How do you approach the early stages of a poker tournament?

Question

MULLETS77

Answer 1

Sloooooooooooooooooooolly with a poker face.

Answer 2

Play tight, poker tournaments are all about survival. Don't jeopardize your tournament life in the early round. Play tight and aggressive, you want to narrow the field, only be against 1 or 2 players to see the flop. If you hit something, bet around half of the pot, and hope to take it down. Win small pots and Don't go broke with one pair, many players overvalue top pair, don't do that mistake. Be aware of your position at the table. Choose your starting hands wisely Giving a tight image in the early of a tournament is good, when the blind will go up, you will be able to take advantage of your image and still a few blinds and pots.

Take care

Answer 3

I play ultra-tight early on. I'll play AA, KK, QQ, AK, or AQ and that's it, unless I'm in the big blind and nobody has raised it (duh). If it's a very tight table I might play pocket jacks if I can limp in. Early in a tournament you'll see people chasing, raising with nothing, and generally playing like donkeys. Let them weed themselves out. The other night I entered a tournament with 1600 people in it and got disconnected after the first hand. I wasn't able to reconnect. My empty chair finished in 153rd place. So I outlasted 90% of the field and I wasn't even there! The general consensus is to play slow, fast, slow, fast. Start off slow, speed up about a quarter of the way through and build your stack. Slow down when you're near the money and the short stacks are panicking, speed up when you're in the money and go for the win!

Answer 4

Never go broke on one pair. Never go all in before the flop(unless AA or KK). Limp in and try to catch a hand cheap when in position. Play tight, it will almost assure you of making it through 75% of the field....by which time all of the idiots who chase straights and flushes will be gone. All that being said, it is still hard as hell to win a Holdem tourney with 50 or more people.....so I'd take up Backgammon instead.....it's cheaper.

Answer 5

If you are talking a hold em tourn, I always sit back and let the foolish pot chasers (lotto players) take themselves out first. Then when it gets down to some decent players I play cautiously until I get a good feel. I was told by the best player I ever met, You never play to win, you always play not to lose until you get down to the final 4 or less.

Answer 6

Early on, its important to play a lot of hands as cheaply as possible. In no limit, you can knock people out with a cheap pot to begin the hand. There are other methods of play, but this works well.

Answer 7

dude, you ask way too many questions. get online and play for nickles. pretend every nickle is a five dollar bill and start learning from your mistakes. most of your questions are silly...limit it to 3 questions a week....

Answer 8

call everything. always.only raise if you have an amazing hand.