How to Win Your First Poker Tournament
Not doing too well at poker tournaments? Then follow these easy instructions and you may be on your way to becoming a great poker player. This article is aimed at getting you in the right frame of mind for tournament play and get you thinking about the game.
Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
STAMINA
1
Early tournament strategy
1. If you can't spot the worst player at the table within 10 minutes its YOU. This quote is over used and is not true.
2. Play very cautiously at the beginning, as the betting will be erratic.
3. Don't play a well-known system as at least half of the players will know the system and the other half are not of a high enough standard to play a system against.
4. Half of the players will be eliminated within the first quarter of the tournament. Don't be one of them.
5. If you have the best hand let your opponents think they have the best hand by letting them lead the betting and hit them on the river.
6. If you are not sure you have the best hand make your opponents think you have. Bet aggressive or just fold (use your instinct).
7. Don't go all in pre flop as some idiot will follow with 2 3 and beat your AA with 2 pairs.
8. The object of the early stage is to survive to the next stage and maybe pick up a few chips on the way.
9. The stakes are small at the beginning but they will soon eat away at your chip stack. Only bet with AA KK QQ AK and AK-A10 suited if the betting has been raised pre flop.
10. Try not to raise early to eliminate weaker hands as some novice players will not get the message and hit a good hand on the flop.
2
Mid tournament strategy
1. Remember you are now playing against good players but be wary of the bad player who got lucky.
2. Some of the players you are playing will make the final table so you want to give the impression that you are a tight solid player.
3. Don't worry about the amount of chips other players have accumulated, be patient and wait for the big hands.
4. The blinds will be quite high so only call with good cards.
Position is everything. Use it.
5. After the flop if you have a good hand make your opponents pay to stay.
If your hand cannot be beaten go all in.
6. Don't bluff.
7. If the flop does not help your hand fold, unless you think your opponents hands have not improved (watch the betting)
8. Don't make it personal. Turn off the chat, as some players will try to intimidate you. It may be anti-social but you can chat as much as you want after the tournament.
3
Final Table
1. If you are chip leader don't play too loose as the blinds are very high and you can loose all your chips in a couple of hands.
2. Try to steal the blinds by raising pre flop with good cards. You must be bold and aggressive in your play. If you are not too confident then fold.
3. If you have a short stack (=>big blind) wait for any pair or AK - AJ unsuited or AK-A2 suited and go all in. You may just run out of chips and go out or win on your blind.
4. Use the semi bluff if the betting is weak. You hold JJ and the flop shows 3 7 2 but watch for raises and don't be drawn in.
5. Keep an eye on the stack size of opponents if you have a larger stack make them pay to stay. If you have a good hand bet the stack of the player with the most chips.
6. Players with small stacks will be thinking I'm in the money and will go all in on weak hands. If you think you have a chance call. If not fold, as you don't want to increase their stack size.
7. If you are down to the last 2 or 3 players and you are chip leader be patient and wait for that killer hand. Chances are one will eliminate the other.
Don't forget to thank the runner up for a great game.
Not doing too well at poker tournaments? Then follow these easy instructions and you may be on your way to becoming a great poker player. This article is aimed at getting you in the right frame of mind for tournament play and get you thinking about the game.
Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
STAMINA
1
Early tournament strategy
1. If you can't spot the worst player at the table within 10 minutes its YOU. This quote is over used and is not true.
2. Play very cautiously at the beginning, as the betting will be erratic.
3. Don't play a well-known system as at least half of the players will know the system and the other half are not of a high enough standard to play a system against.
4. Half of the players will be eliminated within the first quarter of the tournament. Don't be one of them.
5. If you have the best hand let your opponents think they have the best hand by letting them lead the betting and hit them on the river.
6. If you are not sure you have the best hand make your opponents think you have. Bet aggressive or just fold (use your instinct).
7. Don't go all in pre flop as some idiot will follow with 2 3 and beat your AA with 2 pairs.
8. The object of the early stage is to survive to the next stage and maybe pick up a few chips on the way.
9. The stakes are small at the beginning but they will soon eat away at your chip stack. Only bet with AA KK QQ AK and AK-A10 suited if the betting has been raised pre flop.
10. Try not to raise early to eliminate weaker hands as some novice players will not get the message and hit a good hand on the flop.
2
Mid tournament strategy
1. Remember you are now playing against good players but be wary of the bad player who got lucky.
2. Some of the players you are playing will make the final table so you want to give the impression that you are a tight solid player.
3. Don't worry about the amount of chips other players have accumulated, be patient and wait for the big hands.
4. The blinds will be quite high so only call with good cards.
Position is everything. Use it.
5. After the flop if you have a good hand make your opponents pay to stay.
If your hand cannot be beaten go all in.
6. Don't bluff.
7. If the flop does not help your hand fold, unless you think your opponents hands have not improved (watch the betting)
8. Don't make it personal. Turn off the chat, as some players will try to intimidate you. It may be anti-social but you can chat as much as you want after the tournament.
3
Final Table
1. If you are chip leader don't play too loose as the blinds are very high and you can loose all your chips in a couple of hands.
2. Try to steal the blinds by raising pre flop with good cards. You must be bold and aggressive in your play. If you are not too confident then fold.
3. If you have a short stack (=>big blind) wait for any pair or AK - AJ unsuited or AK-A2 suited and go all in. You may just run out of chips and go out or win on your blind.
4. Use the semi bluff if the betting is weak. You hold JJ and the flop shows 3 7 2 but watch for raises and don't be drawn in.
5. Keep an eye on the stack size of opponents if you have a larger stack make them pay to stay. If you have a good hand bet the stack of the player with the most chips.
6. Players with small stacks will be thinking I'm in the money and will go all in on weak hands. If you think you have a chance call. If not fold, as you don't want to increase their stack size.
7. If you are down to the last 2 or 3 players and you are chip leader be patient and wait for that killer hand. Chances are one will eliminate the other.
Don't forget to thank the runner up for a great game.
