The Poker Masters Online is about to kick off in just over a week now, and some of the world’s best high rollers are expected to battle it out in the two-week festival which will be hosted by partypoker.
While we look forward to the big event, which features $15 million in guaranteed prize pool, let’s talk about what players need to do before entering the high-stakes arena. partypoker ambassador Sam Trickett recently shared some great tips for aspiring high rollers.
Proper Preparations
If you are planning to enter any high-stakes cash game or tournament, one of the most important things to do is to prepare yourself. By preparing, it means you must engage yourself in activities that will improve your total health and wellbeing. Eat only healthy food, do some exercise, take plenty of rest, and most of all, keep your mind sharp.
Trickett admits he isn’t very good at making preparations, but he believes it is one of the keys to getting great results at the table.
Play In Other Tournaments Before the Big One
Constant practice improves your skills and allows you to develop new strategies that might help you along the way. You can practice by playing tournaments in the lead up to that major event you’re planning to enter.
Based on his own experience, Trickett said playing when you’re rusty will only lead to poor performance. So it is important that you keep your hands and mind busy by playing and practicing more frequently.
Observe Your Opponents And Adjust Your Game Accordingly
One the most important skills in poker is the ability to read your opponents and adjust your strategy based on how they play. Trickett said an opponent’s play is affected by a lot of things, including their mood and emotions. So it is important that you pay attention to these factors and get them to work to your advantage.
Poker-Playing Businessmen Are Not Novices
Poker pros should avoid the misconception that wealthy businessmen are not very skilled and only play poker for fun, because chances are, some of them are actually good! Having competed with a lot of poker-playing businessmen throughout the course of his career, Trickett said these players play very well. You can treat them as another skilled poker pro who is in it for the money. Work on your strategy and do not be complacent.
Keep Your Emotions In Check
One of the most important aspects of poker success is knowing how to deal with variance. Emotional swings are inevitable in the game of poker, especially in cash games and tournaments involving huge money.
Most of the time, our mood has a direct impact our performance. This is why you must stay in control of your emotions and focus on your strategy to avoid making poor decisions. Accept that losing is part of the game. You can’t always win, but you can always practice and improve your skills for the next battle.
Work Harder
Being successful in poker requires a great amount of hard work, patience, and perseverance. The world’s top players, especially in the highest-level tournaments didn’t achieve them all in one day. They’ve gone through a lot. They’ve poured in so much time, effort, and dedication into honing their skills. As an aspiring high-stakes pro, you should do the same thing.
Practice a lot, play as frequently as possible, interact with other players to get ideas, watch poker videos, review your own game, and just continue learning. Poker is an evolving game. You have a lot to learn every day. High-stakes games tournaments are more difficult than the lower levels. You’ve got to work harder.
Trickett is one of the world’s most successful high rollers, with more than $21 million in total live earnings. His biggest cash came in 2012 when he finished second to Antonio Esfandiari in the WSOP’s Big One for One Drop, where he won more than $10 million. Trickett is currently 24th in Hendon Mob’s All-Time Money List and 2nd in his home country of England.