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middle stage tournament strategy
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Poker Strategy for middle stage tournaments
Part #1 of this 3 part series looks at early tournament strategy in the context of your overall objective – to reach the final table. This article covers the middle stage strategy of poker tournaments. This part of the game is characterized by shallow stacks compared to the blinds and the ‘bubble’ in which just a few more players need to bust before the paying places begin. Strategy during the middle stages of a poker tournament is defined by three interlinking factors. Firstly, the size of your chip-stack, and those of your opponents, relative to the blinds. Secondly, the objectives and tendencies of your opponents and the effect this has on their play. Finally your objectives for the whole tournament need to be factored in to decisions during the middle to end stages.You chip-stack greatly influences starting hand selection during the middle stages of a poker tournament. Hands with high implied-odds potential do down in value, while high unpaired cards (for example Ace-King) are more likely to be played for an all-in re-raise. The reason high implied odds hands go down in value is that your potential pay-off with these hands will not compensate you adequately for your initial investment. For example if your stack is only 18 times the big blind then calling a 3 big blind raise with a small pair hoping to hit a set becomes unprofitable. Likewise you need 20 times the big blind or more to make sited connectors playable for a profit – particularly out of position.
Your stack size also influences the range of hands you can raise with. For example with 15 big blinds you may choose to open a pot with a raise, however anyone re-raising you will threaten all of your stack. Conversely 15 times the big-blind is an excellent stack size to re-raise an opponent with – often leading to winning a pot uncontested against opponents with similarly vulnerable stacks. If you find yourself with 10 times the big blind or less then your options are narrowed yet further. Any raise you make will make you ‘pot-committed’ to call a re-raise. This is due to the large pot-odds that are being offered. The standard move with 10 big blinds or less is to push-all in with any legitimate raising hand – maximizing your chances of winning the pot pre-flop.
It is not only your own chip stack that needs to be considered. Even if you have a big stack, having opponents in the hand with shallow stacks affects your play. With a big stack you should use the pressure of bets and raises to take many pots. Those opponents whose stacks are not too small or too large will tend to fold more – pick the right targets and your steals will succeed more often. The bubble of a poker tournament often leads those players with small and medium stacks to play extra-tight. They are attempting to ‘fold into the money’ and good players take advantage of this by betting and raising often to accumulate as many chips as possible. Remember your objective is not to cash but to reach the final table. Playing aggressive and positive poker at the bubble will give you the best chance of reaching this goal – even if you occasionally bust out before the paying places.
To summarize, mid to end game poker tournament strategy is largely dictated by your stack size (and those of opponents) relative to the blinds and antes. Be aware that certain hands become unplayable as your relative stack size shrinks. The bubble will see many opponents play extra-tight. Take advantage by raising liberally – your play should be dictated by the goal of reaching the final table.
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Poker Guides
2012 U.S. Poker Rooms