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Expert Plays for No Limit Tournaments
PokerStars Intellipoker selects the author's first poker book
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Poker How To...
101 Tournament Poker Strategies
11. How to play when your chip stack is low
This may be your most important tournament poker strategy since you will either live or die in the event based on knowing how to play this situation.
You need to accumulate chips to win a poker tournament. When you get a good hand and need chips, look for an opportunity to put pressure on your opponent. A good hand is a medium pocket pair and higher, as well as an A-J suited or higher. This is an aggressive play that can build your stack or knock you out of a tournament.
The tournament poker strategy is this: Move all-in with your good
hands when you have eight times or less than the initial raiser's bet.
Example:
You have pocket 7's. It is in the middle the tournament. The blinds
are $200-$400. You have $10,500 in late position. A player with
$20,000 raises to $1,400. What should you do?
There is $2,000 in the pot. You have less than eight times the initial
raiser's bet. If you call, you will most likely lose more than 20% of
your stack. If you re-raise you are committed to the pot. And if you
move all-in the following will happen:
a) Your opponent will fold and you will increase your stack by almost 20%
b) Your opponent will call and you will either get knocked out or more
than double your stack size.
Calling is the play most players make. This is not a winning play.
Folding is better than calling.
Moving all-in is the best option. You need to take risks. You need to gamble.
12. How to Use the Isolation Play to Win Chips
The objective of an isolation play is to make a wager so big that it
gets other players to fold so you can be heads-up against one
opponent. An isolation play can be used to isolate a bluffer, a
maniac, or a player on a draw.
An isolation play is best when you have a hand that does better heads up, like pocket pairs. When you raise as an isolation play you need to make a large enough bet to force other players to fold.
In the middle to late stages of a tournament, use the isolation play
with small to middle pocket pairs.
Example:
You have pocket 8's in middle position. It is late in the tournament.
The blinds are $3,000-$6,000. You have $100,000. A player in early
position with $20,000 moves all-in. A second player, with $120,000,
calls this raise. What should you do?
You don't want to call since you would have to beat both players with
your medium pocket pair. Since the second player did not re-raise, you
can assume that his hand is not strong. The isolation play will get
you heads-up against the all-in player.
Move all-in.
Example:
You have pocket 3's. It is the middle of the tournament. The blinds
are $500-$1,000. You have $22,000, and are in the big blind. Everyone
folds to the button. The player on the button only has $2,000, and
moves all-in. The small blind, with $18,000, calls for half a bet.
What should you do?
Again, calling is not a good play since you have to beat two players
with a small pair. You want to isolate yourself against the all-in
player.
Move all-in
"Best poker book released this year!!!"
"Unbelievably awesome."
"Outstanding!"
"One of the top
poker strategy books."
"Superb!"
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About the Author
Mitchell is a successful
poker author,
coach, & player.
He is a strategist
to business including
Procter & Gamble
and Hewlett-Packard.
PokerStars Intellipoker selected his first book
for international distribution to educate players worldwide.
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Play to win. Not to bubble.
Amazon's #1
Best Seller in it's Category
"Best poker book released this year!!!"
"Unbelievably awesome."
"Outstanding!"
"One of the top
poker strategy books."
"Superb!"
"Full of sound advice and a lot of fun to read."
Attention: Tournament Poker Players
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