Best tournament tips....

BurnleyMik · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:28 pm

Come on guys, lets spread the love!!

Lets list on here our best little tips for tournament games. i.e. your favourite plays.

BurnleyMik · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:33 pm

I'll start it off.

I call this, Floating a TAG.

If you spot a TAG player at your table in a tourney and there are loads of them out there I have a nice little move to use on them. Firstly though you need to make sure you have the following criteria:

1. You have more chips than them so you can apply pressure
2. You have position on them.

Basically if a TAG raises and no one else enters the pot it's a good idea to flat call and see a flop. Depending on the texture of the flop, i.e. no Aces, you can guarantee a TAG will c-bet a good 85%+ of the time, so regardless of whether you have a hand or not, flat call them again. This is where a good TAG will reveal if they have a hand or not, on the turn card. Often once you have called the C-Bet on the flop and showed you are not going away they will be done with the hand and if you make a strong bet on the turn you will pick up the pot a HUGE amount of the time!!! Seriously this trick works a treat.

Acornman · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:15 pm

snip>
Seriously this trick works a treat.[/quote]

It does,cos you've done it to me often enough

Counter by betting out when you hit,reraising with air when you don't and never slow play these floating maniacs!

The_Cloud · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:23 pm

BurnleyMik wrote:

I'll start it off.

I call this, Floating a TAG.

If you spot a TAG player at your table in a tourney and there are loads of them out there I have a nice little move to use on them. Firstly though you need to make sure you have the following criteria:

1. You have more chips than them so you can apply pressure
2. You have position on them.

Basically if a TAG raises and no one else enters the pot it's a good idea to flat call and see a flop. Depending on the texture of the flop, i.e. no Aces, you can guarantee a TAG will c-bet a good 85%+ of the time, so regardless of whether you have a hand or not, flat call them again. This is where a good TAG will reveal if they have a hand or not, on the turn card. Often once you have called the C-Bet on the flop and showed you are not going away they will be done with the hand and if you make a strong bet on the turn you will pick up the pot a HUGE amount of the time!!! Seriously this trick works a treat.

This has taken me a while to work out, but I've actually started using this play a lot myself, but as the TAG player and not the aggressor.

I raise pre-flop with a hand of some kind and I get a caller.
I c-bet (whether I've hit or not - but in this instance let's say I have)
My opponent calls me.
This is where I check the turn, the aggressor will bet, and it's a nice few easy chips when I come over the top.

BurnleyMik · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:24 pm

Thats level 4 thinking cloud!!!!!

I also use the same trick against players I KNOW are going to try and float me!!!

kenn121 · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:32 pm

number 1 tip - never and i mean never be afraid to go bust!!

playing with fear is not an option

tip 2 - when your the chip leader small reraises with any 2 is the name of the game - if someone else has opened dont be afraid to come over the top in position with absolute air

once i take down the $18k guarantee on Party i will be back to explain more

The_Cloud · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:33 pm

My favourite but very rare play is this one.

I am holding a pocket pair - say for example 66.
The flop comes either KK6, QQ6 or AA6.
In this instance I immediately go all-in. If your opponent has hit trips they will always call - and they are only 25% to win the hand.
I've doubled up loads of times with that one.

BurnleyMik · **Posted:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:34 am

The_Cloud wrote:

My favourite but very rare play is this one.

I am holding a pocket pair - say for example 66.
The flop comes either KK6, QQ6 or AA6.
In this instance I immediately go all-in. If your opponent has hit trips they will always call - and they are only 25% to win the hand.
I've doubled up loads of times with that one.

hmmm, you flopped the 2nd nuts here and jamming will force out a lot of hands that may pair the turn.. i.e. Ace high hands that could pay you off huge!

BurnleyMik · **Posted:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:38 am

Betting flops:

I have recently tried to cut down the size of my flop bets. I used to often go pot sized or 3/4 pot sized and i found this often got me committed to hands like TPTK. I have now learnt there is much more value by betting half or just over half the pot. This also allow you to get away that bit cheaper if some prazzack who decided to chase that flush actually hits!

The_Cloud · **Posted:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 8:58 am

BurnleyMik wrote:

The_Cloud wrote:

My favourite but very rare play is this one.

I am holding a pocket pair - say for example 66.
The flop comes either KK6, QQ6 or AA6.
In this instance I immediately go all-in. If your opponent has hit trips they will always call - and they are only 25% to win the hand.
I've doubled up loads of times with that one.

hmmm, you flopped the 2nd nuts here and jamming will force out a lot of hands that may pair the turn.. i.e. Ace high hands that could pay you off huge!

