Learning how to play and win live poker tournaments is easy, but if you want to take your game to a next level, you need some advanced strategies to beat top players in the game. Give below is the list of some proven strategies that will put you off to a flying start in the Texas Hold’em poker tourneys:
Play Tight in the Early Stages to Build Your Image
Your image is important in poker, but more so in online tournaments. If you are someone who steals a lot and plays too many hands in the early stage, your opponent will hardly let you to pick the uncontested pots later. Therefore, start playing tight initially and it will pay dividends later. Players will be less inclined to re-steal your opens and this will in return help you to add nicely to your stack.
Be Aggressor, Not the Caller with a Short/Medium Stack
Aggression is the key in online poker tournaments, especially when you are a medium or short stack. Calling raises when your stack is shallow is not a good idea, as it will often leave you with difficult decisions. Make sure you play good hands with the required aggression and pick most pots to chip up.
Adjust Opening Ranges as Per Tournament Stage
Some players overlook the importance of changing opening ranges in later stages of the live tournament, which is a bad idea. In the early stages, you can open with many playable hands, including small suited connectors or low pocket pairs, even from early positions. However, when the blinds get bigger, you have to change this strategy and should simply fold those hands. In the late stages, you should open with K9s instead 87s from early positions because your opponents will most probably have less strong combinations. So, play higher cards with blockers and reduce your opening size in a later stage.
Defend from Big Blind and Steal Blinds with Antes
One thing that does not change at any stage of the game is blind defense ranges. To have an edge over your opponents, you should be ready to defend even a weak hand. When you have antes in play, you should defend every good hand and still realize its equity, even out of the position. Talking about stealing blinds, you should start stealing chips especially if you have built your image in the early stage. Take the advantage of your tight image later and steal especially from tight or inexperienced players.
Take the Advantage of Money Bubble Stage
As the money bubble stage approaches, some players at the table become too passive and tight. Take the advantage of such players and steal chips from them. Attack short stacks by three-betting them, as they will do everything possible they can do to save themselves from busting on the money bubble.
Avoid Confrontation with Chip Leaders
If your opponent is the chip leader, don’t confront with him/her, as he or she will be playing back at you very aggressively trying to force you to fold your hand, knowing well that you probably will not risk your medium-size stack without a good hand. So, when you confront with a huge stack, try a bit of pot control and never overplay your medium or weak-strength hands, else you will probably lose a lot.
Change Your Strategy in ITM Stage
ITM is the stage when shorts stacks are often going all-in even with marginal hands to chip up back. Therefore, tightening your game is the best idea at that moment. If you have a medium stack at this stage, don’t waste your chips by playing marginal or weak hands and you will quickly move up.
Aim for 1stPlace at the Final Table
The lowest payouts at the final table mean a small proportion of the 1st place prize and this is the reason why should aim for the top position. Do not tighten up or passive, especially when you have some good holdings to win a pot. Be bold and aggressive and play every playable hand at this stage.