Limit Tournament Guide – Single table tournament

First off, all advice on tournament play here should be taken with a grain of needed salt. I don't claim to be some tournament guru, because if I were, I'd probably be somewhere making much more money :) However, I do seem to be placing in the money in half of the single-table tournaments I play, so maybe there's something to be said for that.

This page is for you if you've already played a few tournaments and want to figure out why you are ending up short stacked into the mid levels (3-5) and then end up getting ran over by the loose betters who seem to hold nothing. If you're a maniac and find yourself loosing more often than not, you may find this page useful too; only because I'm going to tell you folks to stop betting like a freaking lunatic. At least for initial levels.. :)

The first most important thing to understand about tourney play on PP is that it is fast. I'm not talking about the speed at which players play, but I'm referring to the blinds structure. You only have 10 hands before the blinds go up a level.  The limit levels look like this:  

• Level 1: 15 / 30  
• Level 2: 30 / 60  
• Level 3: 50 / 100  
• Level 4: 100 / 200  
• Level 5: 200 / 400  
• Level 6: 300 / 600  
• Level 7: 400 / 800  
• Level 8: 500 / 1000  
• Level 9: 600 / 1200  

What this means is that when the button has gone around the table 4 times, you're already betting a significant percentage of your starting bankroll (800 chips to start). Let's say you played ultra-tight to level 4 and folded your SB and checked/folded your BB, costing you roughly 100. By level 4, that is like playing a $1/2 game with $7, not really fun! I've seen many comments from other players referring to this blind structure as pretty much a crap shoot- because anything can happen really. At this blind level, every mistake will cost you dearly. Most of the runners and callers will be eliminated in rounds 4 through 5, maybe limping into 6 with a short stack. Of course, the worst situation imaginable is having a calling station who manages to get lucky, make their cards and gains a large stack (and confidence). But usually this won't happen, as constant mistakes do knock bad players out.

Level I/II 

There are two schools of strategy for the initial 2 rounds. One of them is to play loose (read: not aggressive) and see a lot of cards for cheap and hope you hit a monster. The other is to play tight and save all the money you can for the later levels (4+). The idea behind the first strategy of seeing as many flops as possible, is the realization that even though this is a tournament, there is going to be a good deal of luck involved because it's such a short tournament. If you can manage to win chips early, you will be much better off into the later levels. You've all seen it before - the guy who calls 35o, 27s, Q5o, etc garbage in a 10 person game yet manages to hit all sorts of hands. In the long run, this person will obviously lose, but in the short run, they are up. Same concept of playing many hands early on in tournament- it's not the right long term decision, but short term gains can be very beneficial.

So, if you opt to play this loose style, don't play just all garbage, but play hands that you normally might not play (if you're a tight player that is). Examples would be any pocket pair, 9 or higher suited, connectors 45 and above, K7+, etc. If you've hit an open ended straight or flush draw or any low/mid pair.. you can call a single raise on the flop if you're drawing for the nuts. Drawing an open-ended straight when there are two of a suit (that you don't hold) on the table would be bad for example. You'll probably find many players calling you, because the tournies are usually very loose in the beginning. You can usually spot the bad players immediately because they are the ones who call every hand and draw to the river with bottom pair or no pair. While you are on the draw, you don't want to be drawing with no hope. With this tactic, you will often find yourself with 500-600 chips or 1000+ chips going into level 3-4. At that time, you want to tighten up your game and start playing good hands, as you can no longer afford to play weak hands.

The other school of strategy, playing tight, is what I abide by in the early rounds. I find that with often 7 callers in a pot, many of whom are novice players and will draw on you, it's very difficult to win pots in the early rounds with mediocre hands. Top pair with strong kicker, top two pair, set, etc is what you need to take it down. Facing a straight or flush draw, you can almost be sure someone is going to chase after you. Bets to get people out and careful checks on the river is beneficial. Bluffing at this stage in the game is usually impossible.

