Cash games are my thing. I started playing poker tournaments, but since I started playing seriously and for a portion of my income, cash games have been where I spend most of my time. In the last 18 months, I have played very few tournaments and a lot of live cash games.Tournaments are still fun and I still find value in them, especially around the World Series of Poker and especially the Main Event. The field is laden with inexperienced players and players who are in on satellites and so aren’t comfortable or prepared to play a $10,000 event. Of course, all of the great players are there too, but the general quality of play in the field makes it a great tournament value-wise. Plus, it is the Main Event of the World Series of Poker, so of course I’m going out to play!
Since I know my focus is on cash games, I have been working on transitioning back into the mental mindset for playing tournaments. The good thing about the Main Event is that you are deep enough early on and, with two-hour levels, the first day plays more like a cash game than any other tournament. But, there are still many differences and so being in tournament mode is a must to do well.
While I have been thinking about some strategy differences for playing tournaments, I also got to thinking about my routine for getting ready to show up and play. I have always been routine-oriented before sporting events and that has carried over into playing poker tournaments.I have never understood players who can roll out of bed and head down to the tournament running late and still half-asleep. To feel my best and perform well, I've developed a basic routine that I have generally followed for every day of every tournament I play.
Poker tournaments tend to run late and after finishing up a day of play, it often takes a while to wind down. With the prospect of another long day ahead, I do my best to sleep in a little in the morning, but still get up in plenty of time to get myself ready for the day.
My routine is to get up and go out for a run or a workout. Nothing overly taxing, but enough to work up a good sweat and get my blood flowing. Even in the summer in Vegas, I’ve never had an issue with running three or four miles around 9:00am or 10:00am. Plus, almost any casino or hotel you might be traveling to will have a workout room of some sort.
For me, getting a good workout in and then coming back and taking a shower were a must before any day of tournament play. Sometimes the run would be switched out for a racquetball match or an hour of weightlifting, but I can’t recall playing in any tournament where I didn’t get some sort of a workout in beforehand to help clear my head and get me prepared for the day.
After a workout and shower, I have a light breakfast and spend any remaining time I have before heading to the tournament going over any information I may have on my starting table or taking care of any e-mails or phone calls I so I can focus on the tournament with fewer distractions.
I never want to start my tournament by running late or rushing to get to my table, so I tend to arrive early and have time to hang around before the tournament is scheduled to start. I'm not talking an excessive amount of time, but if I am playing a major buy-in tournament, I give myself an extra 15 to 30 minutes in case there is traffic, nowhere to park, or anything else slows me down.
Overall, coming in rushed isn’t the mindset I want at the start of a long day of tournament play. The drive is used to clear my mind of any other distractions and focus in on playing that day’s event. In the movie “For Love of the Game,” Kevin Costner used the phrase “clear the mechanism” to rid his mind of all distractions and focus on pitching. My goal when I walk through the doors of the tournament area is to have my mind cleared of everything else and be ready to play.There is nothing groundbreaking here. It's a very basic routine, but one that has worked for me and helps me feel calm and ready to play once I get to the poker tables. Everyone has their own style and way of doing things, but if you find yourself in a tournament slump, try adding a little discipline and structure to what you do in the hours leading up your tournament to see if you can get yourself in the right mindset.
Court Harrington has worked on the business side of the poker industry in roles including tournament reporting for PocketFives, radio hosting for PokerRoad Radio, coaching for the WSOP Academy and privately, and a variety of behind-the-scenes responsibilities. He also plays in cash games and tournaments. Harrington is currently doing consulting work and exploring business opportunities outside of the poker industry. You can contact him at Court@CourtHarrington.com.
