Be patient- One problem that befalls tournament participants is
that they get impatient as the blinds move up. In order to be successful
in tournament play, you must have the discipline to hold off for
a solid hand.
Let players eliminate themselves- The goal in a tournament is to
outlast the other participants. The goal is not to beat everyone
at the table. Other participants will eliminate themselves. To often,
people build an early chip lead only to watch it dwindle from making
loose calls. If you are in good shape don’t be afraid to sit
out or play tight.
Take risks early- If you plan to take risks, do it early. The lower
blinds mean you can afford to see more flops and make looser calls
than normal.
Sit out a round when you join a new table- You will be moved many
times during a tournament. Each time you are moved, take at least
one round to get a feel for the table. Learn how Every player plays
before getting caught in a hand and not having any idea of how your
opponent plays.
Watch for traps- Often, players will trap more in a tournament
than in a ring game. Be careful when making a bet with a dangerous
board, even if you plan to fold if you get raised. These small mistakes
will eat away your chips quickly as a tournament progresses. Recognize
the possibility of a trap and try to make a smaller wager to entice
your adversary to reveal more information about their hand.
Don’t be afraid to go all in- When you’re playing in
any no limit tournament, chances are you’ll have to go all
in at least once. The key is to not fear going all in, but to recognize
when you have the best hand and force someone else to catch you.
Avoid pushing all in on a draw hand- Going all in should be reserved
for instances when you feel you have the best hand. In order to
go all in with any sort of draw hand, you need to be getting tremendous
pot odds. Be absolutely certain that if you do hit your hand, it
will be good enough to win.
Try to steal blinds- If you are in a late position, do not be afraid
to make a play for the blinds. For every blind you steal, it’s
like not having to post one the next time around. You can buy time
while you hold off for a big hand.
Be a bully- If you see someone is low on chips, don’t be
afraid to push him or her around. Make them uncomfortable and force
them to go all in. It is a great way to win small pots if you are
facing someone who has a lot fewer chips than you.
Latter rounds- If you have a decent amount of chips, you should
play exceedingly tight in the later rounds. This is when low stacked
players will be looking to move all in and chip leaders will only
be playing the "nuts". Your beginning cards become extremely
important because it is very likely every hand will result in someone
going all in. Adjust your game accordingly. Even if you’re
not where you want to be as far as chip count, be extremely patient
and wait for a very strong hand.
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