It Only Takes One Mistake

No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLHE) tournament poker takes no prisoners. You can be on point, getting the rub of the green and playing your most amazing poker at one of the WSOP 2013 Qualifiers, and yet one slip-up could mean it’s all over. You are on the rail before you know it and nobody even remembers your name.

Unless you are playing in a rebuy or re-entry style tournament chip preservation is key when playing in a NLHE tournament. You need to guard those chips with your life in order to reduce the likelihood that an incorrect decision will send you spiralling out of the competition.

But you also need to guard against your own self-destruction. You need to give yourself the greatest chance of success by maintaining concentration for as long as you can. This means keeping conversation to a minimum and removing all electronic gadgetry from your sights, as you concentrate your efforts on the game.

Many Online Poker Tips also apply to real like poker and one of those is to pay attention to the average stack size of the tournament and also the nuances of the players on your table. There are times when you will be playing shove or fold poker with 10-15BB and will be looking to move all-in with pocket treys or ace-eight suited. But there will be other times when despite having only 10BB you are barely under the average stack and your opponents are all playing very tight, except the bigger stacks who are ready and willing to gobble you up. When this happens just chill-out and relax. Wait for a hand that gives you the greater chance of survival and don’t make that one fatal mistake.