When playing in live events it is important that you prepare properly to make sure you play the best poker you can. So how do you prepare for a big event? Well first of all it is important to get enough sleep so that you come well rested and are ready for what should be a long day at the tables. Most major tournaments run for 10-12 hour a day incuding breaks. I’ve seen players get tired towards the end of the day and give away their chips playing badly so many times. Another way of preparing is to make sure you are in shape physically, since that helps you to stay focused and concentrated throughout the long hours of play. You see far too many players with “poker-bellys” at the tables, which brings us to the next subject: food. Try to avoid eating anything heavy such as fried or fatty food during the course of a tournament. Such foods use more energy to break down and also release hormones that make you sleepy. Hence you have less energy to use on playing poker. Try to eat light foods such as salad, fish and fruit to stay on top of your game. Of course the same goes for drinking, avoid alcohol and drinks with cafein such as softdrinks and coffee.
Of course how you prepare for a tournament and what gives you your best results is individual so my best advice to you is try to remember what works and don’t work for you so you give yourself maximum chance of winning when participating.
