Vallet
Legend
Platinum Level
Maintaining the first place to some extent can become a top priority. After all, you have climbed to the very peak. But the tournament is moving and everything is changing. It is important to avoid unexpected swings and fluctuations in the stack size when you are the chip leader in a long tournament. Losing a few positions is not terrible, the main thing is not to lose huge chunks of your stack.
A
Auswa
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Variance is massive in tournament poker. Just because your chip leader with 18 left or 400 left doesn't mean your going to win the tournament.
Don't even focus on maintaining your chip lead. Focus on getting your chips in when your best and getting players to fold when your second best.
One way to get your chips in best is to be willing to lose a few chips perhaps to get a image to get more chips in the future. Having a big stack and being chip leader can help you do this.
I also don't focus on trying to have average stack I just focus on one hand at a time looking for opportunities to gain chips getting players to fold or getting my chips in when I'm best. If I can't get a player to fold in my mind and I'm second best I'm looking to get out of the pot.'
A tighter style your normally getting your chips in with good hands. A looser style your looking to get players to fold and perhaps also trying to go on the train of run good with mediocre hands which may lead you to accumulate chips allowing you to go deep which you wouldn't of got with a tight style. Looser style in mtts is probably more optimal to go deep more often but you can lose chips with mediocre hands if your judgement is wrong. Mixture of the two during tournaments changing gears at times is a skill as well and there's a whole piles of reasons to play tight or play more hands.
Don't even focus on maintaining your chip lead. Focus on getting your chips in when your best and getting players to fold when your second best.
One way to get your chips in best is to be willing to lose a few chips perhaps to get a image to get more chips in the future. Having a big stack and being chip leader can help you do this.
I also don't focus on trying to have average stack I just focus on one hand at a time looking for opportunities to gain chips getting players to fold or getting my chips in when I'm best. If I can't get a player to fold in my mind and I'm second best I'm looking to get out of the pot.'
A tighter style your normally getting your chips in with good hands. A looser style your looking to get players to fold and perhaps also trying to go on the train of run good with mediocre hands which may lead you to accumulate chips allowing you to go deep which you wouldn't of got with a tight style. Looser style in mtts is probably more optimal to go deep more often but you can lose chips with mediocre hands if your judgement is wrong. Mixture of the two during tournaments changing gears at times is a skill as well and there's a whole piles of reasons to play tight or play more hands.
Last edited:
black and
Legend
Platinum Level
I think that aggressive play is the best option in such situations. Playing aggressively you will in some way limit the actions of your opponents, but nevertheless, aggressive play requires experience and skill of the player.
F
fundiver199
Legend
Loyaler
In multitable tournaments its not really important, what your position in the entire tournament. Its much more important, what your stack is compared to the other players at the table. For the moment you are really only competing against them, so understand when you can apply pressure, and when you might need to back off a bit.
Lets say you are the table chipleader. Early in the tournament that hardly even matter, since everyone are just focused on increasing their stack, and nobody are afraid to bust just yet. Often people can even just reenter, if that happen. Fire another bullet. When late registration has closed, and the bubble is approaching, people tend to get more focused on surviving. And this is where, you can sometimes be the "chip bully", which everyone loves to hate.
But even then there is a huge difference between having 12.000 chips, when the next on the table have 11.000, 10.000 and 9.000 respectively, and having twice as many chips as everyone else. In the first situation you cant really go to crazy against the guys with 9-11.000 chips, because if you do and lose, then suddenly you are the one, who is at risk of bubbling the tournament. The same principles apply on the final table.
Lets say you are the table chipleader. Early in the tournament that hardly even matter, since everyone are just focused on increasing their stack, and nobody are afraid to bust just yet. Often people can even just reenter, if that happen. Fire another bullet. When late registration has closed, and the bubble is approaching, people tend to get more focused on surviving. And this is where, you can sometimes be the "chip bully", which everyone loves to hate.
But even then there is a huge difference between having 12.000 chips, when the next on the table have 11.000, 10.000 and 9.000 respectively, and having twice as many chips as everyone else. In the first situation you cant really go to crazy against the guys with 9-11.000 chips, because if you do and lose, then suddenly you are the one, who is at risk of bubbling the tournament. The same principles apply on the final table.
B
Badday94
Rock Star
Silver Level
I would say play the cards well, know when to take advantage of your stack, don't get too loose, ofcourse you are gonna play more hands but pick them well and don't go too crazy. I've seen too many times chip leaders who play like everyone fears them and like they can run all over you, then keep running into better hands than theirs and lose that big chip advantage. For me it's so easy when I'm in that position and usually I stay there, I don't see what could be hard having a big stack. Unless you get coolered which happens no matter the stack, regarding making decisions it's much more easy.
foran
Rock Star
Silver Level
play correctly, it is not being the first for 3 hours and in the last being eliminated, it is reaching the end, I assure you that the long tournaments that I have won, many between shorts at the final table, when I go first for a long time, nor I have earned a quarter of the tournament.
L
LFC_yllnwa
Legend
Bronze Level
When you get the lead in a tournament, it's an additional opportunity to play more actively, to put pressure on your opponents. It is necessary to correctly calculate all possible control levers for a more aggressive game. It is wrong to sit, wait and try to save the chips. I think this strategy will destroy you. It is not necessary to defend the first position in the tournament, the goal is to get to the final table (when you have an above average pot) and fight for victory at the final table! 
But, as the guys said earlier, it is very important when you get this advantage, if it is the middle or the beginning of the late stage of the tournament, it is great. But the first hour or a little later, it should not change your game tactics much. But any advantage of the chips is your advantage don't forget about it
But, as the guys said earlier, it is very important when you get this advantage, if it is the middle or the beginning of the late stage of the tournament, it is great. But the first hour or a little later, it should not change your game tactics much. But any advantage of the chips is your advantage don't forget about it
Alizona
Visionary
Bronze Level
Your position means nothing. What matters is your chipstack. The reason its such a big deal to be #1 in the tournament is that you have a bigger chipstack than anyone else, and that means you are able to apply significant pressure to any player you wish, at any time you wish.
While I might do a small celebration if I realize I've taken over the #1 spot on the leaderboard (it IS a great feeling, I admit!), my real goal is to just be in the top ten, or the top twenty, or something similar (get on the front page of the leaderboard). I don't have to be #1, because its meaningless... but I DO need to have a large chipstack to be able to steal, bluff, survive the coolers and bad beats, etc. So my goal is always to be high in the tournament leaderboard, but there's nothing special about #1 except for the pride and ego boost.
While I might do a small celebration if I realize I've taken over the #1 spot on the leaderboard (it IS a great feeling, I admit!), my real goal is to just be in the top ten, or the top twenty, or something similar (get on the front page of the leaderboard). I don't have to be #1, because its meaningless... but I DO need to have a large chipstack to be able to steal, bluff, survive the coolers and bad beats, etc. So my goal is always to be high in the tournament leaderboard, but there's nothing special about #1 except for the pride and ego boost.
sharipov8090
Legend
Silver Level
Holding the lead in the tournament is not so easy.You always need to be sure that your game is up-to-date and excellent.I rarely manage to keep the first place and my game is weak.And I wish you to learn and learn again, just like me).