Freeroll Tournament Strategy

Satellite Tournament Strategy

Sit and Go Tournament Strategy

Rebuy Tournament Strategy

 

For many poker players there’s nothing that can get them going quite like a tournament.  Online poker tournaments have exploded in popularity thanks to pro televised tournaments and the emergence of Texas Hold’em.  Tournaments are a way for poker players to really test their skills against possibly hundreds if not thousands of others or even just a few. 

There are many different types of tournaments out there to tickle the fancy of any kind of card player.  Each one has its own form and strategy that goes along with it.  The more you understand how a tournament works the better chance you have of taking control of it.  

           

• Tournaments have two basic structures; single table or multi table.  Single of course is going to be one table with up to 10 players meaning that it takes a lot less time and competition is more fierce from the get go.  In multi table tournaments there are any number of tables and typically there will be a final player standing at each table. 

Those players will then come together at another table which will again be played until only one player remains.  This continues until there are only enough players left for the final table.  At other times in multi table tournaments players are simply re assigned to other tables to keep them full as people go out and the table busts up. 

Again things will continue until there’s only enough for a final table and one with all the chips there wins the tournament.  Multi table tournaments are by far the more popular choice for tournaments. 

• Everyone buys into the tournament for the same amount and receive the same amount of chips to start then as people bust out they are eliminated.  In single table tournaments when there are only a few players most likely only the overall winner will receive a prize.  However, in multi table tournaments the number of prizes awarded will depend on how many players entered and there are usually at least prizes for the top three. 

 

• Those who are used to playing cash games instead of tournaments will find that new considerations must involved in how you play.  When playing tournaments you’re not only considering each hand as you would in a cash game, you’re also considering your position within the tournament.  You’ll need to pay attention to where you’re at within each level and learn to pace yourself.  Keep in mind also when you consider your pacing that your stack will be affected by the blinds and/or antes being raised as the tournament progresses.

               

Tournament Stages of Play

 

• Tournaments have different stages of play in which you should adjust your playing to.  In the early stages of tournaments people tend to play looser.  This is only reasonable since the blinds are going to grow later in the game and cost you more to see the flop on a whole.  Take advantage to this and limp or call on hands that are okay. 

 

• The early stage is when you’ll also have weaker players in the game who haven’t been weeded out yet.  They play looser and more recklessly and you can take advantage of that as well.  Lure them in when you have a strong hand.  Just be careful of taking too much risk at this stage because if you’re the short stack later on it’s harder to make up the difference.  Play your game more conservatively and the fish will go out and the lucky ones won’t crack a hand of your own.

 

• Your stack has a lot to do with how you play in the middle stage as do the players left around you.  In this stage the quality of players will go up and play becomes somewhat more normal.  In the middle stage you can play a little looser if you’ve been keeping your game tight to avoid the pitfalls of early play.  This will also change your game up and possibly confuse others that have been reading your tells.

 

• Also as playing continues people will begin to tighten their game to try to lessen their risk of going out before getting in a prize position.   Now is the time to bluff, and if you’ve been playing tight then people will definitely be more cautious to call your raise.  But that doesn’t mean you need to bluff just anything.  Make sure you’re in the right position to do so, which means a later position and if you have a decent hand all the better.  Also if you are the big stack holder of your table use that leverage and force out the smaller stacks when you’re up against them.

Remember you need to build up a good stack for the final table or the higher priced blinds will cost you.

• In the later stages is where building your chip stake will really pay off.  If everyone has an average number of chips you’re on level playing ground.  However, if someone has the chip advantage they will be using it.  Those that don’t have big stacks will most likely be playing even tighter than they did in the middle stage affording you looser play as long as you’re not one of them. 

The hands you can possibly play will be greater and if you have a decent hand you can keep going, even going all in if you’re up against the short stacks.  And if you’re hand is just decent and there’s already more than one player vying for the pot let them have at it.  It’s easier to wait and then grind into whoever becomes the short stack.  When you’re against the big stacks be more conservative and really test them once you have a strong hand or if you’ve found they’re a tight player. 

• To summarize, in tournaments play attention to the other players, your position in the tournament compared to the other players and what stage you’re in.  These elements will give you the information you need to adjust your game and make it to the final table.

To learn more detailed strategies for playing the various types of tournaments please visit our corresponding articles below:

Freeroll Tournament Strategy

Satellite Tournament Strategy

Sit and Go Tournament Strategy

Rebuy Tournament Strategy

 

Back to Poker Strategy main page