Thursday, July 16, 2009
3 Stage NL Texas Hold’em Tournament Play (2 – Second Stage)
It has always been certain in my mind that tournament play must be split into 3 stages, the start, middle and final stage. The middle stage of a poker tournament is a very important stage. This stage is where we must really start making our moves and playing hard, strong and solid poker to ensure we are ready for stage 3!
Stage 1 is all about chip gathering. Depending on your position there are no 2 cards that are not worth looking at in a poker tournament. I read a book by a major poker tournament winner not so long ago; of over 350 hands of poker tournament play he only played 22 premium hands. Players who sat back in the middle phase of their tournament and didn’t “make enough moves” and chip gather were mince meat by stage 3; with antes and blinds eating their chip stack alive.
Never sit back and wait until you have a premium hand in the middle stage of your tournament play. Watch your opponents, pick on their weaknesses and treat them as customers. Be your poker table’s cash till! Alike the initial tournament stage; steal, feel out weaknesses and like a chip monk gather chips! Make sure that when stage 3 of your poker tournament arrives you are not in a position where a double up is necessary. I am always out in front come the final poker tournament stages because I chip gathered and did not sit waiting for pocket aces.
If you are in your “zone” alike the kings of poker – you can take down a pot from any unexpected player with 7 and 2 in your hand! Be careful though – know when to back off! Alike the first stage of poker tournament play small suited connectors, A 10 off suit, you can even play junk hands in position assuring to pick the smaller stacks. Do not try blind thieving every orbit as players will pick up on this. Move your game around and be a non predictable. My number 1 piece of advice above all this is never rack up against the chip leader in a big hand unless you have the Nutz!
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