Poker Lesson 26: Basic Tournament Strategy

Tournaments are as different an environment from a cash game as the surface of the moon is different from the fish tank in your living room. With this in mind, the strategy when playing in a tournament is obviously going to be different than it would a typical ring game. There are some basic concepts a player should adhere to when playing in a tournament.

First of all, try to limit the number of hands you play. The simple fact of poker is the fewer hands you play, the more money you keep. This idea works for both tournaments and ring games. Be selective and play only hands that have a chance at winning.

The next strategy for playing in a tournament is to play beyond the cards in your hand. Be aware of what is going on around you and question the moves of your opponents. What hand do you think they have? What hand do you think they just made? Why are they betting this much? These are just a few examples of questions you should be asking yourself.

Try to stay unpredictable. If you have just bluffed a big hand, show your cards to the table. Next time you have a huge hand bet really strong. It is possible you may get a few players to think you are bluffing. Alternate your play in an erratic manner but try to keep your betting rhythmic and predictable no matter what hand you have.

Finally, bluff when the situation calls for it. If you are holding two pair and nobody is betting. Add to this the fact that you have a seat in the late position, and you have a situation that is perfect to Bluff. Make a bet that you think seems big, but callable. Behave like you want someone to call your bet. If the rest of the players have nothing, they will all fold. Don't be intimidated if somebody calls your bet; re-bluff them on the next card. If that fails to inspire your opponent to fold, then you should consider folding. There is no shame in losing.