Online Tournaments

You have tried your hand at the online Texas Hold ‘Em world of poker and you feel you are up to the challenge of enrolling in a tournament. 

Consider that the higher the states, the more rounds, the higher level of players on the food chain.  You’ll start with a lot of fish and then graduate to barracudas and sharks. 

In the early stages of a tournament, do not make the mistake of trying to aggressively build your ‘stack’. 

Stick to tight fish rules and play conservatively to protect your position and keep yourself alive!

What many novice tournament players find is that they get short-stacked  somewhere around level three to five of the tournament and they are out of luck.

Remember that you are eliminated when you run out of chips.  If and when you make it to the six player level switch to a barracuda strategy and start playing less conservatively always conscious of the pre-flop strategy and assessment. 

When you get down to three players, your shark skills can emerge and you can play more aggressively.  You will never win a tournament if you are not willing to become more aggressive as you knock off more of the competition.  Just don’t be a maniac!

You will start a tournament at a lower limit with about 800 chips at the start of the tournament.  The table limits will increase as you progress through the ranks, completing ten hands before the next level commences. 

In the early rounds you will want to play a conservative game, to ensure that you preserve your stack and make it to the higher levels of play. 

If other tournament players are playing fast and loose and building a stack faster than you are, bear in mind that they will probably be out before the mid-level play begins.  Do not be frustrated by their apparent early success.  Slow and steady wins the race. 

Keep it tight in the early rounds.  The biggest fish will call and draw you out so it is hard to win in early rounds without a strong hand. 

Look for the top pocket cards.  Bet wisely to force people out and check on the river to get your pay out. 

Because tournaments spike the betting limits, you must have a really strong bankroll to get into a tournament and stay there for any length of time.  If you do become short-stacked during a tournament, do not panic. 

Try to play a tight game and only bet on high-ranked pairs. 

Continue playing only if the flop improves your hand. 

Tournament play is fast, and you have to be able to keep up and think as you play, assessing odds and adjusting strategies.  If you are not yet at the point where this comes second nature to you, you may wish to wait until you get more experience before you jump into the online tournament world. 

If you ARE going to play, take notes as the games and rounds progress so that you can see the patterns, behaviors and style of your opponents.  What hands do they like in the pre-flop stage?  What hands do they play?  When and under what circumstances do they like to raise? 

You can create your own picture of each player.  As that picture emerges, you can decide how you want to deal with that player. 

In general, you can use the following rule of thumb: 

       
Player Profile             You Should                                    
Tight Players               Bluff them
Bluffs                         Call on bets that are questionable
..................................Raise if you have a decent hand

When you get to round three or four of the tournament, you can start bluffing if you feel comfortable doing so. 

Your opponents will be stronger by the time you reach this level and they will be less willing to draw on you. More aggressive players will become more of a thorn in your side, getting more dangerous as the play progresses.

When you are ‘short-stacked’ and you make a play, you will often find that other players will think you are desperate and they are not likely to take the bait and believe your play comes from a position of strength.  If you find yourself in this position, just play it tight and try to stay in play. 

Don’t get too cute!

If you make it to round four and above your tables limits will be 200-400 with 100-200 blinds.  You will need to adjust to the smaller table and change gears with your strategy. 

When you are playing with fewer people (a short-handed game) your moderately strong hand will be much stronger.  The earlier you play, the stronger your hand should be. 

If you are in late position, your hand does not need to be quite as strong.  You still need to think about your position at the table and be sure that you consider all the information you have.

Don’t get into a showdown with your opponents.   You MUST raise on a strong hand and fold quickly with a weak hand. 

If you raised during the pre-flop phase, BET THE FLOP.   But don’t be overly aggressive and raise on everything.  Adjust to conditions of play so that you can be aggressive and conservative as necessary.  

When you are the aggressor, you are bound to make more moves on tight players, because you will have more information than your opponent when you on the offensive. 

If they raise into you, you know they have something so you can adjust accordingly. 

If you bet into them, you throw them off balance because they don’t know what you might have.

At the lower levels of play, a player is unlikely to catch on, but when you get to the higher levels of the tournament and you are dealing with a stronger player, the player may start to raise you to see what you will do.

Raise  again if you have a strong  hand  pre-flop, and call with  a weak  hand.  Raise pairs and call with an AK high.  Fold if you have low ‘high’ cards.

Remember that when you are aggressive, someone will eventually make a move against you.  Don’t be a maniac.  As we have said above, be sure you are carefully assessing your strategy at every turn and know when to change your approach. 

Tournaments are the same as regular games, except that they are faster paced and more grueling, in that the rounds raise the stakes and the players tend to change behavior and profiles more often in an attempt to throw off their opponents. 

If you keep this in mind and play with a good solid knowledge of the odds, player behavior and common sense, you will be fine!