Online Poker: Know the Size of the Tournament
With so many online poker rooms available, when trying to find a tournament to compete in you should never have any problems. But to go along with this, you may run into some difficulties when trying to actually make a decision on what tournament to join into.
The fact that tournament poker has become so popular in land based casinos has also increased the popularity of these online events. The main difference between the two is that in land based casinos poker tournaments are usually limited to 10 players or less. But online, this is not the case. Joining an online poker tournament could mean that you are in a poll of literally thousands of players.
Finding the size of the tournament that best suits your needs is one of the most difficult things that any online poker player will have to do. This is even more true if you do not have a lot of tournament experience under your belt.
If you are looking for a small tournament, you will want to find a sit and go event with 10 players or less. These tournaments are designed to start as soon as enough members join in, and they can be a great way to win some money. If you have good player reading skills these tournaments may be right for you. This is because you will be competing against the same opponents game after game in these tournaments. If you are good at reading the other players you will definitely have a better chance of coming out on top.
As you get into larger tournaments of up to 100 players, you will begin to deal with a multi table structure, as well as scheduled playing times. The good thing about these tournaments is that you can win a decent sized pot, yet they do not last forever. A typical tournament of this size will conclude in three to four hours. These size tournaments are perfect if you do not have a lot of time to spend online, or if you simply lack the concentration needed to perform for a long period of time.
When you start to get into the 100 to 300 member fields, you will want to make sure that you are ready to compete at a high level. These tournaments feature players from all over the world coming from many different tables. This means that you will not be able to simply read other players game in and game out. Having a good knowledge of poker tournament strategy will help you to become successful when competing in fields of this size.
And if you are serious about poker and want to take part in a marathon style tournament, you will want to find an event that has 300 players or more. These tournaments usually last several hours, and in many cases they have been known to go on for more than a day. The number one skill that you will need if participating in large tournaments like this is concentration and endurance. When you are playing poker for this long, you will need to be able to play your best hand time and time again. If you do not have a high level of concentration, or a lot of time on your hands, you will want to avoid these games.
Finding a poker tournament that fits your size requirements is not a difficult task; there are hundreds of these events to choose from. The hard part is actually making a decision on which size tournament will best suit your needs. This is not always easy, so the best thing you can do is experiment with different sizes. Pretty soon you will know what you are comfortable with and will be able to move forward accordingly.
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