The Final Table Jitters
Monday, March 30, 2009 - John Greene
The first time you’re at the final table for any tournament is an experience that can only be described as “nerve-wracking.” I remember a player I know telling me that getting into the final table of a WPT event was worse than the jitters he’d experienced before getting married – he didn’t have the chance to walk away with $250k when he exchanged rings and I’ve felt that nausea that’s a mix of elation and terror myself a few times. There’s a few things you can do to help mitigate this fear, though.
Play The Cards You Are Given
Throughout the majority of the tournament, a good player can do well using his cards and the basic mathematics of poker. In fact, you may well have an advantage over your opponents when you play the game and not the people: bluffing and flashy play tends to come from a certain type of player – the kind you never see at the final table. It’s tight, smart tournament players that get to the end and it’s where the true spirit of the game can come out.
At The Final Table, Play The Players
Math means less when you reach the final table of a poker tournament and the human factor kicks in. It’s obvious that everyone who reaches this point knows the game knows the risks and knows what cards you’re likely (and not) to be holding. Tight players can be knocked out by early bluffing and it might be possible to take big chunks of their bankroll before they even know what’s happening.
In The End, It Might As Well Be Called Luck
If you’re at the final table, you know what starting hands to play and you know when the odds say you should punch out. The problem is that every other player knows this and has gotten to their position by playing smart poker. You’ll have to take some real risks and be willing to be gutshot if you’re aiming at the big slice of the pie, and the sooner you become used to the idea, the sooner you’ll be able to go for it without vomiting.
(Yeah, that happened to me once. I don’t want to talk about it.)
If you’ve reached the final table of a tournament, it’s guaranteed that your entry fee has been taken care of and you’ll be walking away with a healthy profit. It’s maximizing that profit that you’ll have to focus on if you want to play like the pros.
Tags: final poker table, Online Poker, Poker Poker Poker, Poker Strategy, poker tournament, WPT
