Many players are dreaming of winning it big in tournaments and reaping all the benefits that becoming a winner gives them. But before any player should participate in any kind of tournament, here are my ten advices when playing tournaments:
You should practice.
That age-old adage “practice makes perfect” really do matter in tournaments. If you want to win, you have to practice your game in order to hone your skills. You will need not only luck but excellent skills as well to win against players, especially those that are better than you are.
You should have a good rest.
Before the day of the tournament itself, you should have finished all the practicing and all the perfecting of your skills. What you will need is a good day’s rest so that you are relaxed during the game. Remember, a heavy head in need of a deep sleep is a harbinger of losing a game.
You should be focused.
Of course, you need determination in winning in any kind of tournament, so during the game itself, you should always concentrate on what’s before you and not on what’s around you. Before the tournament, you should practice and acquire the skill of blotting out unnecessary sounds and distractions so that you become more focused on your game.
You should be a good sport.
If you win, accept it gracefully, and if you lose, you should also accept losing just as gracefully. Never become a brat. Instead, always be a good sport.
You should have patience.
Not all players are the same. You will meet different players of different temperaments, so you should have lots of patience in dealing with their kinds.
You should be confident.
This is very important in playing and winning a tournament. You should have confidence in yourself. If you lack confidence, then your lack of it will surely show in the way you play your game.
You should always be on your guard.
It does not matter what kind of tournament you are playing at, but being on your guard at all times assures you that you will not be cheated by those thinking of cheating in order to win the tournament. So always listen and always be alert.
You should not be too transparent.
Of course, you should not be too transparent when it comes to playing at tournaments. Your usual habits when you know you are doing well or vice versa will serve as an invitation for others to react based on how you usually react. Change your habits once in a while to keep them guessing.
You should not talk too much.
Everybody dislikes a talkative player. It may be just a strategy or it may simply be the player’s nature, but either way, this kind of attitude distracts other players, so you should learn to respect other players if you want them to respect you in return.
You should not be too overconfident.
Just because you have practiced a lot and know you are good in your game does not mean that you will win the tournament. There is always the possibility of somebody else being far better than you are that you might actually lose the game to him, so before any kind of tournament, you should not expect too much. Instead, you should go into the tournament without being too overconfident.