Tournament Poker Strategy: A Complete Guide For Every Stage

Poker tournaments are different from poker cash games. In a standard tournament, all players pay a fixed buy-in (along with a “rake” or casino fees) and start with the same number of chips. And, unlike cash games, where you play at a single table, tournaments are played over multiple tables with anywhere from 50 to thousands of players participating. 

So, you can imagine the thrill of winning a tournament, where you can potentially beat thousands of players! However, with so many people in action, coming out on top is quite difficult. You will need a solid tournament poker strategy to make it to the final tables.

Below, we give you a comprehensive guide on how to win poker tournaments. There are multiple factors to keep in mind at every stage. Let us break it down for you. 

The Basics of Tournament Poker Strategy

The first objective of tournaments is to avoid losing all your chips. That’s because most tournaments don’t have a rebuy option, so if you’re out, you’re out. The next, and most important objective is to survive long enough in the game to make it into the payout structure.

For example, let’s say the total prize pool of a tournament is $500,000 with 500 players participating. The payout structure dictates that 20% of the field would get paid. This means 100 players can cash out. The payout increases as you progress to the advanced stages, and the stakes get higher. However, to survive till the later stages, you would constantly need to tweak your live poker tournament strategy.

Why Tournaments Require a Different Approach

Poker tournaments present a unique set of challenges compared to cash games, so your approach needs to be different. 

The blinds increase over time – sometimes every 20 minutes – so you are forced to play aggressively as the tournament progresses. This is where the pressure builds and many players start making mistakes. If you have a short stack, your primary strategy should be to avoid unnecessary risks like going all-in.

Moreover, all tournaments have early, middle, and late stages, and strategy needs to be adjusted at every stage. You simply can’t play each stage the same way, like in a cash game. In the early stage, the blinds are small, so there’s no need to take big risks to increase your stack. However, in the later parts, as the blinds become bigger, some risks can be worth it.

The Role of Variance in Your Tournament Poker Strategy

If you flip a coin, theoretically, your chance of winning would be 50–50. However, if you are on a streak of bad luck, you might win only three times out of ten. This is called variance, which shows how real results vary from expected results.

In simple terms, you can call it the “ups and downs” in your game. Variance can give you extended periods of both winning and losing, despite having weak/strong hands. You should note that variance only has a short-term impact, and in the long term, a solid multi-table tournament strategy is the only way to achieve consistent results.

Variance matters a lot in tourneys because as the blinds increase, the value of each hand can fluctuate. While you may not be able to eliminate variance completely, you can beat it in two ways:

• Study and learn more about the game to increase your win rate.
• Play more games to manage variance over time.

Swings are inevitable in the game of poker. However, your patience, skills, and decision-making under pressure can have a much greater impact on your results.

Early Stage Poker Tournament Strategy

Playing Style: Tight-Aggressive

The stacks are big in the early stages compared to the blinds. Inexperienced players might play marginal hands thinking they can see the flop cheaply. However, the gameplay should be the opposite – play tight, wait for good hands, and exploit the loose games of other players.

For example, a poker tournament starts with 10/20 blinds and you have 1500 chips. This means you have 75 BBs (big blinds) that you must spread across the entire tournament. So, don’t risk trying to steal early on, unless you’re really good at calling bluffs. Also, at this time the variance is usually high as inexperienced players become impatient with their hands.

Pass up on stealing the blinds with weak and marginal hands in the early stages. Play only strong hands like high pairs (double tens to double aces), and Broadway cards (A–K and A–Q).

Waiting for a good hand also has another benefit. Other players will see you as a “rock” who plays safe. This gives you an opportunity to play a steal or a bluff in the later stages against them.

Common Mistakes to Avoid Early On

• Don’t overcommit to marginal hands. You might be tempted to see a flop with a hand like K-10 or J-9, however, these hands can easily put you in difficult spots when the flop hits.
• Don’t ignore your position when deciding whether to raise or fold. Players farthest from the dealer button have late positions, and have an advantage post-flop. If you are in a late position, you have a chance of winning even with a weak hand.
• Another key mistake to avoid is misjudging pot odds. This is the ratio of the current size of the pot to the cost of a contemplated call. Will you make enough if you call? If not, then calling is a bad decision.
• Don’t play too many hands as part of your beginner poker tournament strategy.
• Don’t just concentrate on your own hand; analyse what the other players might hold.
• Go after the loose players. For example, if your table is passive and people are folding frequently, you can take advantage by raising more often.

