Stages of a Poker Tournament
There are three main stages of an online poker tournament. Being able to change strategy as you move through the different stages will make a big difference to your results, and your chances of winning. This article is written mainly with No Limit Hold’em poker in mind, but the theory applies equally well to most other forms of big bet poker such as Omaha.
Early Stage
In the early stages of a tournament you will have a big stack when compared to the blinds. Usually 75-200 big blinds is what you get for your entry fees, and you are therefore have no urgent need to accumulate chips. You can play these early stages in one of two ways: either wait for good hands before getting involved in a pot, or play lots of hands and try and hit a miracle flop that will let you win someone’s entire stack. No matter which method you choose, always keep in mind that the early stages of a tournament you don’t need to take any risks. Play good, solid poker, and take advantage of any opportunities that come along, but don’t risk your stack needlessly. You want to make sure that you stick around for the long haul.
Middle Stage
The middle stage of a poker tournament is usually when the blinds have risen to a point where most players have between 30-50 big blinds. Often a third of the field or more has been eliminated by this stage. Since the blinds are constantly rising, you may not be able to wait for premium hands anymore. You will need to be more active from late position, and you will also need to raise more aggressively to try and win the blinds. Your opponents may play quite passively at this stage, which should give you plenty opportunities to add to your stack bit by bit. Keep being active, keep stealing the blinds, and keep trying to accumulate chips. If you can build a big stack going into the late stages, it will give you a significant advantage.
Late Stage
The late stages of a poker tournament will often be just before the money. Players will have varying stack sizes, ranging from just a few big blinds, to 50 or more big blinds. When you are close to the money, most players will play very tight, hoping to fold their way though to the cash. A clever player will use this time to accumulate even more chips however. Keep raising, keep attacking, and keep being aggressive. If you have a big stack at this stage, be merciless as you approach the “bubble”, since most of the smaller stacks will just get out of your way rather than risk elimination.
If you are a small stack, you might be tempted to try and fold your way through to the money. While this might result in a small prize, it will be virtually impossible for you to win any of the big prizes. If your goal is to come first, then you need to keep being aggressive, even if that means risking your tournament life. If you get a strong hand, don’t be afraid to put all your chips in the middle. In poker, it’s better to bust out, than to fade away!
If you make it past the late game stage, and onto the final table, you will need to continue with your aggression. On average, everyone will get the same number of good hands in a poker tournament, and when nobody has any good cards, the chips will go to the most aggressive player. In tournament poker, only by aggression can you gain an advantage!
