Poker tournaments can be a mix of exhilaration and frustration. It’s not always easy to see past the game itself, but in many cases, the only thing separating a winner from a loser is the little blunders players make. Cheap mistakes in poker tournaments can cost you direct elimination, but also will slowly eat away your stack , making it nearly impossible to battle back, when its time.
In this article, you will learn about the worst types of mistakes in poker tournaments, that amateur to intermediate players make and how to avoid them, respectively. We’re going to look at all the critical areas where players often go wrong—from calculating poker odds incorrectly to poker bankroll management. Read on to find out how to avoid making costly mistakes and maximize your chances of success if you’re looking to take your tournament game to the next level.
8 Common Mistakes in Poker Tournaments You Need to Avoid
Compared to cash games, there is a completely different approach to poker tournaments. In cash games, it is enough to play tight and pick your battles. Winnings come to you imminently on lower to mid-stakes. In tournaments however, being too tight, when blinds get higher over time, will gradually destroy your chip stack. Play super aggressively and you will inevitably end up against a premium hand, against which you are huge underdog.
Poker tournament strategies are many and nowadays players focus on the mathematical aspect of the game, studying ICM and complicated coaching programs, but to crush lower to mid-entry MTTs , 90% of the work is to eliminate the big mistakes from your game. Here are 8 blunders, which you should stop doing immediately.
1. Misreading Poker Hands
Cash games and tournaments have vastly different ranges and hand strengths. Not knowing which hands are appropriate to play at any given stage of the tournament, when comparing chip stacks and blind levels, will almost surely mean that you will never be able to win a poker tournament.
If you play the same way during the start of the tournament and near its final stages, it is a recipe for disaster. This also means, you do not understand how your opponent’s range works, which is like going to war, without weapons.
The key word in avoiding mistakes in poker tournaments, is flexibility. All those hours spent studying and playing, should all come into play. Overfolding, overbetting or playing only your favorite cards are not how tournaments are won. You need flexible strategy, depending on the situation. This is not a cash game, with fixed rules, tournaments change dynamically.
2. Playing Too Many Hands
One of the more common mistakes in poker tournaments is playing too many hands. You don’t want to participate in every hand — doing so takes a hit on your chip stack over time. You can more than double your expected success rate by only focusing on playing a few hands. Newbies tend to fall into common beginner mistakes in poker tournaments , like chasing every hand in hopes of hitting on one.
3. Overvaluing Hands
You are taught to grade hands differently, and few players actually do; mostly, they overvalue hands, especially hands like pocket pairs. Although pairs are the best hands to push ( go all in ) with , you can end up against a higher pair and you are with 1 foot out of the MTT. Misreading the board and overbetting can leave you with some huge losses.
Avoid inflating the pot, just because you have strong holdings, if you do not have good information about the hand. Of course, if you hold Aces or Kings, get as much money as possible into the pot preflop, but in tournaments, players are usually much tighter than in cash games, so avoid putting your tournament life on the line, with marginal hands.
Know when to fold . Even with premium holdingsAlways consider the position, blind levels, tournament stage and most importantly – opponents.
4. Bad Poker Bankroll Management
Good poker bankroll management is important, especially in tournaments. Improper chip stack management is one of the biggest reasons why players go broke. Many players find themselves caught up in the moment and overcommitment to pots, leaving themselves in weak spots. Out of bankruptcy, poker players make common mistakes while managing the tournament poker chips when they do not know how to manage their chips and keep them for the pivotal moments of competition.
This leads us to our next tip: In the early stages of the tournament, play more aggressively, to grab an early lead and get a feeling about your opponents . Mid-stakes of the tournaments are when players often change tables, but initially, you will play against the same guys for quite a while, so participate more often in the pots, when blinds are low, to extract information.
5. Not Adapting to Blinds Levels
The blinds increase throughout the tournament, requiring players to adapt their strategy. Mistakes in poker tournaments include not changing gears as the blinds escalate. Adjust your raising size , play more polarizing. Avoid overcalling and try to play in position. Exploit the tournament bubble period, when everyone is super conservative. Remember , we do not play to get in the money, we play to win the tournament.
