Poker Tournaments are one of the most popular ways to play poker online and the prize money on offer for winning one of the tournaments can range from a couple of dollars to over $1 million! So we have put together a few tips to help you make the final table.
Early Stages
- Early stage play should be extremely tight – the blinds may be small but you should be very choosy about the hands you play.
- Stick to playing these hands in early stages – JJ, QQ, KK, AA or AK suited.
- If you fold you lose nothing. To call you must have a hand that you expect to earn money.
- Never bluff in the early stages – with blinds so cheap you are bound to get called.
- Build up your chips early in the tournament by playing tight, winable hands.
Middle Stages
- Loosen up your play and try to play your regular game.
- Bluff a few blinds – you’ve played tight along the way, players are closer to the money and blinds are higher – your opponents will be less likely to call you.
- Gamble a little to gather enough chips to see you to the final table.
- If your stack diminishes don’t assume you’re beat. Count how many blinds you can survive and make your move while keeping enough for later blinds.
Final Stage
- Chip power is greater than card power – those on a smaller stack will fold in the hopes of making it to the money.
- Loosen up a lot – be bold and take more risks.
- Don’t play foolishly – force those on small stacks to go all-in if you have a decent hand – the more opponents you knock out the closer you are to the money.
- Don’t get locked in multi-way pots – if you have a great hand then play but sometimes it’s better to bow out if two others are doing battle with each other!
Note: Tight play early, standard play midway and risks at the final table is a winning strategy!
