Pokerroom – Large Prize Pool Tournament Strategy
Thursday, November 13th, 2008pokerroom.com - Sometimes when you find yourself in a more important tournament than usual, the occasion can cause you to play slightly differently. In general you should always try and play the game that you are most comfortable with, but things do not always work out this way. Whether by nerves, or by your own designs, you can find yourself playing tighter poker in this type of game, which can sometimes see you go deeper into a tournament. The problem you face however, is that you will not have as many chips when you get there.
Personally I feel that you should play your usual game if you can possiby help it, especially if your usual style of play brings you success. As it happens, I have the biggest live tournament I have played in, happening tomorrow, and I hope the big occasion will not affect my play. Logically speaking, most players will be playing tighter poker and so with a little courage it is possible to exploit this, but I will not be too reckless. I will play my cards as I find them whilst trying to pinpoint players who are nervous about comitting to pots early on.
The extra time between blind levels will however give players more time to find the right hand, which means that if you raise and are called preflop, caution is recommended. Probing bets to try and pick up pots early on could be a way forward, but as with every aspect of poker, thinking on your feet and recting to your opponents play should give a greater chance of success.