try to steal blinds. And try not to block and have a good post flop game. The experience will make you a better player.

What are you referring to when you say don't block?

 

[_xgeb_]

What are you referring to when you say don't block?

I mean if a villain makes a bet, don't fold for not having the best combination. In these stages many people make bets to steal the postflop pot, without having anything.

 

[BIGAUS]

Aside from actual ways to play a tournament, I would think that those who are constantly effective tournament players are able to focus in on the task at hand and really hone in on what's going on at the table. Being able to focus rather than being drawn away from distractions, another table you're playing at, etc. could be a good mindset to have as you're trying to improve tournament play.

 

[BadB420]

The mindset going into the tournament is that it does not matter if you win or lose. Our goal is to make +Ev decisions. I like to play 4-6 mtt's at a time and that helps me stay focused because I usually make a deep run in at least one of them. In the early stages I try to see as many flops as I can as cheap as possible with my marginal hands in position and bet my big hands bigger.

Middle of the mtt is time to tighten it up a bit and look to steal blinds. Keep this mentality until we get around bubble time. Thats when it is a good time to play a bit looser and the tighter the table is, the looser you play. Players want to cash so they normally do not wont to get into conflict right before the money.

Late mtt depending on stack size my play varies. If im short stack I play tight and am looking to double up. Once around average stack size im back to trying to steal blinds. Big chip stack im raising and stealing as often as I can. Still do not want to go too crazy but im continuing to apply pressure on short stacks.

 

[nuttea]

Hello Cards Chat Grinders,

I'd really like to hear from some successful tournament specialist. What is your mindset going into a tournament? Take it one level at a time? How aggressive are you being in the early levels? What is your overall strategy for putting yourself in a position to play deep into the tournament? Obviously you need to win hands but beyond that what are your short and long term goals in a Deepstack tournament? Thank you for your time.


Good Luck To All

A successful person knows exactly what he wants, sees it clearly and knows exactly how all this can happen to him in reality, and most importantly, a successful person knows exactly what he needs to do for this. Positive thinking Only be positive. For instance. Failure is the discovery of new opportunities, it is an incentive for your growth, etc., and not a career collapse, loss of money, deadlock and hopelessness. Failures - this is a new launching pad for your growth, this is a mandatory phenomenon that all players go through periodically, this is what makes you stronger. Find positive in everything, always be positive.
With discipline, everyone is clear - for success, it needs reinforced concrete. Many have problems with planning ... Of all the players I worked with, only not many had plans for the game and plans for their development. I’ll tell you a secret - even those who do not have plans for the game play according to plan. Without plans, no one does anything at all. It’s like the absence of a result is also a result, the absence of a plan is also a plan.You believe in your success, you know for sure that achieving a goal is simply a matter of time. Moreover, you have already reached your goal and your success in your thoughts, you already clearly see this in a clear outline. From what “light” you will work with, depends on how long you will achieve what you want. Such a thought process gives intrinsic motivation of enormous power, inspires you, which will inexorably affect your daily work. Every day you will discover new opportunities for yourself, every day you will feel a surge of new strength to overcome difficulties and achieve your goals.

 

[davidkimtai89]

Queen is alway amazing

What card do you like ? for me i favour with queen card . Because anytime appearing quuen i regularly win , especially queen pair . Flush also is my favourite when i meet with ace pair or any pair . Morever if you wanna get more winning rounds you have to passionate in all of cards . Because of when you feel exited with that all cards you will be blessed then they will bring you back with suited cards for you . Let learn to be interesting on every cards .

 

[valen_niyee]

Try to bring your A game consistently in every tournament you play. Be confident with your strategy. Do not try to shove in early games. The risk is higher than what you get.

 

[samsonand]

I understand that the mentality of a poker player in a tournament has to be positive, but at the moment that all the hands you put yourself to play are overcome by bad beats, that begins to despair.

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[Delfino]

A lot depends on your style. You just need to find one that suits you. Most books suggest to play tight early because stacks are deep - so it's more or less a cash game. You want to play premium hands. But if the table is really passive I would limp in with all small pocket pairs and connectors to hit big. If you manage to double up early it really helps and you can become captain of the table raising a lot and stealing blinds in the later stages and other players will get out of your way. If this kind of play suits you it can be actually profitable to take some risk early to double-up instead of playing tight. There is no one winning strategy. It depends on the table, your preffered style, structure of the blinds, payout structure etc.

 

[TongueLashin]

Winning Mindset

I had an amazing bowling coach growing up who taught me how to win at everything in life. In the beginning, it was "read the book, practice" and so I did. Later on it was "keep hitting the pocket and strikes will come." They did!!
My coach aka dad passed away but if he were here now as my poker coach he would say keep getting ITM and wins will come. He would be damn right too, as always

 

[okeedokalee]

A successful person knows exactly what he wants, sees it clearly and knows exactly how all this can happen to him in reality, and most importantly, a successful person knows exactly what he needs to do for this. Positive thinking Only be positive. For instance. Failure is the discovery of new opportunities, it is an incentive for your growth, etc., and not a career collapse, loss of money, deadlock and hopelessness. Failures - this is a new launching pad for your growth, this is a mandatory phenomenon that all players go through periodically, this is what makes you stronger. Find positive in everything, always be positive.
With discipline, everyone is clear - for success, it needs reinforced concrete. Many have problems with planning ... Of all the players I worked with, only not many had plans for the game and plans for their development. I’ll tell you a secret - even those who do not have plans for the game play according to plan. Without plans, no one does anything at all. It’s like the absence of a result is also a result, the absence of a plan is also a plan.You believe in your success, you know for sure that achieving a goal is simply a matter of time. Moreover, you have already reached your goal and your success in your thoughts, you already clearly see this in a clear outline. From what “light” you will work with, depends on how long you will achieve what you want. Such a thought process gives intrinsic motivation of enormous power, inspires you, which will inexorably affect your daily work. Every day you will discover new opportunities for yourself, every day you will feel a surge of new strength to overcome difficulties and achieve your goals.

New-age BS, you should write a best seller for the believers.

 

[ChickenArise]

If at first you dont succeed

rebuy

rebuy again

 

[moshie]

Play your position well, correct opening if you do enter a pot. If you get raised and reraised pre flop be prepared to lay down big hands. Try to avoid all in flips early in
the tournament. If you raise with 10,10 and get shoved will you call or lay down?
Some people will over play small pairs and AK in these spots. What is mind set call and take the flip.
Some will take the chance to double others don't want to get busted out early.
A lot of the time is did I get my chips in good and did I make the right decision.

 

[fundiver199]

The mindset going into the tournament is that it does not matter if you win or lose. Our goal is to make +Ev decisions.

Very much this. A successfull tournament player does not let it bother him, if he bust near the bubble, because he lost a flip for 20BB with AK against TT-QQ. He know, that he made the right decision to get it in, and that variance will sort itself in the long run. He also uses bankroll management, which allow him to just play another one, until eventually he hit the postive side of variance and reach the top 3.