7 Pro Poker Tournament Tips You've Never Heard Before

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Mar 11, 2020 2 min read

Sometimes when you read a poker strategy book, or read some strategy tips online, it can feel like you are walking through treacle in order to gain some sort of wisdom from whoever wrote the book or penned the article.

That's why, when PokerNews presenter Tiffany Michelle was at the 888Poker Madrid Festival back in February, she spoke to seven professional poker players to get some very brief and unique tournament tips from some of the best in the business!

When in Doubt, Bag Early

Kara Scott: "If a tournament is going to end really late at night, or early in the morning, and you're not good with that and you know that you're going to lose chips at the end of the night then bag a level early and jus take the hit.

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You Play Better When You've Fasted

Ebony Kenney: "Play poker in a fasted state. Fasting increases your cognitive function and helps alertness and your memory. You can absolutely perform better on the poker table when you've fasted."

Pay Attention to When You Look at Your Cards

Chris Moorman: "Look at your cards when two players before you are acting, not when it's on you because then you might feel pressure and not have time to think. Also, not too early because you might seem disinterested in the pot and give away information to other players.

Thinking about Bluffing? Think Again

Daria Feshchenko: "Never bluff Asian players!"

Feeling Hungry?

Sofia Lovgren: "Make sure to ask the locals what their favourite snacks are and bring some snacks to the table."

Increase Your Sizings

Vivian Saliba: "Bet big. You need to put pressure on your opponents and I see many players that want to save money and they make small bets. But the truth is, people like to call. So you must make it tough. If you decide to bluff a hand, you need to put pressure on.

Your Sleep is Important

Dominik Nitsche: "Keep a proper sleeping schedule. This means that if the tournament starts at 5pm and plays until 7am, try to not wake up at 8am!"

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.

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