R
rsparente
Rock Star
Platinum Level
I keep it simple early on. I remind myself the tournament can’t be won in level one, but it can definitely be lost there. I stick to playing solid value hands, avoid big bluffs, and focus on position. If I feel impatient, I try to shift that energy into observing the table and picking up reads instead of forcing action.
schtiuky
Visionary
Platinum Level
I had to fold even 30-40 hands in a row by the time I was eliminated the software sad that my best hand was 62o I folded that one before flop and it was the best one. Hilarious I know. so I started to watch tv or podcasts just to Thake pressure off and not be heavily involved in that one button spam.
schtiuky
Visionary
Platinum Level
by the way best result for a 0.25$ tournament was 5'th place and I had to play more then 2 hours that was 2 episodes of tv drama
Mantinhoo
Rock Star
Platinum Level
Patience early on is tough, but remember you can’t win a tournament in level 1—you can only lose it. Focus on position, pick good spots, and use the early levels to watch opponents instead of forcing action.
roberto51
Visionary
Platinum Level
Patience and faith are what you need (along with knowledge, of course) to consistently reach the payout zone. Yesterday, for example, I played the CCPlatinum tournament on the WPT. It was supposedly just a freeroll, but even though I lost two-thirds of my chips at the beginning, thanks to patience, I made up for it and finished third. You always have to believe in winning, even if you think you're in a losing position.
perrywh
Common sense!
Loyaler
Well said!
Fallenglory
Rock Star
Platinum Level
The beginning of a tournament is a bit like a cash game, since you have lot's of blinds behind still. I usually spend time observing opponents and such. If I'm playing at home I usually am watching Youtube or something.
At mid stage you gotta fight for survival and late stage is usually pretty intense since people wanna move up the payout ladder.
At mid stage you gotta fight for survival and late stage is usually pretty intense since people wanna move up the payout ladder.
dannystanks
Legend
Silver Level
I like to generally play tight early on and figure out how my opponents are playing. Then as the blinds increase and antees are in play, the pots get bigger and now there is something to really play for, I can loosen up and go after the opponents that are my target players.
Phoenix Wright
Legend
Bronze Level
I have a lot of patience (I'm an introvert if that helps), but I find it easier to stay patient when you are engaged into the game and then time seems to fly faster. Pay attention to other players betting patterns, timing tells, table talk or whatever else. A little game I like to play (I didn't invent the idea, but it's fun) is to try and guess the cards that certain players have and then see how they play the hand and if they get to showdown, then you just got some information on how they play that.
You can do this for multiple players simultaneously if you get enough practice with it, but when starting out, I'd just choose one player to guess. I'd either choose one of three options: all of them are good, so you can mix it up, or choose any of these:
- Choose any one player you look up to the most at the table, or the player you believe is the "best" player and then see how they play each hand.
- Choose the player in the Big Blind (BB) for each hand because they are the most likely to stay in the hand all the way until the end (Button; BTN) is a good choice for similar logic.
- Choose the player to your immediate right of your table seat. Action flows clockwise (right to left), so studying this player more may help you make better decisions as they are the one to act just before you and chips tend to flow in this direction.
You can do this for multiple players simultaneously if you get enough practice with it, but when starting out, I'd just choose one player to guess. I'd either choose one of three options: all of them are good, so you can mix it up, or choose any of these:
- Choose any one player you look up to the most at the table, or the player you believe is the "best" player and then see how they play each hand.
- Choose the player in the Big Blind (BB) for each hand because they are the most likely to stay in the hand all the way until the end (Button; BTN) is a good choice for similar logic.
- Choose the player to your immediate right of your table seat. Action flows clockwise (right to left), so studying this player more may help you make better decisions as they are the one to act just before you and chips tend to flow in this direction.
mariale_1990
Legend
Platinum Level
It's happened to me too, but when there's one or more annoying players—I mean, those types who like to bet everything on every hand that comes their way—what do I do about it? Well, I don't have anything specific. I just repeat this mantra to myself: let them calm down or wait for them to be eliminated 🤣 or I repeat: I hope you get eliminated with a bad beat 🤣. But basically, it's about trying not to fall into their trap. It can also be frustrating when nothing works and you lose your patience. Try to find something that calms you down, something that keeps you 100% focused.
veryluckyfish7k
Rock Star
Silver Level
Early game is all about discipline. You don’t need to win the tournament in the first hour. Play solid ranges, avoid coinflips, and just focus on picking good spots. Let the maniacs bust themselves your job is to survive and build slowly. Patience prints money early on.
K
Kasztor007
Enthusiast
Silver Level
For me the early stage is all about patience. The blinds are tiny, stacks are deep, and there’s really no reason to jump into marginal spots. I try to stay out of unnecessary battles and focus on a tight-aggressive approach fewer hands, but played with purpose.
You can’t win a tournament in Level 1, but you can definitely lose it there. Let the impatient players knock themselves out. Just watch the table, collect reads, and pick the spots that are actually worth fighting for.
