After spending weeks and monthsplying their trade in the numerous online poker rooms, it is quite common for a new player’s attention to turn towards wanting to test themselves in an online tournament setting.

Although mostonline poker players play in a purely recreational sense on sites such as those available at an NJ online casino, an increasing number of players are turning towards more competitive environments. And it isn’t just a lust for competition that pushes players into these settings. Live poker tournaments are one of the best environments in which you can grow as a player. While the middle of a tournament won’t necessarily be the best time to try out a risky new playing strategy, you can learn a huge amount from your fellow players.

Unfortunately, poker tournaments—whether in person or online—have a reputation of being quite hostile environments. That is particularly true for newer and more inexperienced players who might find themselves getting steamrollered at the time if they aren’t careful!

With that said, keep reading the following article for a few tips on how to approach and handle yourself during your first online poker tournament.

Do your research

Although this might seem like an obvious piece of advice, it is ultimately one you most definitely shouldn’t overlook. Properly researching a tournament before committing to playing in it is absolutely essential. If you want to avoid blowing through your bankroll in the first round, it is incredibly important to find a tournament with players of a similar skill level to you. It will not only protect your bankroll but will ensure you are actually able to get some decent playing time in so you can improve your skills. One of the best things about the popularization of online poker in recent years is that there are now regularly scheduled tournaments for players of all experience levels. As such, there is no excuse for being unable to find one pitched at your level.

Create the right environment

Thanks to the accessibility of online poker, it is now easier than ever to play a game from the comfort of your own home. While this increase in accessibility is a net positive for regular poker players, the same might not be true for competitive players. As any poker player worth their salt knows, environment is everything when it comes to playing successfully in a game. You want to create the conditions that will allow you to fully concentrate on your strategy. With that said, playing while sitting on the couch in front of the TV might not be the most conducive environment to an intense game of poker! If you can, try and find a reasonably secluded spot to set yourself up in for the duration of the tournament. Additionally, using noise-cancelling headphones can be a great way of blocking out any distracting background noise.

Don’t experiment

Although you might have thought a poker tournament is the perfect opportunity to test out the new strategy you have spent weeks perfecting, the opposite is true. There are so many variables beyond your control in a poker tournament, with player skill levels being the main one. Avoid trying out any experimental new strategies and stick to the basics!