Top 10 Tournament Poker Tips

If you are a professional poker player, chances are that you've had that dream... you know the one where you're headsup in the World Series of Poker Main Event, pushing all-in in front of a huge crowd knowing that every single one of your friends, family members, exes, enemies, teachers, poker opponents are watching you on TV about to win your first bracelet.

The fact is, there are not a lot of WSOP bracelets handed out every year. The fields at the world series of poker are so huge that it's very rare in the post-Moneymaker era of poker to see a player simply luck his way into a bracelet. But anyone can win, and these tournament poker tips will help you get a little closer to that gold bracelet, or at least a little closer the final table.

1. Commit to doubling up when blinds are more than 1/4 your stack.

2. Position and chip count may result in you raising with KToffsuit, but folding a better hand such as JJ if someone has already raised.

3. Build your stack by betting at small pots, disciplined to fold if a raiser likely has you beat.

4. If you have only one style of play, skilled opponents will have very good reads on you by the latter stages of a tournament.

5. A bettor has two chances to win, by opponent folding or by drawing out. A caller has only one chance to win.

6. The rate at which blinds increase is among the most important factors of tournament structure.

7. Short stacks become quite tight near money cutoffs, a fact which you can aggresively take advantage of if you have a large chip count.

8. There are moments when the pot will be won by the first player to bet at it. A successful player must recognize these moments and seize them, sometimes regardless of his holecards.

9. Preparation should include sufficient rest, prior addressing of personal issues, and adjustment to the playing environment to allow maximum focus.

10. Going all-in becomes both a threat and an opening for destruction. While there are times the correct strategy is to push all-in, exposing yourself to this risk often against larger stacks will eventually lead to your exit from the tourney.

11. When deciding to make a bluff, have a hand in mind that you're representing and bet accordingly.

12. Keep in mind the relative skill levels of your opponents. An all-in bluff will scare weaker players out of a pot where a bluff disquised as a value bet may work better against more experienced players.

13. In final table play, where each finishing position is a large money jump, if there is one player severely short-stacked, many medium-stacks will almost always fold to a bet that would force them all-in.

14. When calculating pot odds, take into account the chips that you have reason to believe will be put into the pot on a later round. This is called implied odds.

15. Don't look at your cards until it is your turn to act. This will ensure that no early player can get a read on you before they must act.

16. Always watch the dealer for cards accidentally exposed as they are dealt.

17. Try to time your play so that you are in late position when blinds increase.

No amount of arguing can convince your in-laws that a poker career is a good idea. Until people see you on ESPN winning something, you're always going to get blank stares from people if you try to tell them you're a professional poker player.

But if you're lucky enough to snag a World Series of Poker bracelet, take it from me... your whole life will change. That is why poker tournaments have captured the imagination of so many poker fans.