Tournament Strategy: Part 2

If you can get through the early stages of the tournament with a sizeable chip stack you’re going to be better off as you enter the “final tables.” By final tables, I mean the last 100 people or so in a tournament - it will (probably) still take at least a few hours of good play to make the final table.

No matter how many chips you have, now is the time to get aggressive and start using all the reads you’ve picked up throughout the tournament to your advantage. If your opponent shows weakness, raise him, if he shows strength, fold the top pair. Do what it takes to gain chips. Your goal is no longer survival, as it had been throughout the early stages of the tournament. Now is the time to start building your chips for the final table.

You cannot focus on making the money if you want to win. The only thing you can focus on is winning. That means that if you’re a 1.5-1 favorite, call. If you’re a 1.2-1 underdog, fold. When you’re slightly ahead, get aggressive, when you’re way ahead extract chips from your opponents. Do absolutely everything in your power to build your chip stack as much as possible.

The reason you want a lot of chips is because your goal is to win, and going to the final table with a significant chip lead over at least half the table is a huge advantage. It means they’re coming from behind and no one wants to play a marginal hand to your raise.

I am not going to give any specific examples of how to play tight aggressive, if you don’t know then you should read some books. But I will say this: some players are suited by a more loose aggressive style that allows them to see more flops - if that’s your game, play it. Play the game that you’re comfortable with and do what it takes to win.

Related Posts

• Tournament Strategy: Part 1
• Betting a scare card
• Heads up hand
• Poker tournament success
• The Slow Fingers of Paul Maxfield Are No Match For Tuan Le

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