Top 5 Live Poker Tournament Mistakes by Kevin Martin

A long time Canadian poker pro Kevin Martin, who is part of GGPoker Team, is one of the most popular poker players right now. He regularly streams his online high stakes tournament play on his Twitch channel in front of thousands of viewers.

He is also no slouch at live poker tournaments, where he won hundreds of thousands of dollars. Today we are sharing his TOP 5 mistakes that new players make at live tournaments and how to combat them.

Mistake #1 – Weak players don’t get value!

It’s what poker is about. The single most important thing.

Our exploit: Make the pots big when we have the monster hands.

Mistake #2 – Never bluffing

Bluffing is scary. So scary a lot of new players never attempt it.

Our exploit: Hero fold vs big turn and river bets against amateurs.

Mistake #3 – Not paying attention.

Live poker is slow and cellphones, TVs are going to provide more short-term dopamine than the hands you’re not in.

Our exploit: No cellphone + focus on every hand after your fold to make reads. Winning the focus battle = $$$.

Mistake #4 – Not being prepared for the grind

Winning a live tournament takes many hours and sometimes days. Most don’t know the commitment when they register.

Our exploit: Plan, be rested, maximize breaks, and eat healthy.

Mistake #5 – Not understanding ICM

New players think chips are chips and play the same regardless of bubbles & final tables.

Our exploit: Study ICM basics and be hyper aware of every player’s approach in these extremely important pay jump situations.
Hope you enjoyed the top 5 mistakes new players make at live poker tournaments. Good luck out there, the poker dream is alive!

If you want to check out more Tournament Strategy articles click here.

Follow Kevin Martin on his social channels for more educational and entertainment poker content.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KevinMartin987
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/KevinMartin