Multitable tournaments are an excellent way to win a lot of
money. The final table is worth several dozens the amount of buyin or entry fee.
Overall, in the long run good players will be up (or have a positive EV).
The strategy here described may not be perfect and perhaps it
will not help you win WSOP, but it will give you a positive EV over a longer
period of time.
Tournament games are a bit different from regular games.
Let's say that you hold Axs in a regular game. You might be ready to call for 2
or even 4xBB. If all other players before you fold it or check, you may
sometimes even raise on it from late position. Most experts will advise you to
dump these cards during the early stage of a tournament (no calling of a single
bet).
We will divide the tournament into 3 stages: Early, middle,
and the final table. It's hard to say when the middle stage begins. It depends
on the nature of a particular tournament. If there are many good players in a
tournament, the middle stage may start early into it.
Early stage
Your play during that stage should be extremely tight. Most players believe that
if blinds are cheap, you can play with weak hands. The truth is quite opposite.
Now it's the time when you should be extremely careful and select your hands.
Some authors suggest that during this stage you should play only
AA and KK.
Those are strong hands that will not let you fall in a trap. These authors also
admit QQ in middle position.
I for one believe, that this is a bit too
tight. That's why at this stage I would recommend to play only with
JJ, QQ, KK, AA, AK suited.
Remember not to bluff early into a tournament.
Why so tight?
This style of play will bust all the weak players without putting your chips at
risk.
Think about how many times you've seen someone who played 42of, caught 2 pair
and eliminated a good player?
Even when you play only those 5 hands, you may still lose, but it will not be
too often.
Ultra tight play in the early stage let all the weak
players be defeated. Remember that it's only the top places that are paid and
this is your goal.
Middle stage
Now, when the weak players are out, it's high time you started to play a
normal Poker. Your goal is to win the right amount of chips that will put you at
the final table. You may try a few bluffs. You also hope that your early tight
play created the right image of you that would commend some respect and increase
the effectiveness of your bluffs. Of course you cannot overdo it. Your bets and
raises should be reasonable.
Remember that you may still lose your chips and be out of the
tournament. Don't bluff without thinking. If you have good hands, you have to
take risk. It's better to leave it now than to leave it just steps away from the
paid places. Play your Poker, risk, and bluff if the pot is worth it. Your main
objective is to gather as many chips as possible.
The final table
Now you are exactly where you wanted to be. The most powerful weapon at the
final table is your chips, or rather the amount of them. Here my opinions are a
bit different than those of a few other authors. They suggest a risky play for
victory. Of course, if you're on shortstack, you have to risk. Play
all in with Ax, Kq, sometimes very weak
hands like Q5 will win. You have no choice. Blinds will kill you anyway. Now you
have a chance to double your chips and still be in the game. If your stack is
average, or a bit above average, be careful. Let other players make mistakes. If
2 players are all-in, let one of them leave (unless you have a really strong
hand). Some players at the final table will play with weak hands because they
have no choice. Eliminate them anytime you have a chance.
It is a rather superficial strategy. “Tournament Poker for
Advanced Player” is 240 pages long. By following those few simple tips however,
you will manage to get to those paid places in the long run. I know it from my
own experience because most of the online tournaments played, I won using this
strategy.
