Early Stages: Play Aggressively
By now, the game is pretty much at its eighth hand, and you should be ready to throw some chips into the pot. Most of the chips that you are throwing into the pot will be used to pay off your chip leader. When you are chip leader, you are expected to build your stack over the course of the tournament until you reach the money. Your primary goal once you have reached the money is to survive until you reach the final three. Once you have gotten past the three in the money, you can then take your best shot. There is a perfectly played strategy in this situation.
Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy – Come Through Tight Times
In the first four to five levels of a sit and go tournament, it is usually possible to play fairly tight and still win. Your early chips will most often be thrown away, and if you run into trouble later in the tournament, you can get knocked out quickly. Because of these two factors, you basically want to avoid trouble in the early stages.
Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy – Don’t Bluff
In the early stages, don’t be afraid to get your chips in to try and steal the blinds or antes. However, don’t get too comfortable. Most often, you will find that players are just trying to take down the first pot. They will play fairly tight and you will usually be able to steal a lot of chips before the blinds start getting too high.
Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy – Pre-Flop Play
Pre-flop strategy is very important in any dewapoker game. It is impossible to win a tournament unless you know how to play your cards before the flop comes. The best way to learn this is to find a real poker player who is willing to teach you. If you happen to pick up a poker book that teaches tournament poker, such as Sklansky’s Triple selling aces, you will have a leg up on your opponents.
Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy – Post-Flop Play
After the flop comes, it is time to determine whether you have a good hand or not. Try to determine whether you need a bluff or a continuation bet. If you have none, you should not bet. You can continue to push at the pot as long as there are still cards left in the deck.
Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy – Right Now
The next part of your Texas Holdem tournament strategy is deciding how you are going to play the cards that you are dealt. Are you going to bet, check, raise, or fold? At this point, it is a good idea to fold some hands and play some other hands. If you have a high pair such as two Aces, you want to keep the hand and see the flop. If you have a middle pair such as two 5’s or two 6’s, you will keep the hand and see the flop.
However, if you have a low pair such as two 3’s or two 4’s, you will fold the hand and not play if you believe there is a chance you could beat the high cards.
Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy – After The Flop
Once the flop comes, this is when you are hoping to have the best hand. Many players instantly bet when they get a hand such as two 5’s. You should slow down on these types of hands. If someone bets two 5’s on the flop, this is a good indication that they have high cards.
If you have a low pair such as two 3’s, you can check-raise, or check-fold. If you have a premium hand, you should make a continuation bet. Many times you will win the pot right there without showing your hand. Make sure you lead out with a bet before you check.