If your idea of success it to get in the money, just play super tight and go all in with aces or kings. If you want to win the tournament, you have to be brave ( only in a smart way, when the situation is appropriate )
Tip: As the blinds increase, you will have to widen your range and steal blinds more frequently. If you are card dead, your best bet is to bet strongly or go all in even, from the small blind. Of course, the button position is great option to do it as well.
6. Miscalculating Poker Odds
This is one of the worst mistakes in poker tournaments, you can do. Which hands work well post flop, what are your odds in multiway pots or when drawing hand is good option to continue on the turn – knowing the math behind these decisions, will be like shooting at a target blind folded.
If you are not already doing so, begin calculating your pot odds before making a decision ! Math does not have emotions, so it always shows the truth. Follow the odds and call or raise if it makes sense; fold otherwise.
7. Playing Tilted
Poker Tilt is not only the number 1 among all the mistakes in poker tournaments but also the worst enemy in all poker variants and even in life.
Entering rage mode maybe good for some action console game, but in reality, no one makes good decisions, while clouded with anger, sadness, desperation or some other form of emotional disbalance. If you cannot overcome your tilt, better stand up and miss 10 hands.
Yes, its better to miss playing time, than losing the whole tournament , because you played with a vendetta against some player or went all in with every starting hand. Go for a walk around your house and clear your head.
Know when you’re on tilt and take a break. Once you are calm again, stick to your plan, like nothing happened. Remember, poker is not fair game. Winnings are not for the most deserving, they are for the people with the strongest mentality, discipline, and flawless execution in the face of adversity.
8. Losing the Mental Game
The mental game greatly influences poker tournament strategy. The ability to read your opponent and change your strategy dynamically is crucial. One of the most common mistakes in poker tournaments is failing to adjust to the table dynamics.
Players tend to get increasingly nervous as the game progresses or overconfident and make mistakes that could have been avoided.
Poker players have to be level-headed at all times. Having a fulfilling life outside of poker is one of the best ways you can face the challenge of the poker world, where often the things are not fair. Sometimes the worst player may win and the best player may go out of the tournaments first. Thats both the beauty and the ugliness of poker.
Being impatient is one of the largest mistakes in poker tournaments, you can make. Tournaments are marathons, not sprints. If you are a dynamic person, who is always in a hurry, wants things happening fast fast – MTTs are not for you. Either you will have to change your nature for the sake of playing poker tournaments or try some cash games, or even better Sit and Go Turbos.
How to Avoid These Mistakes in Poker Tournament
To avoid those common mistakes in poker tournaments, improving discipline is your best friend. Huge pots at the end of the tournament are tempting, but it is better that you avoid them. Playing super aggressively usually leads to expensive errors. Poker betting blunders, including overcommitting to a hand or calling too many bets, can trap you.
Tip: Follow a good strategy. Not all pots are worth chasing—and while it can be tempting to get swept up in the excitement, risks almost never should be put up—risks should always be evaluated before big value bets.
Final Table Mistakes
As the final table nears, the screws are tightening. The biggest errors at the final table tend to be when players are playing way too tight or way too aggressively. Some get too cautious, and others loosen up too much in a bid to win. Both tactics may come back to bite them.
Practice patience at the final table. So play strategically, and don’t fold under pressure and make unorthodox choices. If you have decent tournament experience, deep down you know the right play. Ignore all your positive and negative emotions and listen to your silent voice inside. The truth is, the majority of the players know the right play, but they fall prey to the emotional decision-making
Final Thoughts
Avoiding different types of mistakes in poker tournaments will allow you to prosper and succeed in the long run. If you know about frequent mistakes such as misreading hands, overvaluing your cards, and not managing your bankroll, you will have a better chance of winning. Be cool, play a good game, and adjust as the tournament goes on. With time and experience, you’ll learn to steer clear of these traps and play your best poker.
Avoiding Mistakes in Poker Tournaments – TLDR version : Do not overcommit to any single type of strategy, be flexible, adjust your style based on the tournament format, blind levels, stacks and opponents. Make the best decisions and expect the worst outcomes. Remove the words “not fair” from your vocabulary, because poker is not always fair. Just make the right moves and the results will come.
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