Congratulations, you’ve made the final table!
There’s nothing quite like the shiver of excitement that runs up your spine when you make a final table in a big tourney. Prizes really start going up now and you’re so close you can taste it.
Psychology plays a big role on the final table. Some players virtually tilt from the pressure and either freeze-up or get over-aggressive. Prepare your mind and you’ll avoid this pitfall…
Recharge
To make the final table in a multi-table tournament takes hours of hard fought poker. Now that you’ve achieved that goal you don’t want to let up. You won’t have time to do a lot in the way of prep-work but do what you can to clear your mind and re-charge your batteries. Have a cold glass of water, do some breathing exercises – get the blood flowing to your brain and prepare for a new challenge.
Anyone can win it
Short-stacked? Inexperienced? It doesn’t matter – the final table is a great leveler. The blinds have reached a point where every hand represents a major swing in chips and even if you’re low-chip, you’re only a couple of good hands away from being a contender. As for inexperience – hey, if you’ve got what it takes to get this far, you’ve got what it takes to go all the way.
Stick to your guns
Whatever you were doing to get this far in the tourney is obviously working. There’s no point messing with a new style now – unless you’re short- stacked and had to play some very tight poker to make it past the bubble. If that’s the case then other players on the table might make the mistake of thinking you’re a rock and go after you with a bluff – your big chance to double up might just come with the slow-play.
It’s not about the money, it’s about the win
Big stakes can ruin styles. If you start thinking about all the money that’s on the line you can loose your nerve and let fear take over your decision making. Now is not the time to be making emotional decisions. Whether it’s call, bet, or fold force yourself to review your decisions against what you know about the game of poker and the players you’re up against – there will be plenty of time to think about money after the tournament.
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