There are significant differences between
winning cash game strategy, and winning tournament strategy.
Knowing what these differences are will enable you to become
a much more effective tournament player.
Though each tournament is different, and
there are many opposing views to correct tournament strategy,
the following concepts are pretty universal and will start
you on the road to better understanding tournaments.
With the exception of the early rounds
of rebuy-style tournaments, if you lose your chips you
are done. And since you cannot go on to win any prizes
if you are out too soon, your survival should be a major
consideration in every decision you make.
Marginal Hands
Since survival is well practiced in tournaments,
you will find most people playing a lot tighter than
they usually do. This is something to practice yourself.
Avoid playing very marginal hands, especially if other
players have raised the pot.
Avoid Most Close Decisions
Putting a large number of your chips at
risk should only be done when you truly believe you will
win the hand (either by having superior cards, or making
a successful bluff play). As well, you must consider
whether your hand will remain the best
if there
are more
cards
to
come.
For example, you hold: T
9
And the flop comes 9
5
2.
The player to your left bets 1000 chips, which would
commit most of your chips.
Your top pair of
9's may very well be beating hands like A K or
A 3,
but you are still an underdog with two more cards to
come. And if you are up against a hidden pair like
TT, JJ,
QQ,
KK,
or
AA,
you
are way
behind from the beginning.
Very late in the tournament, or when you
are on a very small stack that cannot survive for very
much longer, this may be a calling play, but generally
avoid these decisions.
