Poker tournaments are full of ups and downs—but often, it’s not bad luck that ends your run, it’s bad decisions. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced grinder, certain mistakes can sabotage your chances of reaching the final table. Recognizing and avoiding these errors can dramatically improve your results and increase your tournament ROI.

Below are some of the most common and costly mistakes that regularly end promising tournament runs prematurely.

Playing Too Loose in the Early Stages

In the early levels, the blinds are small and deep stacks allow Master Poker Vietnam for post-flop play. Many players make the mistake of:

• Entering too many pots with weak hands

• Chasing draws with bad odds

• Trying to “build a stack” too early

Solution: Play tighter and more selectively. Focus on premium hands and strong position. There’s no need to gamble early when you have plenty of chips and low variance.

Ignoring Stack Size Strategy

Tournament poker is all about stack management. Each stack size (short, medium, big) has its own strategic adjustments. Mistakes include:

• Short stack: Limping instead of shoving.

• Medium stack: Getting involved in coin flips unnecessarily.

• Big stack: Becoming too passive instead of applying pressure.

Solution: Learn push/fold charts and understand ICM (Independent Chip Model). Adjust your ranges and actions based on your stack size relative to blinds and opponents.

Overvaluing Medium Strength Hands

Hands like top pair weak kicker or second pair can trap players into big pots they shouldn’t be in. Overplaying these hands leads to:

• Calling down against strong betting lines

• Bluff-catching too often

• Failing to fold in obvious losing spots

Solution: Be willing to let go of hands when the action suggests you’re beaten. Respect strong aggression—especially from tight players.

Not Adjusting to Table Dynamics

Every tournament table is different. Failing to adjust means:

• Playing the same style against tight and loose opponents

• Not identifying bluffing opportunities

• Ignoring position-based exploits

Solution: Stay observant. Ask: Who’s aggressive? Who’s scared? Tailor your ranges and decisions to the current table—not a fixed strategy.

Getting Emotionally Attached to Hands or Results

Tournament poker is emotionally taxing. Many players go bust due to:

• Tilt after a bad beat

• Desperation during a downswing

• Playing with ego rather than logic

Solution: Stay mentally detached. One hand or even one tournament doesn’t define your success. Focus on long-term, correct decisions.

Misplaying the Bubble or Final Table

The bubble and final table are where big money decisions happen—but common errors include:

• Playing too tight just to min-cash

• Being too aggressive without ICM awareness

• Not adapting to pay jumps or stack distributions

Solution: Learn ICM pressure, chip utility, and final table dynamics. Adjust your goals based on stack size—sometimes survival is more profitable than risk.