How To Win At Tournament Poker, Part 2
Pro Tournament Poker Tips - Chris
Ferguson
Last time I talked about not adjusting
for tournament play, answered three specific tournament questions, and
stressed that there is little difference between tournament strategy
and ring game strategy. This week, I would like to expand on that by
answering a fourth question, and address the two situations where it's
right to deviate from simply playing your best game.
The fourth question: Surely the different payout structure between
ring games and tournaments means something, doesn't it?
Yes, tournaments differ from live action in that you are rewarded for
how long you last, rather than for how many chips you accumulate.
In ring game poker, the chips you save by folding are just as valuable
as the chips you win by playing. In tournament play, the chips you
save are actually more valuable.
Consider a typical $1,000 buy-in tournament with 100 players, where
first place is worth $40,000 out of a total prize pool of $100,000.
At the beginning of the tournament everyone has 1,000 in chips with a
value of $1,000. The eventual winner will have 100,000 in chips and,
in live action, would be entitled to a prize of $100,000. In a
tournament, that same $100,000 is worth only $40,000, meaning that, at
the end, each 1,000 in chips is only worth $400. As your stack grows,
the value of each additional chip decreases, which means you want to
be slightly more averse to taking unnecessary risks in tournaments
than you might be in live action. (And if you are at all averse to
taking risks in live action, you're probably playing over your
bankroll.) Don't overcompensate for tournament play. Most people would
be better off making no changes at all, rather than the changes that
they do make.
Having said all this, there are two cases where adjusting will help:
1. When you are just out of the money.
If you are short stacked, you need to be very careful when committing
your chips, especially with a call.
If you have a large stack, look for opportunities to push the short
and medium stacks around - especially the medium stacks. These players
will be a lot less likely to want a confrontation with you, and it
should be open season on their blinds and antes.
If you have a medium or small stack, you need to be a bit more
careful. Remember, though, that the other players - even the larger
stacks - don't want to tangle with you. They just want to steal from
you without a fight. Be prepared to push them around a little, and
even to push back occasionally when they try to bully you. This often
turns into a game of Chicken between the bigger stacks to determine
which large stack will let the other steal most of the blinds.
2. At the final table.
Very little adjustment is necessary until you are one player away from
the final table. Here, again, you should tighten up slightly because
this is the next point where the payout structure handsomely rewards
outlasting other players.
Look for opportunities to push around the other players, and the
smaller stacks in particular. This is good advice throughout the final
table.
What about heads up?
There are no more tournament adjustments necessary. You are
essentially playing a winner take all freeze-out for the difference
between first and second place.
Remember: Tournament adjustments should be subtle. It is rare that
your play would be dramatically different in a tournament. When in
doubt, just play your best game. And if you never adjust from that,
you've got a great shot of winning, no matter what game you're
playing.
Chris Ferguson
How To Win At
Tournament Poker, Part 1
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