The most important thing you should be doing in the first two rounds however is taking mental notes of your opponents. If you need to, write down notes in Party Poker's player notes (right-click on their name). I usually note what hands people pre-flop raise with, what hands they play, if they're a pot shooter/stealer, if they're willing to bet out mid/bottom pair, do they re-raise flush/straight draws, etc.. anything that will help you out later. If you do this often enough, you'll find that you'll naturally form your own player profiles and realize how you should play this individual. If they're tight, then they can be bluffed. If they're a bluffer or liar, you'll want to call down questionable bets or re-raise them if you have anything. Common sense stuff, but most people just hunker down and play their hand. Don't do this! Pay close attention to everyone's betting habits when you're not in a hand. Be intense about your poker, don't watch TV on your off hands.

Level III/VI 

The big change once the game hits level 3/4 is that bluffing now becomes an option. As the stakes become higher, you'll find your opponents less willing to draw on you unless they truly are weak players. This is a double-edged sword however, as agressive and maniac players will become much more dangerous into these rounds. This is why player observation is absolutely important when knowing how to deal with your situation. Against a tight ring, with a major threat on board (possible straight, flush, trips), betting out under the gun or near last position are very possible options. Betting out early usually signifies some kind of strength when tight players do it, so if you have a tight table image, most players will respect that an fold. For instance, if the board shows J/J/4 and you come out swining in the SB, most people will figure you for a four. Tight players won't want to draw in this situation and fold. If they call, you should figure them for a 4, pocket pair and of course, the possibility of Jacks. A raise should easily make you realize know they have it (or are out-playing you), which in any case should be an easy fold. The turn is very difficult to play after someone has called your bluff. You will have to assess it on a case by case situation. If you feel the other person is drawing or has a weaker kicker on his four, then you will want to bet and hope he folds. If it took him a medium amount of time to call your flop, he's probably got a 4, because he's trying to make a decision on if you have a jack or not. If it took him a long time, you can expect him to have pocket pair (again, has to think about if you have jacks or not) or he has Jacks (sucking you in). If you do end up betting the turn and don't get re-raised, you pretty much have to check down the river as you can no longer get him out by then obviously.

While on the subject of trips, I have to say that it's better to bluff on smaller trip threats. For example: 2/2/J vs J/J/2. Someone is far more likely to be holding a Jack as opposed to a 2, simply because average-strong players will rarely hold a 2 except for A2s, K2s, Q2s. In the SB or BB, this is an good bluff as others will be more apt to believe you are holding a 2. If you bluffed on the button, most people will put you on the Jack for the very same reasoning above.

So in short, bluffs high trips in late position, low trips as SB or BB only. Bluff the turn if needed, but almost never the river because by then they'll usually call.

Now that bluffing has somewhat been covered, realize that other players will also try to make moves (be aggressive) in these levels. You'll tend to see mid-pairs betting out, or flush draws bet out even. This makes it a perfect time to trap people yourself if you hold a strong hand. Top pairs will usually be reluctant to slow play in these levels as they don't want anyone drawing on them. So if the board doesn't have any kind of possible straight/flush threat that can develop, you may just check/call the flop then check-raise the turn. It'll help your image if you win as others won't be able to bet all over you later in the game, which is important. In late position, if the board is non-threatening, you may even check it down to give others a free card and hope someone pairs on the turn. Being check raised on the turn after checks on the flop is a really scary scenario for most players. Ideas of two pair and trips usually develop in this situation, as many people automatically don't even begin to think of someone checking overpair on the flop.

One thing to note, is that when you are short-stacked and make a play, players are more apt to call you down on your slow play. I imagine that they view your play as desparation or making a move and are less likely to believe you.

The rest of the general strategy for these levels is to just play tight, make a few moves when you can, but otherwise hunker down and take cover from the cannons.

Level IV+ 

Now comes the fun part! Now that the limit is 200/400 (blinds 100/200), you need to change gears very fast. Half, if not more of the table should be gone now and more will follow quickly. In a short-handed game, semi-strong hands become strong and strong hands become monsters. A9s for example, a playable hand with 10 people becomes very playable with 4 people. K9o, what I personally regard as weak in a 10 person game, is also playable with 4 people. The same rules of poker in regard to position still apply though! The earlier you play, the stronger your hands needs to be. The later you play, the less strong it needs to be, as you don't need to worry about it being raised.

