This article is relevant for both poker beginners and some veterans. After all, being good at “normal” poker games does not guarantee you will do well at an online poker tournament. The particular mechanics of tournaments do have an impact on optimal strategy. You should also learn how to make informed decisions about what kind of tournament you should join, given your abilities and resources. This article aims to lay out the fundamentals of what makes poker strategy in tournaments special.
Start With the Conservative Approach
Whether you play at a tournament with only one table or a large one with hundreds of tables, it pays to play a “tight” game at the beginning. Otherwise, you will risk losing all your chips, and therefore having to duck out of the tournament before you really get a chance to shine. If you see other people going “all-in” very early, do not follow their example. Such players are likely to have to leave quickly, and you should not be one of them.
Middle and Later Stages
Approaching the middle stages of the game, try stealing some of the blinds. This tactic can make the difference between you conking out or being able to survive until the final rounds of the tournament. You may take a more aggressive approach to wagering as the “bubble” stage approaches. Again, you will see others around you behaving differently. They are likely to be very conservative. Play aggressively and do not be afraid to intimidate them once in a while.
For beginners, an explanation of the “bubble” stage: in many Party Poker tournaments, cash is given only to players who fall within a certain range of rankings. For example, maybe only the top ten players get money. The bubble involves players who fell just short of being included in those rankings. For example, a player who busts out of the tournament as the eleventh-ranked competitor will be someone who has “busted out on the bubble.” During this stage in the game, it is understandable that people often become more conservative, because it is an extremely frustrating stage to bust out in. Unfortunately, this very conservativeness may be exactly what gets these players eliminated, as more aggressive competitors adopt the opposite strategy. You can grab a lot of pots if you have the nerve and skill to do so.
If you get through the middle and bubble stages, it becomes time to play somewhat more conservatively once again. Save your aggression for the very, very final stages of the play, when the champions go head to head.
Picking a Tournament Type
Unless you are willing to wager serious money, WSOP satellites are usually the way to go. Keep in mind that a good player often counts himself or herself lucky to win one out of a few dozen Multi-Table Tournaments. Your odds are better at Single-Table Tournaments, even though the prizes are smaller. At least you will take some money home. With this type of thinking, we can say that those who are habitués of the Multi-Table Tournaments are the poker tournament equivalent of high rollers.