My Transition: From Live Poker to Tournament Poker
By Debbie Burkhead

For years I played live poker exclusively and occasionally entered a poker tournament here and there. About three years ago I started playing more and more poker tournaments while continuing to play live poker.

In the last year, I have played nothing but poker tournaments and occasionally entered a live poker game here or there. My transition from live poker player to tournament poker player was a decision based on personal preferences. I have always enjoyed playing live seven-card stud and it is still my favorite live poker game to play. However, the overlay in major or minor poker tournaments is very inviting. I knew I could risk $500 in a live $15 -$30 stud game and if I won $500, I had a good winning day. I realized that I could take that same $500 investment and have the potential to win $50,000 in a single tournament. The odds were greater but I knew I could narrow those odds if I became a better tournament player.

When I decided to get serious about tournament poker I made a conscious decision to devote all my efforts to becoming a contender and not just another entrant. My decision was to quit playing live poker while in training for tournament poker. My theory was to approach tournament play as an athlete in training. I believed that if I concentrated solely on tournament strategy I would become a better student of the game much faster. Then, once I was confident enough not to let either interfere with the other I would again play both live and tournament poker.

Poker is poker, however. It's amazing, how different the strategy is between the two types of poker play. Early on I discovered what incredible concentration and stamina it takes to play poker tournaments. In live poker I was used to having the freedom to take a break any time I felt like it, carry on a conversation with my neighbor between hands, or buy more chips if I needed to. And when I was sitting on a nice win, I could cash out and go home. In tournament play, you get periodical breaks. You can talk to your neighbor if you like but you may be risking losing your concentration. Finally, sometimes (if you get unlucky) you can go home early. The difference is, you can't take a break or cash out because you are tired or ahead of the game (or losing). Because you can't buy more chips (except in rebuy tournaments), and starting requirements become much higher in the early stages and then you must "change gears."

Once you enter a poker tournament your hope is to be the winner and that may take many hours and in some tournaments, days. Stamina plays a huge factor as the tournament heads toward the final table. A young energetic player might have an incredible edge over an older less lively player. Perfect example of this is what happened to Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson at the 1999 Tournament of Champions. Doyle made the final table of a three day event and due to ill health and the age factor he was at a huge disadvantage against the younger, and healthier players. On the other hand Doyle could easily play live poker for a couple of hours and most likely come away a big winner -- winning as much as he could win in a major tourney (he plays for stakes much higher than the average player).

My advise to anyone wanting to become a serious poker tournament player is to first put yourself to my stamina test. See how long you can play poker without becoming weary or too tired to make good judgments. Most major tournaments last anywhere from 10 to 12 hours with a break every 11/2 to 2 hours, (10 minutes, no cheating, and a one hour dinner break). Keep in mind that some of the major tournaments, such as the World Series of Poker, are two day events which can sometimes help the older less physically fit poker players. If you pass the stamina test, buy some good books on tournament strategy, find a poker room which offers low buy-in tournaments, and if your budget allows, hire a poker coach.

I am once again playing both, but during a major tournament I have chosen to play live poker only after I have been eliminated from tournament play. I find this practice keeps me focused on my tournament strategy and what's important for that day's event. I begin every tournament with the intention of winning which means I plan on playing for many hours so I don't feel the need to use up my stamina before a poker tournament in live action. It used to be I could play poker for days, now I'm lucky to stay awake for the 11:00 o'clock news.

Now go out there and show'em you can play poker!