However, you should be the one doing the raising! At this point in the game, you do NOT want to go to showdown with your opponent and should be happy with winning the pot. Blind stealing becomes critical at this point, because each set of SB and BB is worth so much. So, contrary to what you've been doing the whole game, start playing aggressive but with your logic, not emotion. Strong hand need to be raised and weak hands need to be folded quickly. You need to be able to take off like a rocket and stop on a dime in terms of your betting. Be the aggressor. Bet the flop when it comes down if you raised pre-flop. Remember, it's not about what you have, but what your opponent doesn't have!.

Imagine this: You hold AQ and the flop comes KT7. You're in last position, but the BB, who bet pre-flop, comes out and immediately bets out 400 on the flop. Do you call? It's a very tough decision because you have to try to figure out what he has. If he's got Kings, you're all but dead as you have a gutshot or overpair Ace draw. Even if he has nothing, is this maniac going to bet 400 on the turn and then another 400 on the river? Are you willing to pay 1200 to see this down?

You don't want to be in this position! You want to be the one putting OTHERS to this decision! In the above scenario, you may have held A9o and raised the caller. When the flop came, you bet out your high card ace- scary as it is. Guess what? He ends up folding and you won with the weaker hand. That is why taking the charge is vital at the later levels, because it turns info a mind game instead of a card game. All he has to do is think you are stronger is that he is too weak and you've already won. It doesn't matter what you hold.

You'll find in the lower buy-in tournies that the solid, tight players make it to the later levels, but most of them will hesitate and fold their way into oblivion to the crazy better. To give you an idea of what your goals should be in the tournament, you should analyze the following:  

Bob, who has been a tight player for the first half an hour and carefully taken down pots and folded most of his hands. Now the that blinds are up, the three other players have noticed Bob raise pre-flop nearly half the hands he's in. Knowing he's a tight guy, a few hesitantly call his raises, only to see Bob come out swining on the flop. Most of the time, they just fold and Bob ends up taking down the pots. Finally, Bill, another tight player, gets his aces, and when Bob pre-flop raises, Bill re-raises him immediately. Bob simply folds and Bill takes down the pot. The next hand, Bob comes right and pre-flop raises. Bill, not believing any of it comes back and re-raises. Bob pops him right back. Bill hesitates and then folds his hand.  

The moral of the story there is that you want to be Bob. Sure, when you're aggressive and in charge, at some point someone will make a move against you, whether it be a raise, check-raise, trap or they're stealing back against you. Don't be overly aggressive and raise like a looney on everything that comes your way. You cannot simply raise your way out of every situation. Just remember that while tight players can make moves against you, as long as you can make more moves against them, you will win. And when you are the aggressor, you WILL make more moves against tight players. That's because you always have more info than your opponent. When they raise into you, you know they have something. When you bet into them, they aren't sure what you have. Eventually, even they will trap themselves when you DO have something and they bet a weaker kicker or pair into yours and you can come right back at them.

I know someone out there is saying: Yeah, this is great and all, but what about when the tight player is on to you and just re-raises everything you have? I can almost guarantee you that it does not happen at the lower levels. Once it has become a mental game, poor/average players are no longer thinking very logically, but with emotions. They will be scared and in most cases do not have the courage to stand up and duke it with you on blanks. If they do indeed just go on tilt and hit bet/raise for every hand they have, you just need grit it and play right back at them. Re-raise strong hands pre-flop, call with weak hands. Re-raise pairs agressively, call with A/K high, fold low high cards. Make more money when you win. Lose less money when you lose.

Anyhow, I think that's probably long enough for now, don't you think? :) I can sum it all up in these two absolutely useless (at face value) axioms: Play aggressive, but not too aggressive.  Play careful, but not too careful. 

Good luck!