Middle Stage Poker Tournament Strategy

Playing Style: Aggressive

Your tournament poker strategy should change as you enter the middle stage. This is when the field shrinks as inexperienced players start getting knocked out. This is also when the blinds start increasing, and the pressure to accumulate chips intensifies.

The key to surviving this stage depends on how big your stack is. Let’s say you have a moderate stack size to play 40–60 BBs. You have enough chips to steal blinds. Raise from a late position. You can attack with a wide variety of hands like Broadway combinations, pairs, suited connectors, and K-Q combinations. Don’t be afraid to go for a 3-betting range at this time with your best hands and an occasional weaker hand. 3-betting means raising again after a player makes a raise. Other players will be forced to call or fold.

However, at this stage, you will be under attack from both small and large-stack players. Small-stack players will go all-in more frequently, in a last-ditch effort to increase their chips. On the other hand, big stacks will have enough chips to defend their blinds. 

If you find yourself with a short stack at the middle stage, be more cautious about risking too many chips. Raise or call only when you have a clear advantage.

Targeting Weak Players

Weak players will often “limp” – or call the Big Blind instead of raising. This often means they don’t have any multi-table tournament strategy, making them easy targets post-flop.

Weak players also frequently defend weak hands instead of folding – a clear sign they don’t fully understand hand strength.

Now, once you’ve identified the weak players, it is easy to apply pressure with aggression. Raise and re-raise – forcing them to make tough decisions. Most will cave under pressure and fold. 

Another way to exploit loose players is by trapping them. If you hold a strong hand, you can slow-play it with check or call. Loose players may go all-in, thinking they have the best hand.

Late-Stage Poker Tournament Strategy

Playing Style: Fearless

Skill plays a critical role in the late-stage of poker tournaments. Here, your focus should be on identifying specific situations rather than waiting for a good hand. You need to:

• Play fearlessly.
• Act decisively.
• Use a solid advanced poker tournament strategy.
• Don’t fear the consequences during this stage, because every move is worth the risk.

Approaching the Bubble

In simple terms, a bubble consists of the total number of players that will be paid. For example, if the payout structure in a game with 100 players is 20%, this means 20 players will enter the “bubble” – or the safe zone where you are assured of a winning amount. Imagine, you are in the late stage with 21 players left. Only one player has to be eliminated for you to be “in the money”.

It is a critical stage, where your survival and elimination hinges on a single decision. There’s a lot of pressure here, so you need to adjust your strategy. This is not the time to hold on to your chips. You’ll see a lot of players going all-in for the final seat at the table.

On the other hand, some players keep it tight to avoid busting before the payout. This can give you a chance to steal blinds and increase your chip stack with no resistance.

Try these poker tournament strategies based on your stack size:

• Big stack: Be a “bully” and keep raising. Players would most likely fold rather than risk losing the bubble.
• Medium stack: Focus on selective aggression – bluff occasionally but don’t overcommit to weak hands.
• Short stack: It’s an all or nothing mode, so you need to look for opportunities to double up by going all-in.

Once you’re in the bubble, the next stage is the final table.

Shifting Gears at the Final Table

Once you’re in the bubble, the next goal is to maximize your payout. Now, it’s no longer about survival as you are assured of a payout. 

At this point, everyone who has made it to the final table is likely an expert. So, now you should study your opponents carefully and see how they react to their hands. Is there a player who’s loosened up? Is someone folding almost every hand?

You’ll also spot some enthusiastic players eager to take down short-stacks. Keep folding weak hands and observe the table until a few players are gone. On the other hand, if the table is really tight, you can take a few risks and steal the blinds.

The best way to beat the odds is to look for any possible edge as a part of your poker tournament final table strategy. Remember, at this point, you should study the players, more than the cards.

ICM Considerations for Payouts

Your payout will depend on the “field” size, or the number of players participating in the multi-table tournament (MTT). However, how much every player receives depends on the ICM or Independent Chip Model. It’s a mathematical model that estimates your equity in the tournament. Simply put, the size of your chip stack (relative to other players at the final table) determines how much you’ll be paid.

ICM calculates the probability of each player’s ranking and tells you how much you can expect to win. Suppose, four players are left at the table and all have an equal equity of £250. When you take down a short-stack player in a cash game, you accumulate their chips and can it all out. However, in tourneys, your equity will only increase marginally as you still have to face two more players. 

