Tournament Play and How they Work

Tournaments are sub divided into two main types these are Freeze out and re-buys, Freezeout you cannot buy any more chips and when you go broke you leave the tournament.

Re-buy tournaments allow you to purchase additional chips during the early stages of the tournament but there are pre-qualifications.

At the end of the re-buy period you are also allowed to Add-on to your chip stack by purchasing further chips. After this, the tournament proceeds in the same way as a freezeout. In other words, you play until you go broke.

When you play a tournament you are allocated a certain amount of chips it is the same for each player you all start on a level playing field, your chips can be between 500 - 2000 (this is not dollars, pounds or euro's it's just chips the value is determined by how much it cost to buy in.) your aim is to try and win chips from your opponents at the same time avoiding going broke.

If you run out of chips and re-buys are allowed then you can stay in the game (assuming you have the cash.) however if the re-buy period has ended you are eliminated from the competition.

Survive long enough and your finishing position determines how much money you have won.

Tournament play is sub-divided into levels these are defined either by a pre-determined number of hands, or by a fixed period of time (from 5 to 30 minutes). After each level the blind is increased. not sure what the blinds are visit our lingo page

The internet is completely changing the way we run our lives and Poker is no different got a few spare hours at night fed up of Television wife/husband boring you to death, great you're ready for tournament Poker.

 

How to Play

Playing in a poker tournament is different than normal poker, adapt your strategy to compensate.

For example suited cards and connected cards are less valuable, why you may ask?

The answer is quite simple, if you lose all your chips your out of the game no diving into your wallet and paying in some more cash, you've blown it.

So In tournament play you want to have the best hand now or be at your bluffing best. Even this won't save you if someone calls your bluff.

Avoid drawing hands (That is an hand where you are hoping that the next cards out will provide you with a flush or straight etc.) You can't afford to miss too many draw hands in tournament play because you are going to be left with a bungalow instead of a Manhattan.

Early in a tournament players have lots of chips in relation to the blinds and antes so they aren't worring too much about going broke and being eliminated. You will find most players play their usual game. However in tournaments the blinds build to an oppressive level, going broke becomes an immediate danger and that's just from the level's of the blinds. Players will start to play fewer hands and are very reluctant to call.

Be aware of this tendency and as the game progresses you can use the bluff to devastating effect, however like all rules there are exceptions near the end of the betting limit when the blinds are about to go up players will get desperate and play or call hands that a few minutes before will have gotten through.

Most players panic far too soon, they feel the pressure from the blinds and antes going up they will throw their chips into a silly hand. You aren't going to do that are you! My advice is simple if you treat your chips like rare rubies you'd be less inclined to throw them away.

One of poker's oldest expression's is 'chips and a chair' while you still have chips and a chair your still in with a chance to win. Don't throw it away.

Patience is a virtue and never more so than in poker however don't forget poker is a gambling game so do it, but it's better to gamble when you have the chips to be a threat with you will have more chance of pulling it off.

Learn to love the pressure, when your heads pounding the sweat is rolling down your spine, you feel like the room's closing in, don't panic breathe it in let it make you stronger, and before you know it you'll be head to head in the final and because your stronger your going to win aren't you?

Last piece of advice Like your pecker keep your Manhattan's up!