Playing Out of Position in Tournaments

[Debi]

Decision making when you are in position in tournaments is vitally important - but maybe a bit easier than some decisions you might have to make when out of position. I think that is where most new players struggle the most -playing too many hands out of position.

Read this article and share your thoughts on it and on how you play when out of position:

Playing out of Position in MTT's

On the other hand - some players might play way too tight out of position - literally folding almost every hand regardless of chip stacks and other important information that needs to be considered.

 

[trixxxter]

I don't pay attention to position for the most part.

 

[MemphisGrind]

I don't pay attention to position for the most part.

This could be a leak in your game.

 

[havealittlefaith]

I think the only important positions are the button, small blind, and big blind. There are so many different ways to play hands post flop that taking into account whether someone bets in position or out of position could be working against you a lot of the time. Therefore, I only pay attention to it preflop when I'm looking at shove/fold ranges and how many players I'm going to have to shove into.

 

[MattRyder]

Most needed 'turn-around" hands occur when the odds are against you. If you wait till you've got a great hand and/or can play it in-position, you're probably going to be so short that you're going to end up in a Bingo hand with three or more other players. How positive do feel about playing AA in or out of position against three other players? You may start out in a slightly favored position, but a lot can change.

On the other hand if you like your KJs enough to open with it out of position when you're kind of on the short side (i.e., it's the best hand you've seen in the past hour and a half), you're probably making a big mistake by not calling the inevitable raise. Happened to me yesterday - I didn't make the 3-bet call out of position with KJ vs. AQ & AQ. I would have tripled up had I made the call.

"It's all about duh luck, duh luck, duh luck."

 

[Acesinthebig]

Ranges should be wider the later in position you are. Keep it tight if you are early to act. There are some very interesting dynamics to UTG raising coming about these days. People tend to think UTG limper is strong, so they may limp a long, avoiding the 3-bet shove. So you can theoretically start limping earlier to see flops if people think you are trapping.

 

[Ryan Laplante]

Plenty of spots where we can peel/defend on sub 25bb, even with small pairs!

Lots of incorrect info in this article.

Playing OOP is tough for sure, and lots of factors impact our decisions.

 

[chicopaw]

Knowing the range of hands you should enter with when playing OOP and having a read on those ahead of you can increase youre stack, If someone is always stealing IP then playing a mid to top pairs OOP can work ,over playing in this position can also leave you slowly depleting ur chips when there are many more to act in front of you

 

[dbchristy]

Position is everything. Until I got that, my game was awful. Also, knowing what to do, and not applying it was a huge leak.

 

[art00r]

Usually without a position I play only with premium hands. With connectors and suited cards is more difficult, most often just "giving" a stack of opponents.

 

[PsychoVas]

Grammar aside ("your" or "you're", "their" or "there" etc.-KIDS, STAY IN SCHOOL!), the article targets some of the basic principles of OOP playing. As with everything else in poker, it depends. Stack sizes and player image matter the most. I mean that there are players that are so loose, that position doesn't really count. On the other hand, when you have an almost "nitty" image, a shove OOP will always look like a monster.
Cheers

 

[PackinPat]

I try to pay attention to all parts of the game, position especially, but sometimes I just play my gut. I am having a hard time playing these freerolls They play different than the $5-11 mtt that I was playing. Any simple advise?

 

[Salavat Kozhakhmetov]

position in the game is 70% of success I think the position on the button is the strongest in poker, outside the position I play mostly when I can bankroll and open hands on the type 10 9 suited!

 

[ATruRube]

An interesting article, basic information but disagree with the slow play big hands preflop. It is easy to get in trouble against those small suited connectors or rag A hands against your KK. Too many times that has happened to me.

 

[Bozovicdj]

Don't want to sound harsh, but the article seems a bit incorrect. I can think of several situations where it is perfectly good to flat with a 20-25BB stack OOP. In a lot of live tournaments I have played, the blinds are at 15-20mins which is in a way similar to turbo online tournaments - meaning, you can quickly drop to 20-25BB stacks, but everyone is. That doesn't mean tournament suddenly turns into a shove/fold mania.

Another huge factor is the player you are playing against. So many times, I made very loose flats OOP knowing I will take it down with check-raise on the flop.

