Multi Table tournament selection for beginners or inexperienced players.

Multi Table tournament selection for beginners or inexperienced players.

Hi all.

Firstly I'd like to say it's great to be part of the team and thank TEAMDOBB for inviting me to join.

Ok, I figured my first post should be a good one so I am posting something I wrote a few years ago about tournament selection for beginners and inexperienced players, and maybe players that just have EGO issues. Some of you may have read it and some may have not but, I hope it helps.

Might I be correct in thinking you are the sort of player that grinds it out at low stakes tournaments online, cashes regularly, makes the occasional final table, and sometimes - whisper it quietly - even wins? All things considered, that doesn't sound too bad, does it? But tale a look at your Accounts page. I'd wager my next ten final tables that your bankroll isn't as healthy as you think it should be.

There's a strong possibility that you - like me - suffer from what I like to refer to as "I and E syndrome". The I stands for IGNORANCE, the E for EGO and the two together make for a condition that is debilitating to your bankroll, each and every time you log on to play. I and E syndrome is a combination of leaks that stops the growth of our bankrolls before we even sit down at a table without us even noticing it.

In my case I like to think that I'm generally a profitable player, but if I'm honest I find myself saying the same thing week in, week out: "Why am I not making more money?" The answer is simple. First of all, I'm Ignorant of the advanced skills to play the higher levels. Second, my Ego won't let me accept this FACT.

Doyle Brunson once mouthed the words "If you play poker to make money, find a level at which you're profitable - and stick to it".

I actually ignored this advice from the great man for all my poker playing life until I was involved in a car accident.

Even before my convalescence - in fact, as soon as I was sitting in A and E I started to think more and more about my poker game, and ways to improve it.

Suddenly - Eureka!! I had it.

It wasn't so much my general poker play, it was the levels I'd been playing at. With this epiphany in mind I decided to put Doyle's theory to the test.

By the time I left to go home I had concluded that I A: I make money in the smaller buy-in tournaments, then proceed to lose it to the more advanced players at the higher buy-ins. B: like so many others, I cannot, and will not, let myself accept this FACT that I'm out of my depth. Therefore I continually line the pockets of top players and professionals.

I was told I'd need 3 weeks off work so I decided to cut out all the unprofitable buy-ins I'd been playing in so far and concentrate on the buy-ins that I had shown a profit.

To do this I needed to research the internets databases and find out this information.

I found the answer at a site named thepokerdb.com. I paid the small fee to register for a month and here's what I found:

The project site was Ultimate Bet (The site I played most)


Tournaments played: 377

Buy-ins (inc rake): $3116

Total prize money: $3881

Total Profit: $765

Wins: 5

Final tables: 57 ((15.12%)

Cashes: 82 (21.75%)

Biggest cash: $405

Biggest Buy-in: $100

Average field size: 191

ROI: 24.55%

These figures were interesting because thedb enabled me to check other players stats and make a comparative analysis.

It transpired that, although my stats were generally above average I wasn't making as much profit as a lot of other players. I looked further and found my ROI for each buy in level and then I nailed it. I knew exactly where my profits were going.

Over the next 3 weeks I played only the levels where I had a +ROI and cut out the -ROI buy-ins.

Here's what went down:


Tournaments played: 126

Buy-ins (incl rake): $1109

Total prize money: $3017

Total profit: $1908

Wins: 1

Final Tables: 37 (29.36%)

Cashes: 39 (30.95%)

Average field size: 143

ROI: 172%

As you can see, my percentage of cashes increased by around 9%, my final table increased by 15% and most importantly of all my ROI roe to a whopping 172%.

I had made more money in three weeks than in the previous year. Why? Because I resisted the egotistical urges that made me think I could cut it at the higher levels and took action to dispel my ignorance regarding the levels that I played at.

Still not sure about this concept?

Let's leave our Egos at the door and relate this theory to something rather different to poker so we can get to grips with it.

Let's say for example you pull into your local Golf club car park and Tiger Woods is standing on the first tee.

"Fancy a round for £50 ?" he asks. While you might say yes I can guarantee you don't agree to his wager because you seriously think you can beat him. You will say yes because you might consider £50 a small price to play to see this fella up close and personal and take a story to the pub for your mates.

Now lets say you pull up the next day and the worst player at the club asks the same question but for £10. You will then say yes because he's a bad player and you will take his money most days. So - in theory - the best financial decision is to ignore Tiger and play the bad player right?


This decision is common sense really, so why do we ignore the easy decision when we play poker? Again, this is simple. The luck element in poker makes us believe we're actually better than we really are.

If you're a recreational player and play poker to just "have fun" then what I'm saying is irrelevant but, if you play to make money then remember what I've said. Don't be tempted to play that impossibly difficult $100 tournament when there's a $5 tournament that you regularly crush starting 5 minutes later.

Don't let those Egotistical urges get the better of you. Play the games where you show a consistent profit, forget about impressing your friends, forget about being the next Chris Moneymaker. Why be a little fish in a big pond when you can be a predator in a small one?

The Egotist and the Ignoramus in your poker soul will cost you money.

Why not seek them out and close the door on them forever?

Hope this helps fellas.

Cow.