Poker Tournament Tips
Learning poker tournament strategy is essential
if you plan on being a successful tournament player. Believe it
or not, success in ring games and success in tournaments is based
on two different kinds of strategy. What works in one doesn't
mean it will work in another. With that being said, let's check
out some good techniques to apply when playing in a poker tournament.
(Please note that brick and mortar and online tournament tips
will be mixed in this article.)
First of all, a player should address which type
of poker they should be playing; ring games or tournaments. If
your a successful ring game player, you may wanna stay there.
If your winning, why change your method of operation? As the old
addage goes..."If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Let's
move on assuming you think you have what it takes to play in tournaments.
Before you jump in, make sure that your aware of
how much the initial buy-in is, if re-buys are allowed and how
much, how many players will you be compteting against, how many
tables will there be, and what is the payout structure. If your
playing in a 10 handed sit-n-go tournament online, there's usually
10 players in which the final three standing get paid. We highly
recommend playing in these as we find that with patience, only
playing good hands while throwing away the bad, you're chances
of finishing top three are tremendous. Party Poker is our favorite
place to apply this method of play due to them having so many
tournaments going off at all hours around the clock.
Once you've established those "need to know"
facts, keep in the front of your mind the idea that while playing
in a tournament you're basically fighting to survive. Ring games
have more flexibility in that your able to lose multiple hands
in a row and then come back to win one hand and make up for the
loss plus padding some profits to your bankroll. Tournaments give
advantage to frugle players that play tight and only make moves
on strong hands.
If the tournament you're playing in allows re-buys
or an add-on, you better be prepared to make the max. amount allowed
in order to keep up with the competition.
Another thing to consider when playing in tournaments
is observing others at your table to pick up on tells or patterns
of play. This may prove to be invaluable towards the end of the
tourney. When playing online it can be a bit tough to pick these
up other than if a player is deliberate and bluffs a alot, or
is a calling station with action on almost every hand. Lastly,
pay close attention to the cards the last players in the hand
turn up. This will give you a strong indication of how loose a
guy may be playing which will surely help you in future hands.
Your image. We feel the best thing you can do is
to promote an image that your a tight player. Our reasoning behind
this is that other players will take note and bluff you less often
while opening up your chances a bit more to bluff and be successful
in doing so. Their frame of mind may be that if your're playing
it's because you have something good. That is, if you've labeled
yourself as tight to the other players at the table. Playing tight
also leaves the door open down the road for you changing your
style of play when the stakes get high. Your opponent should be
confused and will potentially misread your hands.
Be aware of other player's stacks of chips. If a
guy is getting down to the nitty gritty, he's less likely to call
you if your aggressively pushing him during a hand.
Don't let the big or small blind affect your play.
This is a common mistake made by many as they feel they've already
paid in bucks so "what the heck." This is suicide over
the long haul and you shouldn't be the least bit ashamed to throw
away your hand after being hit with a blind. With that being said,
don't be over aggressive with any hand that doesn't have value.
You have to bring your're "A" game come tournament time,
so save the screwing around for ring games. Only the strong survive
in tournaments.
Mindset. Going into the tournament, keep stressing
survival. Don't think "I wanna win the whole shabang,"
put more focus on surviving and moving your way up the payout
ladder. The chances of you winning are slim, so try to stick in
there for as long as you can because it can be said that every
guy that gets knocked out moves you up the payout ladder.
The final table. If you're lucky enough to make
the final table, you better put your thinking cap on. Here's a
scenario that is a dream to a guy with the least amount of chips.
Your're low man at the table and two bigger bankrolled players
both go all in. ONE OF THEM is going to lose. We don't care what
you have, fold it. Just like football, you never take points off
the board. In this case, you're being given a free opportunity
to move up the payout ladder. This is a golden opportunity that
is very common and rewarding when it arises.
Seating. If you're given the opportunity to choose
a seat, take seat 3 or 8 because this gives you an open view of
all the players at your poker table. This is often overlooked
and an undervalued proposition. Seize the opportunity if available!
These are just a few of many tips and strategies
that can be applied when playing in both brick and mortar poker
room tournaments and online poker tournaments. We hope you've
enjoyed the article! More Tourney Tips..How to Win in Tournaments - Article by Don Lewis including tips to help novice tourney players win
Multi
Table Tournament Tips - Before you sit down at the tables for
a big tournament, be sure to read this article and make sure your
practicing simple but good strategy.
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