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Become a Better Player
Tournament Poker
by Mike Sexton
If you're serious about poker, you should be serious about becoming a better player.
I relate poker to golf. Most golfers don't want to beat balls on the range all day; they simply want to go to the tee and play. Poker players are the same. They don't want to read books, study the game, or analyze hands. Everyone wants to win but winning takes effort. I always liked what pro golfer Gary Player once said, “The more I practice; the luckier I get.”
The number one skill of a poker player is putting your opponent on a hand and figuring out what his down cards are. So, you should be asking yourself, “How can I know my opponents cards?” The answer is, as Ben Hogan used to say, “Practice.”
During every hand you should practice putting your opponent on a hand. You do this by following the action and asking yourself, “Why did he/she check, bet or raise?” Gather that information and ‘guess’ what they have. That's it! You will be amazed at how good you will get at this if you concentrate at the table and practice doing it!
To be successful at tournament poker, you need to know how to play both a big stack of chips and a short stack. Chips are power in poker. When you have them, use them as a weapon. You do this by constantly putting pressure on your opponents by raising! Chip leaders should pound away and continue to pick up blinds and antes. Short stacks should be selective in playing pots and protect every chip with their life. They should also make their move before their stack is so small that it's easy for anyone to call!
Don't “steam” or go on tilt when you take a bad beat. Handling adversity is extremely important in poker. In the $10,000 buy-in championship event at the World Poker Finals at Foxwoods last November, Howard Lederer took a bad beat with about 20 players left in the competition. He lost an $80,000 pot that left him with only $15,000 in chips. I was very impressed that he remained as calm as a cucumber after that beat. He took his short stack and battled his way to the final six players. At the final table, he played magnificently to capture the prestigious title and $345,400! Knowing how to deal with adversity helped Howard win this championship. It will help you become a better poker player also.
Last, don't blame the dealer for your bad luck. Think of the dealer as the mailman. He simply delivers the mail. Do you blame the mailman for bringing you the bad news (bills)? Poker dealers shouldn’t be blamed for bringing you bad news, either.
In golf, one good shot a round brings you back for more. In poker tournaments, one “cash” brings you back again and again. Your mission should be to work on your game so you can cash more often. Make the effort to become a better player. You’ll be glad you did!
 Mike Sexton, known familiarly as the “Poker Ambassador” has been a professional poker player for over twenty-five years. Founder of the Tournament of Champions and columnist for Gambling Times and Card Player magazines, Mike currently hosts the online website PartyPoker.com and also hosts TV’s World Poker Tour series. Contact Mike at sextontoc@aol.com.
This story was first published in the May 23rd 2003 Issue of Poker Player.
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