Of all the poker strategy and tips that people read about on the Internet, one of the most neglected concepts is choosing the right poker tournament. In fact, most players completely overlook this facet of the game, and will simply choose what tourneys they play based on feeling. 

And unfortunately, few of these people know that picking tournaments based on feeling is a totally amateur move which can drain one’s bankroll. Instead, you should carefully pick the poker tourneys you play in based on a number of factors. Here are some of the most important things you need to think about before entering a poker tournament.

The most important thing you need to be aware of when choosing a poker tournament is definitely your bankroll. And the biggest mistake you can make here is using too much of your bankroll for a buy-in. Spending one-tenth of your bankroll on a single tournament is too much money since even pro players can go on dry spells where they don’t even make a cash for a dozen straight tourneys. 

The safest route to go is never spending over one-twentieth of your bankroll on a single buy-in. Sure this may seem like a very conservative approach, but it’s also the best way to avoid going broke. As your skills and confidence improves, you can certainly break this rule in moderation. 

Another really important factor that demands attention is the tournament blind structure. The blind structure is just the amount of time is takes before the blinds increase. Some tourneys will feature a really quick blind structure which means players need to accumulate chips extremely fast or they risk being blinded out.

Depending on your skill level you will either benefit from the fast blind structure or want to steer clear of it. Excellent players will want to avoid fast blind structures because they introduce a lot more luck into the equation. Likewise, newer players can find success in faster blind structures because there’s not as much skill involved as the action is forced with the increasing blinds.

This is more of a consideration for live players since location does not come into play as much in online poker. Live players need to factor in where the tournament is held because traveling across time zones can negatively affect a player’s sleep, and cause them to be less alert at the poker table. 

Aside from considering the physical and psychological effects of location, players should also be aware of the financial costs of traveling ahead of time. Paying for a hotel room, plane tickets, and meals can be expensive over time, and must be factored into one’s bankroll expenses.

As an online poker player’s skill grows, they may consider playing multiple tables at once in order to make more money. When this happens, picking tournaments can become a little more complicated. The first thing multi-tablers must consider is how many tourneys they should choose to play at once. If you haven’t mastered playing 3 tables at a time, then don’t jump up to 4 or 5 tables to see if your fortunes change.

Also, if you’re a multi-tabler then you will need to play in lower buy-in tournaments than usual in order to conserve your bankroll.  Start with a level that you’ve already mastered and then work your way up to multi-tabling at the higher buy-ins.     

One problem a lot of online players run into when picking tournaments is trying to cut it too close when they have to leave later to do something. Experience will tell you how long certain types of tournaments last, but you should never jump into a tourney when there is the possibility that you’ll have to leave during the later stages. If you’ve got a skilled player who can step in for you then that’s great, however, this is a luxury that most people don’t have.