It seems, that the author of the post was writing based on his/hers personal way of playing, and it shouldn't be taken as an instruction how to play, as much as a simple show of how it can be played.

 

[chicopaw]

ooppps you are right on one but saying their means it's more singular and there ---= ++more??? youre=you are ,,,your = you

 

[whiskers77]

Actually I also try to be very selective with my hands, when I am playing out of position.
But I think, it is always the combination of everything. Really your position. Early position preflop or maybe also the small blind, when you will be OOP on flop.

Also it is depending on the other players at your table and what read you have on them.
The action, that was before you or the action, that you have to expect behind you.

And I think, position is not only important for the big stacks, but is also important when you are short. Short stacked you wouldn't try to take the action OOP.
I also think, that you still have some moves even with less than 25bb like Protential is writing.

Plenty of spots where we can peel/defend on sub 25bb, even with small pairs!

Lots of incorrect info in this article.

Playing OOP is tough for sure, and lots of factors impact our decisions.

It would be great, if you could point out about which parts you think, that they are wrong and give us a more detailed version of your point of view.

 

[Shrops]

Not easy

I try to play very selective hands out of position in tournaments. Good luck !

 

[PHX]

While it is easier to play in position one must learn how to play out of position if you want to be successful.

Many parts of this article I do not agree with. The starting hand range is too narrow. There are many other hands that you can profitably flat oop.

Stop an go strategy is very fishy as the kids call it. If you are going to shove any flop no matter what it is, it is always better to stick it in pre-flop. I am not saying this strategy cannot be successful but it must not be flat preflop shove flop you must consider your opponent range and what you are representing on the flop.

I'm not going go into details as there are articles describing each somewhere on forum but to play oop successful got to know how to and when to use pot control, check raising and donk betting.

 

[Bev]

It seems lately for me that when I get a good hand , monster ones , and I play them , I lose , whether it is just that round or when I am low on my stack - I get eaten away bit by bit and position doesn't do any good in or out !


Position helps when you have the flop and a strong hand and you can now chose to slow play or bet .
I try to see what others raise on when the flop comes , and sometimes position doesn't mean a thing.
When I out of position and low on my stack, I really don't have a choice if I get a good hand - I'm all in .

 

[ghOst]

Decision making when you are in position in tournaments is vitally important - but maybe a bit easier than some decisions you might have to make when out of position. I think that is where most new players struggle the most -playing too many hands out of position.

Read this article and share your thoughts on it and on how you play when out of position:

Playing out of Position in MTT's

On the other hand - some players might play way too tight out of position - literally folding almost every hand regardless of chip stacks and other important information that needs to be considered.

A very complex position to be indeed but with some time and experience, I see that these positions make perfect for traps!

 

[chronical]

All that being true it's imoprtaint to notice taht you poss awarnese will not matter if your op is not atleast a thinking somewhat player. IF he goes bet-bet-bet with TP you dont really have to care abaout his range that much(so goes for folding too). But I would agree that agains ok plyers you will have an tought time of you are playing OOP.

 

[lulu pk]

Playing in position gives you more information.For me the position is even more important than the hand that was deal to me.

To choose the right hand to play with will often depends on your position.
Except for the few premium hands that you will play no matter what your position is for all the other hands you must know from what position it's ok to open with or can you call with...

 

[Miguel Chacon]

first that anything position is very important for those who think diferent! hehehe

I usually defend out of position depending of the position of the raiser I think is pretty common to say if is an early position My flatting range is gonna be tight with some hands that have a strong posibility of improving on the flop like suites connectors 9T+ against EP and adjusting it agains MP and even wider against LP of course depending on my Stack I usually play it that way but just learn more with the article about the stack size necesary to get the pot odds, good to know probably I was doing I litle like that but not being aware of it ... Really nice Article Thanks CC

 

[vovqa93]

Thoughts

Playing out of position(OOP) is the same important thing like playing in position(IP). There is no some exactly tips, strategy, for both situations. Action depends from players "image", from hand history, from your feeling about your opponent, his and your range/perspective range. You can play different IP and OOP with different opponents in the same spots(same hand+same board+same range lets say). Good tip can be, to think few streets action, and take attention about your imaginable/your opponents imaginable range and positions, then calculate what scenario is possible, and what you'll do at different action.