Question: Strategies for the different stages of tournaments?

iBluffdaRiver

iBluffdaRiver

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 16, 2018
Total posts
28
Chips
0
What is everyone's strategy for the beginning, middle, bubble and final table? What changes and what doesn't?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
MrHachiman

MrHachiman

Visionary
Bronze Level
Joined
Oct 15, 2017
Total posts
535
Awards
2
Chips
18
That is a very broad question. It depends on many factors: what type of tournament, how is the field of players, what is the duration of the blinds and whether they are stacks deeps or not. But, in very general guidelines, the initial table a good strategy is to play tight agressive, in the bubble very careful not to get involved against stacks that cover you. And fold in front of 3bets, almost no one bluffs in a bubble situation.
 
LumeBStackin

LumeBStackin

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 21, 2014
Total posts
155
Chips
0
Reading a couple books on the basics of tournament poker sounds like it will help you a bunch. If you don't want to go that route, search around for some articles. You'll find tons of information out there.
 
This Fish Chums

This Fish Chums

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 5, 2016
Total posts
822
Chips
0
Broad strategies for various stages of a tournament

The following depends on your definition of tight, loose, aggressive, etc. If your tight is too tight you won't pick up chips when needed. If your loose is too loose you're going to be leaking chips like the Titanic. This greatly depends on you actually having different styles you know how to play each of them well.
At the very beginning of a tournament (say rounds 1 and 2), play very tight, but aggressive when you have a premium. Lots of all-inners and/or people wanting to chip up early so are willing to play loose.
Then after those first 2-3 rounds, you want to switch to your normal TAG style. Play TAG until one of two things happens, you get down to a low stack (say 20-30 BBs), or you amass a large stack (say 80-100 BBs).

  • If you're loosing chips while playing TAG because you're not getting enough good hands, then loosen up your hand ranges and play a little less aggressive. You want to be seeing more hands, but you want to keep the pots lower because you don't have the chips to be throwing around in big pots and missing your hand. You can even throw in some well-timed bluffs if that's in your skill-set (see https://www.cardschat.com/forum/learning-poker-57/bluffing-101-a-363335/ for a lot of tips on bluffing).
  • If you're sitting on a medium range amount of chips, continue playing how you've been playing. You're doing good enough to last a while in the tournament without needing to risk more chips.
  • If you've got a large stack then continue playing tight, but play much more aggressive. Play large pot poker and try forcing players out of hands or getting the small stacks to go all-in on your good hands to take them out of the tournament. Throw in bluffs when appropriate.
On the bubble (actually a few places from the bubble) and short-stacked, you want to tighten up. You need to survive until the money and then open back up if you've survived. If you're large-stacked then loosen up some, you want to be taking people out of the tournament to get into the money.
At the final table, treat it like a 9 player sit-n-go and not like a tournament. If you're not good at sit-n-gos then I suggest playing quite a few and developing those skills if you want to be successful at final tables.
 
Iryna Stryzheuskaya

Iryna Stryzheuskaya

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Total posts
2,803
Awards
10
BY
Chips
151
Watch a video about how different players play. This is useful.
 
makisaa

makisaa

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Oct 6, 2015
Total posts
3,030
Awards
10
GR
Chips
206
At the begining you play carefully and more concervative. When the blinds raise it is time to play more aggresivelly. If you reach the bubble be carefull again and in the money more aggressive! Then the final target is final table! Generally we can say the above as a small strategic summary!
 
ammje

ammje

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Feb 25, 2018
Total posts
4,902
Awards
36
Chips
407
At first i play more tight, because it is not worth playing aggressive beacuse the blinds with small, when the blinds increase, increase the aggressiveness and the range of hands, and in the final stages as well.
 
W

williamcafferkey

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 14, 2017
Total posts
42
Chips
0
I play tight at the start then open up my range of hands when the blinds go up..... trying to steal pots on the bubble when most will fold strong holdings
 
hugh blair

hugh blair

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Apr 8, 2017
Total posts
11,173
Awards
8
Chips
30
Stay alive do not go risk all your chips unless you think you are huge favourite or are sure if possible darn AJ just cracked my KK again all in preflop ect.The Bee gees sang a great song about it SHARE
Share

 
ScottieDuncan

ScottieDuncan

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 23, 2012
Total posts
1,286
Awards
1
Chips
1
Starting off try to build a good chip count while blinds are low. This will help you later if you have a good many chips.
 
Top