In the long run, patience in the early game isn’t passive it’s profitable.
You can’t win a tournament in Level 1, but you can definitely lose it there. Let the impatient players knock themselves out. Just watch the table, collect reads, and pick the spots that are actually worth fighting for.
In the long run, patience in the early game isn’t passive it’s profitable.
Emily Trott
Legend
Loyaler
To help you remain patient while getting garbage hands at the beginning of a tourney, or at any time for that matter, mentally practice some of your game skills. Practice is always good, and it will take your mind off of itching to get into a hand.
This might include one or more of these things; Compute the size of the pot. Determine what the nuts would be on the flop, turn, and river. Watch other players for betting patterns and tells. Or anything else you might want to work on, or that you might think of.
The other day at a live tourney I discovered an activity that would basically be a poker chip version of a fidget toy. To wait out the periods of bad cards I often just drop a chip on it's edge to watch it bounce. Well, this time instead of just bouncing back up into my hand, it landed on one of my ten chip high stacks. This intrigued me so I began trying to make it fall on the stack. (Yes, it isn't very hard to impress me. ) I experimented with dropping it from different heights and at different angles. After awhile I was getting more than a few to land on the stack. With more practice I might be able to do it consistently.
Other chip tricks you could try is passing one between your fingers and back again. I've seen players who can basically "shuffle" a stack of six or more chips between their fingers. That is what some people to do to help them remain patient.
This might include one or more of these things; Compute the size of the pot. Determine what the nuts would be on the flop, turn, and river. Watch other players for betting patterns and tells. Or anything else you might want to work on, or that you might think of.
The other day at a live tourney I discovered an activity that would basically be a poker chip version of a fidget toy. To wait out the periods of bad cards I often just drop a chip on it's edge to watch it bounce. Well, this time instead of just bouncing back up into my hand, it landed on one of my ten chip high stacks. This intrigued me so I began trying to make it fall on the stack. (Yes, it isn't very hard to impress me.
) I experimented with dropping it from different heights and at different angles. After awhile I was getting more than a few to land on the stack. With more practice I might be able to do it consistently. Other chip tricks you could try is passing one between your fingers and back again. I've seen players who can basically "shuffle" a stack of six or more chips between their fingers. That is what some people to do to help them remain patient.
anasslaaleg
Rock Star
Platinum Level
Tournament Patience: The Quiet Skill That Wins You Money
In poker tournaments, patience isn’t just a virtue it’s a weapon. The players who last the longest aren’t always the most aggressive or the most lucky. They’re the ones who know when to wait, when to fold, and when to strike like a sniper.
Patience means understanding that you don’t have to win every pot. You’re not fighting every hand you’re choosing your battles. A tournament is a long road: blinds go up, stacks rise and fall, and emotions push you to act too fast. The impatient players bust early. The patient ones survive, adapt, and collect chips when the right moment appears.
Good patience also means accepting the swings. You will fold for long periods. You will let others fight. You will stay calm when your stack looks small. And when your moment comes a premium hand, a good spot to shove, a great resteal you take it with confidence because you waited for your time, not for luck.
Tournament patience is like a discipline: slow mind, sharp decisions, and zero ego. It doesn’t make the game slower it makes you stronger. And in poker, the quiet, patient warrior often ends up deep in the money while the rest self-destruct.
Play the long game. Protect your stack. Pick your spots.
That’s how patience becomes profit.
In poker tournaments, patience isn’t just a virtue it’s a weapon. The players who last the longest aren’t always the most aggressive or the most lucky. They’re the ones who know when to wait, when to fold, and when to strike like a sniper.
Patience means understanding that you don’t have to win every pot. You’re not fighting every hand you’re choosing your battles. A tournament is a long road: blinds go up, stacks rise and fall, and emotions push you to act too fast. The impatient players bust early. The patient ones survive, adapt, and collect chips when the right moment appears.
Good patience also means accepting the swings. You will fold for long periods. You will let others fight. You will stay calm when your stack looks small. And when your moment comes a premium hand, a good spot to shove, a great resteal you take it with confidence because you waited for your time, not for luck.
Tournament patience is like a discipline: slow mind, sharp decisions, and zero ego. It doesn’t make the game slower it makes you stronger. And in poker, the quiet, patient warrior often ends up deep in the money while the rest self-destruct.
Play the long game. Protect your stack. Pick your spots.
That’s how patience becomes profit.
Flyer35
Legend
Platinum Level
Yes!
Or just go crazy like many, many players do and hope for the best. The latter approach assumes you're getting some playable hands. While 72o might and does win against AA from time to time, KQs is usually the better choice.
That said when 3 - 4 people go all-in on a hand even AKs or KK are going to be a bit risky. I love watching players who shove every other hand, get lucky and triple/quadruple up, then go silent. It's an approach that works IF you're lucky. But then NOTHING is worse than sitting out marginal hand after marginal hand only to blind out after 2 hours of "patience". Honestly, I'd rather go out in a blaze of glory after 10 minutes, even if it is theoretically the wrong thing to do.
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