Play More:
In poker the more hands you play the more you learn and it does not matter how much you think you know. If you really want to win that big poker tournament you should be spending no less then 5 hours a day playing poker against good players every day. If you do not have a casino near you can always visit an online casino and poker room to get in some more hands under your belt. But at least try to get to a real casino on the weekends. Poker is played very differently when you are playing against live players in the flesh then it is in an online poker room. If you really want to sharpen your skills try to play others in the flesh it will help you practice getting a read on any tells another player may have.

Poker tournaments are not quick games. a poker tournament can take more then 12 and some games can go for 2 days, don't worry they give you a break to sleep. Just from spending so much time at a poker table can take its toll on your mind and body. Therefore it is important to take good care of your body for at least the last 2 or 3 weeks leading up to the tournament. This will help you keep your mind focused on the game. After all if you were going to be in a car race you would maintain your car right?

Proper Diet:
Eating right is very important to keeping the body running well. When playing poker the last thing you want is to get a drop in energy because you have not been eating right. Also they have scheduled breaks for the bathroom, and eating improperly can cause you to have to go irregularly and this can break your concentration.

Exercise:
The amount of concentration needed to win a poker tournament regardless of it being in a casino or in an online casino or poker room, can cause the body to become tired after just a few hours. Exercising regularly will help you build the body's stamina

Good Nights Rest:
It is not just important to get a good night sleep you also have to regulate the times that you sleep. Going to sleep every night and waking up at the same time every day is good for you. This will help the body repair itself and keep the mind sharp for the poker game. This will help keep your mind on the game and prevent you from yawning all throughout the latter hours of the game when most people start making stupid mistakes caused by fatigue which can make the difference between winning the tournament and going home a loser.

Brush up on the Fundamentals:
Before playing in a poker tournament especially if there are big stakes involved it is always good to go back and relearn to play. Many poker players like to read books on poker tips and tricks as well as different strategies, and before going to a tournament you should bone up on all these things again. It is also good to watch as many poker games as you can. This will help you study the players and break down their strategies. If you can break down the strategies of the other players you will have a big advantage over them.

Following these recommendations have helped give me an advantage during several poker tournaments and the more I play, the closer I get to winning the pot of gold.