Is cracking a Big Hand Needed to Win a Poker Tournament

The odds are often stack against the best of the best poker players in big poker tournaments. And I'm sure anything is possible to win a big tournament without cracking a big hand, but come on, how realistic is that. I honestly think cracking a big hand is part of winning a big tournament (300 or more player)

I'd say more winning more than your fair share of flips. Or avoiding flips like plague and going chip up steady post-flop play.

You can win tournaments not only on good cards, sometimes a small card plays very well and wins hands, the main thing in the game is to have patience for good cards and sometimes you can play on not very good cards and have a little luck in the game and you will win and get prizes !

Yes, I think it's always going to be the case that you need to crack big hands to win a big tourney. It will be inevitable that you get some hands in behind, and they will need to be won to make a deep run in a large player field tourney. That's part of the fun of tourneys! Anyone can win in any given tourney. Of course the best players will win more in the long run, but any one tourney can be won with some great luck

I agree 100%, no matter how good you play, but usually at some point you have to win that TT vs AA or AT vs AK or something like that. Also hitting some nice sets are very helpfull aswell. Yeah, and when you think how lucky you have to be to take down tournament like Sunday Millions - that's insane.

Look at Chris Moneymaker. His wsop win included winning underdog hands like 8's v. aces.

It's not needed, but it certainly helps to bust a big hand with a monster of your own. On one specific deep run I had, I had cracked AA twice when my lower pair hit a set. The players just couldn't get away from the hand and I double up on both of those. Every tournament experience is going to be different and will generally require a different way to navigate. On another one of my deep runs, I simply played tight and aggressive. That was enough to get me 2nd place. On another one of my runs, I got short stacked fairly early and went into push or fold mode. I was able to become the chip leader by doing nothing more than picking the right hand and situation to go all-in pre-flop. I must have shoved about 15 times and every time I either won or got everybody to fold. I eventually was a co-winner of that tournament. It got late, both of us were tired and there wasn't a huge payout difference between 2nd and 1st. So, there is nothing that absolutely has to happen. You just need to pick a strategy and adjust it based upon how your situation changes.

I've definitely sucked out on the river at least once or twice most times I've made it to the final table.

I've also been on the receiving end to get knocked out of tourneys with the dominant hand.

I think luck is definitely a necessity to taking down big mtts but it can't 100% substitute good play.

You must get lucky during a tournament to win. Skill can play a big part, but in today's game everyone is smart enough to flip the cards over and let them do the talking, which involves a lot of luck.

cracking about 5-7 big hands yes, but one hand wont win a tourney, not even close.

The 'skill' is getting yourself into a position you can be 'lucky'..

SatisfyMe said:

The odds are often stack against the best of the best poker players in big poker tournaments. And I'm sure anything is possible to win a big tournament without cracking a big hand, but come on, how realistic is that. I honestly think cracking a big hand is part of winning a big tournament (300 or more player)

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Not really, but it is circumstantial.
I played tournaments online, against players I know where I was card dead the entire evening, and still got ITM. Just picked good spots, basically representing good hands that I should have had in those spots.
However, it is tricky to play that way always, you are bound to get called by someone at some point for sure.
Also, you don't really need to crack a better hand to win (win a race - when you are behind), but you will probably need to win some flips here and there.
That's why you try to play good poker, to gather enough chips so that losing a flip doesn't bust you out of the tournament but leaves you with an opportunity to get the stack back.

Not only crack, you also need to cooler someone, hold when you ahead and get there when you behind.

SatisfyMe said:

The odds are often stack against the best of the best poker players in big poker tournaments. And I'm sure anything is possible to win a big tournament without cracking a big hand, but come on, how realistic is that. I honestly think cracking a big hand is part of winning a big tournament (300 or more player)

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Although I think it definitely helps to win a big cooler, crack big hands, and win flips to win a tourney it is possible to just grind through a tournament and take it down. I often never have a remotely large stack in tourneys and end up FT or winning it all. Sometimes I actually get nervous when I get 200+ bb lol. SO yeah while I kind of agree with your statement it definitely is possible to play a passive game stay away from big spots and take down the game.

I don't think needed is the right word, but you will probably end up doubling up through an allin in most instances. Usually, if you crack a big hand it means you're running well and that is needed to win a tourney.

When the final table you double your stack up against the chip leader then the chances of winning increase significantly as you get the chance to put pressure on their opponents. But if you double stack up against the chip leader before the bubble even with a huge difference in the size of your stack against the rest of your stack does not give you much of a chance to reach the final table. The value of the stack depends ene only on its size, but also on the stage at which you play.

Its always helpful to catch those big hands but not really needed...I have made it to 2nd and 3rd before in some big tourneys just slow playing and eating away at others chips

it helps to crack a big hand, but isnt necessary, you just have to have ur big hands hold up...