To be successful in anything you have to have patience and perseverance. Especially tournament poker. If you want to be a tournament poker player you need to develop this mindset from the beginning.
So you’ve signed up to the PokerStars site and you are starting your first tournament. Maybe you’re lucky enough to flop a royal flush or a big slick. It happens, it’s thrilling. But as the game begins you realise that the big stacks are going to be eating it up. slot You need to get in there with a little bit of patience.
So what is the best way to get around the middle stages in a tournament? Play small pots.
Sure, sit tight and in general play very few hands. But when you get a hand like pocket 7’s or K’s just go all-in. You need to get chips in with these hands and to double up with aces or kings. The hope is that you will take the middle stack and be out before your opponents become concerned.
What are the times that you can’t afford to get rid of your poker chips in a tournament?
4th place = 50% of the total prize pool
3rd place = 30% of the total prize pool
2nd place = 20% of the total prize pool
1st place = 10% of the total prize pool
Now this doesn’t mean you should be playing an 80% of your hands, but simply put we’re talking about hands where you have a distinct advantage over the other players. If you are playing hands where you are at an advantage and the other players are, simply fold.
Why is this the case? Well the reason is that the time in tournament poker goes very fast. You can be in the Red M Zone and not play a hand for about 30 minutes and then suddenly you’re in the money. So for example you have been playing tight and now you move to the middle rounds. everyone is playing “100% poker” for the first 20-30 minutes so they are likely to call you with any hand at the cutoff.
On the other hand during the first half hour or so you’ve been very active, raising most hands pre-flop and playing a lot of hands on the flop. When the blinds go up you need to pick up your game and focus more on the big stacks at the table and steal their blinds. I play a very aggressive game and if you notice I will loosen up a little bit from my usual strategy of playing only premium hands.
Just keep in mind that if you are managing to win small amounts every time, the poker game will be all over in the second hour when the blinds go up. You’re going to get destroyed by the large stacks that know the tournament poker game inside and out http://onbase-wiki.cuc.claremont.edu/images/slot-gacor.
At the very end of the tournament I am sitting with the first dozen on the bubble about 50-60 players to go. Now is the time to pick up your game and become aggressive. If you are a tournament player then you know that when you get close to the bubble then it’s time to become aggressive as the other players are going to be tight. Now you are in a prime position to make a run at the poker tournament.