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Hundreds of players enter, but only one can win! This is how big
tournaments work, no matter which game, structure or stakes you choose to
play, so I would like to briefly discuss two basic approaches to Poker
Tournaments. The first approach I present is the more conservative of
the two; it’s essentially based on the premise of survival. Lots of
players will play very tight at the onset of the tournament, with the
objective being to survive and hopefully catch some cards once the masses
have been eliminated. This strategy depends on playing a very tight game
at the outset, and requires restraint, because it will come apart at the
seams if a player starts calling marginal hands. This is an effective
strategy if you want to ensure you don’t go out early, but certainly does
have its drawbacks. If you don’t get involved in the action early on, you
face the very real possibility of advancing, but being incredibly
shortstacked once you compete with opponents who have been playing more
aggressively. To effectively implement this approach, you must be very
confident in your play when shortstacked, because it’s almost inevitable
at a final table you will have a relatively low chip count. The other,
more aggressive strategy is to enter the tournament with an attack
mentality. This involves playing more hands than average, and pushing hard
for the pot. The objective here is long term success, because if you can
survive the first few rounds of play and accumulate some chips, you will
be in an advantageous position is later rounds when players working on the
passive strategy advance with a low chip count. The real downside of this
approach is that there is the very real risk of being knocked out early,
especially when playing aggressively against a full table. Without a
premium hand, there is always the possibility of one or more players
having your hand dominated, which can translate to an early exit. The most
difficult time to play the aggression strategy is the first few hands of
the tournament, as these can make or break the rest of the game for an
aggressive player.
The operative concept here is playing to your strength; clearly these
are two quite different approaches to the same game, and as a player you
need to identify your strengths. If you are conservative, and play well
shortstacked, perhaps survival will prove to be the best tactic. If you
don’t want to go up against strong players with a relatively small chip
count, and feel good about your pure instincts, aggression may do you
well.
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