The ultimate guide to surviving and succeeding in SCOOP 2023

This month is one of the most important times of the year for online poker players.

Not only is the prestigious Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) running on PokerStars, but there are also many big series running on other online poker sites too.

There are a lot of tournaments. And there’s a lot of money and trophies up for grabs.

You’re not lacking things to play. But what you might be lacking is time.

Time to make sure you’re looking after yourself and not blowing any potential opportunities that might come your way. Time to improve your days, before and after your poker sessions. Time to put a plan of action in place.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you not only survive SCOOP 2023 but thrive throughout it.

From rescuing poker sessions after you’ve made a mistake, to tips on how best to spend your tournament breaks, we’re certain you’ll find some useful stuff right here.

Best of luck to everyone in the BBZ Poker community.

How to rescue your poker sessions

We’ve all been there. You’re hours into an online tournament session with just a few tables left. Then your deepest run – the one you’ve prioritized – blows up in one foul swoop.

We know it’s frustrating when you’ve made a big mistake, but don’t let it cost you your entire session.

Here’s some advice on how to rescue your poker sessions.

What to do on your 5-minute tournament breaks

We’ve all heard the dreaded beeps while on a tournament break, right?

When this happens, we can end up feeling stressed, like we never had a break at all, and this can then seep into our poker play for the next hour. So, what should you do on your five-minute tournament breaks?

There’s no avoiding going to the bathroom or grabbing food or drinks from time to time, but is there a way we can be better prepared? And are there more efficient ways of using your break than you currently are?

Yep. You can read about them here.

What to do when pessimism creeps into your poker play

If you feel like you’re losing every single flip and every single all-in, pessimism can start to creep into your play. It’s hard to stop it from happening during an unlucky session, let alone a long downswing.

But you’re not alone. Even the biggest poker players go through this.

Here’s what you can do when nothing seems to go your way.

How to avoid checking out mentally during a poker session

Having a winning poker session, like anything worth doing, is hard work.

It can take a long time to finish in the black–particularly when you’re a multi-table tournament (MTT) grinder–and often requires hours and hours of unwavering attention and focus.

Within that time, there are bound to be lots of ups and downs, both in terms of your win rate and also your emotions. Things could be going ahead swimmingly, and then one bad beat, misplayed hand, or computer malfunction can send your mind racing and your entire session into a tailspin.

So, how can we make sure we don’t check out mentally during a poker session? What can we do to try and avoid agitation and restlessness and keep our sessions on the right track?

Find out here.

Why you should play online tournament satellites

Big buy-in, huge field events provide opportunities for monster scores, but playing them isn’t always an option for those with modest bankrolls. Bankroll management is imperative to long-term success in poker (so don’t start punting!).

But thankfully, satellites are always running.

You’ll even find high-stakes regulars like Lex Veldhuis grinding a few satellites during his stream sessions, even if the target tournament is one he’ll play whether he wins a seat or not. The opportunity to win your way into a tournament for a fraction of the actual buy-in is too sweet a deal to pass up.

So ask yourself: are you playing enough satellites? If you’re grinding your bankroll up, sometimes even a min-cash in a tournament you couldn’t normally play can have a huge impact.

Here’s why you should play more satellites.

Poker warm-up and cool down: How to build a routine around your sessions

Athletes stretch. Actors get into character. Singers perform vocal exercises. But how should poker players warm up before a session?

Moreover, how should we then cool down once the session is over?

BBZ Poker’s performance coach Frank Hamel has put together a performance framework specifically for poker players so that we can not only be our best at the tables but away from them, too.

Check it out here.

How to invest in yourself in poker

Withdrawing money from your poker bankroll in a bid to improve your poker playing might seem counterintuitive. After all, the goal in poker is to build that bankroll, so why would you want to diminish it?

Well, it all comes down to investing in yourself. If you put a cash withdrawal to good use, your bankroll will surpass its current state in no time.

In poker, that means withdrawing money from your bankroll not for travelling or partying, but for studying poker.

“The money comes back quickly through the knowledge you gain,” one BBZ student told us.

With SCOOP underway, here’s why you should invest in yourself right now.