You are may be an expert in online poker, having played regularly for many years and winning games. You may have the expertise, and understand quite well the intricacies of the game. The chance to play at a live poker tournament can get you all excited, but as the realization slowly sinks in, you develop cold feet. You may be confident about your game, but all the action has taken place in front of your computer screen. There’s no one watching you when you are playing online, and you usually celebrate your little successes within the game by dancing crazily all around the house, and ordering your favorite pizza. But all this will certainly not be possible at a live event!
You have trouble sitting in one place for too long, and you can’t keep a straight face when you smell the kill. But at a live event, not only will you be required to almost neutral expression all through the game; you will also have to sit at the same place for hours together. Breaks will be few and far apart. On top of it, there will be all the stars of the poker world, various professionals, as well as veterans at the game, and oh yes, the television cameras too! Being nervous for such an event is natural, especially for the first timers. However, the challenge lies in preparing for this, and coming out unscathed. You need to prepare extensively, both physically and mentally.
While poker doesn’t demand physical efforts on the player’s part, it demands tremendous mental concentration, and this can be pretty exhausting. Also, sitting in the same position for a long period of time can make your body moan. Contact a good physician and learn ways to keep your body relaxed. Learn some stretching exercises that don’t require much moving, or standing. Learn to relax your body and only then will you be able to concentrate on the game. This is very important for any poker player who is playing a live tournament, but more so for the first timers.
The second part over which you will need complete control is your mind. Sitting amongst some of the best players, and the “stars” of the game can make anyone nervous. This is when a player stops playing for winning, and starts playing “in order to not lose”. Once you go into this defensive position, other might as well smell blood, and go for the kill. The idea is to have complete control over your mind, and to not get anxious, or get any kind of inferiority complex. True, they are the stars, but even you are good, or else you would have never qualified for the event. Learn to visualize the game in your mind.
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