You're right BM, it's not the best way to play it - but the last three or four times I've been in that situation I've had a pretty solid read that my opponent has had a very playable hand - and I've doubled up.
So I should add a disclaimer :
If you have an indication that your opponent has hit the flop, then immediately push.

The_Cloud · **Posted:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:51 am

First hand of a low stakes STT or MTT ($5 or below)

If you get AA or KK first hand - go all-in pre-flop.
This is definately a +ve play, as you'll be surprised how many times you get called by AK, QK, AQ, AJ, JQ or any pocket pair

Cogsgoigne · **Posted:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 11:14 am

BM - Been reading a poker mag re the float ?????? Saw it last week and do like it, but you need to be deepstacked I think.

Kenns tips - Spot on

My tips - once blinds up, no need for x3 raises, progressively go backwards to between 2.2- and 2.5x, it does the same thing.

Position raising with anything (as per above) when comfortable - Gotta do this to build and gain chips. Cant wait for monsters. However, once lower than 15BB, you gotta look for resteals from LP, which should look strong as you will of been a bit tight for a lap or two by then.

Less than 12BB, you've 1 raise/fold left so why bother unless a monster. Blind down to 8BBand just play push/fold

POKER4EVER · **Posted:** Fri Nov 16, 2007 5:04 pm

best poker tip for mtt's or sng's is 'ONLY PLAY QUALITY!'

The_Cloud · **Posted:** Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:08 pm

The_Cloud wrote:

First hand of a low stakes STT or MTT ($5 or below)

If you get AA or KK first hand - go all-in pre-flop.
This is definately a +ve play, as you'll be surprised how many times you get called by AK, QK, AQ, AJ, JQ or any pocket pair

See - got called by KQ

PokerStars Game #13294998706: Tournament #67465273, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2007/11/17 - 11:02:08 (ET)
Table '67465273 1' 10-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: The_Sage (1500 in chips)
Seat 2: wustler011 (1500 in chips)
Seat 3: the_cloud71 (1500 in chips)
Seat 4: Pbodean (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: Puggs 7 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: martygrass (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: kam-a-dee (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: rm-f (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: Gegekid (1500 in chips)
Seat 10: OU THE NICK (1500 in chips)
wustler011: posts small blind 10
the_cloud71: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to the_cloud71 [As Ac]
Pbodean: folds
Puggs 7: calls 20
martygrass: raises 60 to 80
kam-a-dee: folds
rm-f: folds
Gegekid: folds
OU THE NICK: folds
The_Sage: folds
wustler011: folds
the_cloud71: raises 1420 to 1500 and is all-in
Puggs 7: folds
martygrass: calls 1420 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [Qd 8h Js]
*** TURN *** [Qd 8h Js] [3c]
*** RIVER *** [Qd 8h Js 3c] [Kh]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
the_cloud71: shows [As Ac] (a pair of Aces)
martygrass: shows [Ks Qc] (two pair, Kings and Queens) :cry:

martygrass collected 3030 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3030 | Rake 0
Board [Qd 8h Js 3c Kh]
Seat 1: The_Sage (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: wustler011 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: the_cloud71 (big blind) showed [As Ac] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 4: Pbodean folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Puggs 7 folded before Flop
Seat 6: martygrass showed [Ks Qc] and won (3030) with two pair, Kings and Queens
Seat 7: kam-a-dee folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: rm-f folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Gegekid folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 10: OU THE NICK folded before Flop (didn't bet)

BurnleyMik · **Posted:** Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:17 pm

WOW!! One great tourney tip... ALWAYS FOLD THOSE BLOODY ACES!

smoothplz · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:07 am

Some good ideas so far! Totally agree with Cloud ref the AIPF,i play low stake sng's & you can almost guarantee a call if you shove with AA/KK in the 1st few hands,a double up to 3k and your sorted.Kenn had a good point to about being not afraid to lose,my tip is similar,never let yourself get too low,tonight i saw at least 2 players not have enough to complete the BB,before you get too low,get your money in,better to roar like a lion than baa like a sheep!! sounds obvious i know, but not to some that wait too long,the blinds get to 200/400 etc and then all decisions are forced on them.

Mike Sideburns Saban · **Posted:** Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:31 am

When playing live, I like to advise the table I'm on, of rule number 1 = if I raise you fold. Its a very simple rule, but one I like people to follow ;-)

The other one, I stick too, is the most basic but one that people overlook all the time is, you can raise with any two cards, but you need a hand to call a raise. Ok so you might get lucky now and again, but in the long run, you'll lose if you call a raise with a crap hand

RtR Links

Best tournament tips....

Who is online