Be Prepared - Part I

More than 2,000 years ago, Seneca, a Roman dramatist, philosopher, and politician, wrote, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." Since that time, successful people in a variety of situations have attributed their triumphs, at least in some part, to their preparation.

I could fill this entire magazine with quotes from inventors, writers, performers, businessmen, politicians, and warriors about the importance of preparation. Since many of us think that poker is like a sport, and since we are in the middle of the NBA playoffs as I write this, a quote from former NBA great Hakeem Olajuwon will seem appropriate: "When you get to that level, it's not a matter of talent anymore -- because all the players are so talented -- it's about preparation, about playing smart and making good decisions."

Now, let's get to some specific ways that you can prepare as a poker player. Not only are the NBA playoffs in progress, the World Series of Poker is as well. This is the longest and most grueling series of tournaments on the calendar, but there are many other tournaments that have daily events for periods of time ranging from two weeks to more than a month. How should you prepare for them? I advise you to make a plan long before you arrive at the venue. Try to determine what events you will play, and whether you will buy in directly or try to win entry via a satellite, either live or online. You also should decide if you will devote yourself strictly to the tournament or will play cash games, also. I have seen too many players try to do everything and end up burning themselves out. Don't try to do everything. You can't physically, you can't mentally, and you probably can't financially.

Even though you must maintain some flexibility based on how you feel and how things are going, it is a good idea to make a general plan for each tournament before you leave home. If you are on a short bankroll, I advise you to concentrate on satellites and low-limit cash games. Both of them contain a lot of fairly weak players and almost no exceptionally strong ones. Both will give you an opportunity to pad your bankroll without endangering it. They also provide you a lot of flexibility in terms of when and how long you play. In one-table satellites, players often make deals when three or four players remain, and a tough negotiator can usually end up getting a little more than he is entitled to receive.

With a medium bankroll, a good plan is to play some of the smaller buy-in tournaments and perhaps some medium-level cash games. Some players prefer to avoid mixing cash play with tournaments, but I think it is a fine thing to do on days when you suffer an early elimination from a tournament or on days when you don't want to commit the time and money required for that day's event. Unless you are an all-around player, there will be days when the tournament is a game that you don't like, or at which you aren't experienced.

With a large bankroll, you should play the events that you want to play. As mentioned above, play some cash games when you suffer an early elimination from a tournament or on days when you don't want to commit the time and money required for that day's event. Be willing to take a shot if a game looks really good but seems a little too high. You should plan on scaling down if things aren't going well.

Try to get in shape physically for the tournaments you expect to play. (Cash games and satellites are more flexible.) For example, the bracelet tournaments at this year's WSOP come in two formats. Some start at noon, include a dinner break, and end at around 2 a.m., approximately a 14-hour day. Others start at 5 p.m. and end at around 3 a.m. -- a gentle 10-hour workday. In the three-day tournaments of either type, play on day two starts in the afternoon and continues until there is one table left or the sun is up. This can make for a grueling day. To get in shape for these tournaments, get your body clock set on their schedule. If possible, try to get to the tournament time zone and get on a tournament sleeping schedule as far in advance as possible. The most crucial hours are late at night, so get used to staying up until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. If you plan on spending more than a week at the tournament, schedule some days off. If you can't bring yourself to take a day off, at least try to schedule some light days. But even when you are devoting a day to R & R, try to keep to your schedule. Don't go to sleep at 11 p.m., or you may find yourself nodding off at the table at the same time the next night.

Here's one final thought on physical preparation: Try to utilize anything that helps you play better, stay alert, or feel comfortable. Stock up on power bars, gum, cough drops, or caffeine pills, if you find them useful. Wear outfits that are comfortable. I always have liked vests with a lot of pockets for keys, iPods, cellphones, and so on. Try to wear at least two layers of clothing. You may be near an air-conditioning vent where it is freezing, and then get transferred to a seat under a hot light. Remember, you may be sitting in a cheap chair for 12 hours a day. If you like to listen to music, make sure that you have something appropriate on your iPod or in your CD player. If you wear sunglasses, take some that let in enough light for you to see, but that conceal your eyes. In fact, it also is not a bad idea to have your eyes checked before the tournament, so that you won't misread someone's hand or get distracting headaches. In Part II, we will examine some specific preparations for the games and tournaments in which you will be playing.

Steve "Zee" Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful games player. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at many major tournaments and playing on Full Tilt, as one of its pros. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A in New York City -- Nice Guy Eddie's on Houston and Doc Holliday's on 9th Street.