Let’s say you have pocket 77s facing a player who is playing loose-aggressive. If you call and you win, you win a small equity. But if you call and you lose, you will lose £250. So, avoid busting out and dropping into a lower payout bracket. Balance aggression with careful, position-based decisions in your multi-table tournament strategy.

Online Poker Tournament Strategy

Online poker tournaments present unique challenges and opportunities compared to live multi-table tournaments or MTTs:

• Online games move much faster, as the dealing is automatic and there are betting timers.
• The quick pace means there are more hands played in a single session, which amplifies variance.
• The quick pace of online tourneys also demands more focus, attention, and snap decisions.
• When you are playing online, you can’t read a player’s physical “tells” – or signs that they may be bluffing. To overcome this, observe their betting patterns, timing, and player tendencies. For example, if someone is check-raising (first checking, then raising when an opponent bets) they may have a very strong hand.
• Players play at multiple tables at the same time in online tourneys, so their attention may be diluted.

Utilizing Technology for Online Tournaments

• Use a heads-up display (HUD) to collect statistics about your opponents. The desktop app overlays your poker table and gives information on recent games. 
• A Poker Tracker will help you track and study your games and mistakes.
• An ICM calculator will show you how much equity you have once you are in the bubble.
• A poker tournament variance simulator can calculate variance for multi-tables.
• Poker tournaments can go on for several hours, and your mind may start wandering, especially when you are on a streak of bad hands. Take notes on a notepad to stay focused and learn about your opponent.

Specialized Poker Tournament Strategies

Poker tournaments have several formats:

• Live multi-tables,
• Online multi-tables,
• And Satellite tournaments where the prize is entry to a larger, more expensive tournament.

Poker Satellite Tournament Strategy

Satellite tournaments rarely have cash prizes. Instead, they award seats to larger events. So, everyone’s main goal in this tournament is survival, instead of chip accumulation. You simply have to outlast a portion of the field. 

• Play conservatively and keep folding till you see a strong hand.
• Avoid calling an all-in, because keeping your chips intact till you reach the bubble is important.
• Don’t confront larger stacks and the chip leader who can afford to play aggressively. 
• Start playing more hands when you reach the end game, as everyone will be under pressure and likely to make mistakes.

Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) Strategy

Multi-table tourneys have knockout rounds – once you’re out of chips, you can’t rebuy. So, you may think holding on to the chips is the best strategy. However, only a small field gets paid in MTTs, so you need to climb to the top 10–20% to be in the money. Don’t play to survive and creep into the money.

Take more risks at multi-tables. The dealer button moves clockwise to give each player a fair position to play. If you are in an early position (next to the dealer button), play only strong hands, and if you’re in a late position, you can afford to bluff since you’ve seen how everyone is reacting to their hand.

Mental resilience is very important to survive MTTs. Because of mathematical variance, you cannot reach every final table. So, play with a calm mind and acknowledge that in the long run, playing more will improve your game.

Advanced Poker Tournament Strategy Tips

To reach the final table, use these advanced poker tournament strategies that go beyond basic play: 

• Location is important. Table seating is randomly generated online, however, offline, you can choose to sit where you like. Choose a spot to the left of a “fish” or an inexperienced/ unskilled player. This makes it easier to isolate them by raising and forcing them to fold.
• Use the 3-bet strategy to dominate the table. The first player makes the opening bet (Small Blind), the next player raises (Big Blind), and you, the third player, raise again. This is called 3-bet. A large 3-bet is likely to push players out.
• Don’t limp before the flop (the community cards or the cards the dealer lays down face up.) If you are in it for the big win, go for a raise.
• Use semi-bluffing. This is when you compare your hole cards (two cards in hand) with the community cards and decide if bluffing is the best option. Wait for the Turn (fourth community card) or the River (fifth card) before deciding to bluff.
• Shove (going all-in) when you have a strong hand, or are keen to double up your short stack. If your table is tight, your opponents are more likely to fold to your aggressive play.

Become a Tournament Poker Champion

Mastering a tournament poker strategy will take time, patience, and practice. Prioritize chip preservation in the early stages, and open up your game as you reach the middle and late stages. However, you should keep adapting your strategy depending on how many TAGs and LAGs (tight-aggressive and loose-aggressive players) are at your table.

When the bubble approaches, focus on survival. And at the final table, take it a little slow, and wait for weak players to be eliminated.

Ultimately, variance and luck will determine how many times you make it to the final table. Till then, keep refining your tournament poker strategy, and stay disciplined with your gameplay.