Early stages, including re-buy and top-up periods
Right, so you’ve paid your fee and sat down. People have said their 'hellos' and the first hand is dealt … and your jaw drops as three players are all-in before the flop.
While extreme this scenario is not actually that unusual, especially in lower stakes and re-buy tournaments. Players often try to double or triple up early with big aggressive plays and the result is carnage on the tables. Remember that this is the stage where the widest variety of styles and experience are present – you’ve got everything from players with years of experience to totally green newbie's, so these big bets are especially hard to read. It’s normal to see about ten to 20 per cent of players go out of a lower stakes multi-table tourney before the blinds even go up.
Strategy
Most experienced players spend the early part of a tournament keeping a very low profile. Folding anything but premium pockets and ace big, while only playing aggressively with at least high pair after the flop is standard procedure. These players know that tournaments are a game of survival – the last man standing wins. It’s very hard to get a read on players early in a game and a big bet at this stage could be saying anything from, “I’ve got the nuts” to, “I’ve had way too much tequila,” finding out which can be an expensive business. Only call with very strong openers and be prepared to fold them, especially if you’re in early position and see escalating raises (one player raises your call, then another raises again) coming in after you, this could well turn into a game of bingo with a few players all-in before the flop.
Counter strategy
Every problem presents an opportunity and if you’re feeling aggressive then the early stages of a tournament could give you the opportunity to build a strong stack by taking advantage of weak and over-aggressive play. Hit strong pockets in the early stages of a tourney and you might well find some very loose chips there for the taking. Placing a very big bet before the flop will most likely either draw out a very loose player or win you the blinds.
If you have the high pair after the flop (by either hitting your card or holding higher pockets) then a very big bet or all-in raise may just take the pot right there – or better yet, find a caller who’s fishing with a draw or has a lower kicker. It’s a risky strategy but the rewards can be great, double or triple-up at this point and you’ve put yourself in a very strong position. Loose and you can either re-buy or move on quickly to the next tournament.
Middle stage
Things start to settle down now. Players fall into their particular styles and you’ll get a chance to make some reads that may pay off later. Increases in the blind size along with natural attrition mean that the looser players still left in the game will be less inclined to take a chance on marginal hands and, gradually, most players start to tighten up.
Strategy
Tight-aggressive players will start to see more opportunities now. Hand strength will become easier to read and the occasional bluffing opportunity will also present itself, especially if you’ve got a rock sitting close by on your left.
This tightening trend will continue until you reach the ‘bubble’ – the cut-off point for finishing in the money. Gradually turning up your aggression to take advantage of this will give you the best opportunities to apply effective pressure and stay ahead of the blinds.
Short-stacked?
As a rough guide, if you’ve got less than six-times the big blind, you’re short- stacked. Now you’re looking to double up. No point getting blinded out waiting for your pocket rockets. Keep an eye on the blinds and estimate how many hands you’re likely to see before you’re blinded so low that an all-in raise before the flop would be likely to get more than one caller. Wait for the best possible hand and then employ a little strategy. Once you’ve decided that the time and cards are right to make a move you want to make a bet that’s going to attract one caller. That might be all-in or it might be just double the blind, it depends on your position and the general disposition of the table. The advantage of going all-in is that it gives you a shot at stealing the blinds without any callers. The advantage of just betting is that you’ve got a ‘second bullet’ to fire after the flop if you don’t– a speculative caller who hasn’t hit either may well fold there and then.
Big stack?
Here’s your opportunity to get a bit more aggressive, but remember, nobody ever won a tournament at the half-way point. Avoid the temptation to call a lot of flops with marginal hands in the hopes that one will hit. Instead, use your extra chips to apply pressure to weaker players (remember the gap). If you’re going into a pot with marginal cards you’re better off going in with a raise. Go bluffing too often though and short stacks will start to target you for doubling up opportunities.
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