Poker Tournament tip 4 – Courage

Playing winning tournament poker keys to success recap:

1.  Know the poker tournament’s structure.

2.  Know poker player’s tendencies your opposition

3.  Know when to push and when to fold – wisdom at the poker table.

4.  Courage to execute on your knowledge and wisdom.

5.  Discipline to stay the course and adjust as necessary (stay off tilt).

Today, we’ll discuss having the courage to execute on your plan.

Brave, courageous poker play

Its no easy task pushing your poker chips in the center when you find yourself two off the bubble, action has folded around to you in middle position while you’re holding A-6 suited and short stacked.  You’ve noticed the table is somewhat passive, and often players have taken the pot uncontested preflop.  You know the time is right to push.  You’re aware the table conditions are correct for a push.  Your cards are push-worthy – capable of holding their own in a race, and your stack needs the blinds and antes.  What do you do?

You move all-in!  Don’t fret the bubble.  It’s time to push.  When the time and conditions are right, have the courage to make the correct play.  It may be scary, you may feel like you have a suckout you’re due.  Put that all out of your mind and make the right play.  Have the courage to make your move.

This less comfortable, the more correct

In a poker tournament, often the correct play is not comfortable.  Its sometimes scary making a push when you should, or making that sick call on the river with the ace high.  I assure you, despite the plays being most uncomfortable, more often than not – they are the right plays.

Do you think its comfortable to play dead when a bear attacks?  Its not comfortable, but in the situation, its the most correct move.  Reach deep down, muster up the courage to play poker to win.  When you’re sure you have the right move in mind, and you have evidence to back it up – make the move.  Push your chips all-in, make the call – play winning tournament poker.

~ imjusthere4thebeer writes articles discussing poker strategy, poker tournament strategy, and poker cash game strategy for the Online Poker Circuit.  He also contributes editorial commentary on the world of poker to the OPC via his Poker Pub blog, and discusses news from the poker world via the State of Poker News.