No Limit tournament play necessitates the implementation of numerous strategies, and one of the most crucial aspects are the hands that should be played. By knowing how to properly play the starting hands in No Limit tournaments, your chances of taking the pot will significantly increase.
ContinueTournament poker is an extremely exciting way to potentially win a considerable amount of money for a little investment. In playing tournament poker, you always have to keep in mind that it is all about survival and chip accumulation. You always have to remember your goal and that is to move up the payout ladder.
ContinueVery often players competing in No Limit tournaments get so caught up in the action, or the pressure, that they end up forgetting their strategies. A lot of newcomers to No Limit tourneys think that the way to play is by going into the flop with the big hand and taking everyone out. That is incorrect.
The pertinent points of your No Limit strategy should be on the starting hands and the position you are in. Position is always crucial in Poker, but even more so in No Limit tournaments. When in the early position, or the first to act, only play with the best hands that you can get.
These include the Aces, pairs of Kings, Queens and Jacks, Ace/King and TTs. You can also include King and Queen and an Ace paired with a K,Q or J. Play only with these hands in early position, as you have no idea what the others have, so play it safe.
If you are in the middle position, you can play with a pair of nines, Ace/Ten, JT, QJ and AJ. As for other pairs, you should only play them if the odds are good that you can complete the set.
Here you will see the importance of knowing the pot odds. Under no circumstances should you even think of participating in a No Limit tourney without some knowledge of the odds you need to make a hand. If you get any other hands in a No Limit tournament game, fold them.
This is not copping out; it simply means that you are saving your money. Not only does it mean that you will have more cash to make the big raise when you get the nuts, but also, as you sit back, a lot of other players on the No Limit table will bust out. This will increase your chances of advancing.
This is something that a lot of players in No Limit tourneys do not realize. For them, folding implies weakness. In truth, it is a sign of a thinking player, someone who knows where to place his bets.
Playing in a No Limit tournament is no easy pickings, and will go a long way towards determining how far you have gone and even the the best players can fall by the wayside
However, by knowing the proper hands to play, and having the discipline to play only them, you will increase your chance of advancing to the very end.