When playing in an online poker tournament, attention to detail is crucial for you to get deep. In addition to maintaining a close watch on every aspect of the game itself, you must also employ a watchful eye on four important events in your game.
Watch The Table
Keep your eyes open on the players, and try to label them according to their style. Identify your opponents and know whether they are aggressive, tight, calling stations or loose. Knowing whom you are up against is a great advantage when you select your starting hands.
Watch The Average Chipstack
A great advantage to online poker tournaments is that you can easily check the average chipstack by viewing the tourney lobby. This number is very important, as if you can keep your stack relatively close or above the chip average, you will find it easier to get deeper and less likely to get anxious because you are short-stacked.
Knowing that you are close to the average chipstack allows you the opportunity to relax and not get involved in too many hands. If you are constantly calling to try and get the chip lead, you may soon find yourself in a precarious shortstack situation.
Watch The Shortstacks
Psychologically, the shortstacks in a tournament get what is called chip anxiety. This is the need to hurry up and double up or gain chips to avoid the dreaded fate of being blinded out. Shortstacks will typically move all-in with lesser quality hands and are often the result of constant bad beats.
Unless you have a very strong starting hand, it may not be a wise choice to limp in, as the shortstack may perceive you as weak and see this as an opportunity to shove all his chips in.
Watch Your Position
Typically, certain hands are better played in certain positions. You should let your position dictate the move you want to make with your starting hands. For example, if you have a small pair in early position, you may not want to come into the pot as your limp may encourage a more aggressive player to raise to take down the pot.
On the other hand, if you have high suited connectors in late position, limping is good since you will be later to act after the flop. Late position action after the flop is advantageous, simply because you get the opportunity to see what your opponents do ahead of you.
Discover more of the best poker strategy from the pro’s by getting your FREE book, ‘How to Succeed as a Professional Online Poker Player.’ Click to get your free copy now!
No comments yet.