Rebuy Poker Tournaments

Everyone knows that in tournament poker that if you want to win, you have to have all of the chips.  So it stands to reason that you need to get involved in your fair share of pots in order to increase your chip stack.  But in re-buy tournaments, is it better to stay tighter earlier?  There are a great number of factors that must weigh into this decision.

Because of their structure, Re-buy tournaments offer much higher guaranteed prize pools than single buy in tournaments with the same field size.  This is because players who lose all of their chips have the option of purchasing more chips.  For example, a typical a re-buy tournament would be a starting stack of 1000 chips for lets say a $5 buy in.  At anytime in the tournament, you can purchase a re-buy if you lose all of your chips to another player.  To re-buy chips, it will cost you another $5.  But here's where a lot of additional prize pool money comes into play, as most re-buy tournaments offer double or triple re-buys, which means that if you go bust, you can purchase 1000 chips for $5, 2000 chips for $10, and 3000 Chips for $15.  All of this money gets added into the prize pool.

Additionally, most re-buy tournaments offer an "Add on period."  Once the re-buy period is over, you can "Add On" to your stack for another amount of pre-determined money.  In the above example, it would often be possible to add another 1000 chips for another $5, or something along those lines.

Re-buy tournaments are notorious for their early loose-aggressive play, because players have the option of simply purchasing more chips if they go bust.  Given this option, they are more likely to get all their chips in with much more marginal hands.  So if you have a very strong hand, it's almost always advised to get all your chips in to get the most value from your hand.

When you're considering whether to play in a re-buy tournament, there are a few items to consider prior to, and while you are playing:

1)      How much money are you willing to invest in re-buys and add-ons?  It is extremely rare that you will be in a position at the end of the re-buy period and not need more chips.  Because of the fast and aggressive nature of the tournament, you should budget for the tournament according to your bankroll to accommodate for this.  Remember, you need all the chips to win the  Poker tournament, and the players with the most chips can provide the most pressure.

2)      Open up your game.  In order to counter the aggressiveness of your opponent, you are going to have to play more hands.  Get ready to mix it up and expect some random behaviors early in the tournament during the re-buy period.

3)      Your chip stack relative to the blinds.  If you're playing at a level of say 400/800, and you are re-buying only 2000 chips, you're basically adding money to the pot as a short stack.  Once the blinds go up to a level that leaves the Re-buys short, you may be better served walking away if you bust.

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Going All-In

Towards the end of the game, in Texas Hold'em poker, a player's options are scarce. The final decisions are the most crucial ones, as making the wrong ones can cost you a lot. In such a situation, many players prefer going all-in. And why not? If you are confident about the strength of your cards and are playing to win, some rick has to be taken and going all-in is just the type of risk that can get you to the big pots. You will either win or be off the table with an empty pocket.

Although, going all-in seems to be an attractive idea with all the risk and element of luck involved in it, making the right decision about taking this step is crucial. As I mention before, this step will either give you the big advantage or will drive you off the table. The most important factor involved in making the right decisions is observation and anticipation. You have to watch the table and watch it well. You have to try to know the playing styles of all you opponents and have an idea of the type of cards that they may possess. If you are keeping a good eye on the table, you will know when you have to take make this move when you:

Are convinced :  If you have been keeping an eye on the moves of your opponents and the cards on the table, you will have an idea of the types of cards in possession of the players on the table. If you are convinced that you, of all players, have the strongest hand, then you should make this move. If you presumption is correct and you do turn out to have the best cards, you will have the big advantage. However, the important thing to remember here is that every player will try his best to avoid giving away his hand and thus it is very much possible that you get the wrong idea about a player or two's hands. In such a case, you risk can make you sink. So, make the decision only when you are truly convinced and have your reasons to be so.

Have Convinced : You may not have the best cards on the table, but you can surely bluff your way into making others think that you do. If you think that you have done that successfully, then you should go all in. In such a case, you can knock off your opponents. But, like in the first case, here too, you can be wrong about your assumption and so, special care should be taken, before making such a decision

Have your aim on one of the opponents : If you think that one of your opponents is weak and you have a good chance of eliminating him with your aggression, you should make this move. In such a case, if you have timed your move right, you will easily devour his chips. But in case you have got your timing wrong, you may just have to bear the big loss.

Are low on chips : If you don't have many chips in your stack and you think you don't have much to loose if you go down, you should go for it. Go all-in, with confidence and if luck favors you, you will get the chips. Also, if you have a very few chips in hand, going all-in becomes the only sensible option, at times.

As is clear from all the points mentioned above, the most important thing about going all in, is making the right decision at the right time. The concept may sound simple, but it will take time and practice to be mastered.

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Rebuy Poker Tournaments – How to play them

Everyone knows that in tournament poker that if you want to win, you have to have all of the chips.  So it stands to reason that you need to get involved in your fair share of pots in order to increase your chip stack.  But in re-buy tournaments, is it better to stay tighter earlier?  There are a great number of factors that must weigh into this decision.

Because of their structure, Re-buy poker tournaments offer much higher guaranteed prize pools than single buy in tournaments with the same field size.  This is because players who lose all of their chips have the option of purchasing more chips.  For example, a typical a re-buy tournament would be a starting stack of 1000 chips for lets say a $5 buy in.  At anytime in the tournament, you can purchase a re-buy if you lose all of your chips to another player.  To re-buy chips, it will cost you another $5.  But here's where a lot of additional prize pool money comes into play, as most re-buy tournaments offer double or triple re-buys, which means that if you go bust, you can purchase 1000 chips for $5, 2000 chips for $10, and 3000 Chips for $15.  All of this money gets added into the prize pool.

Additionally, most re-buy tournaments offer an "Add on period."  Once the re-buy period is over, you can "Add On" to your stack for another amount of pre-determined money.  In the above example, it would often be possible to add another 1000 chips for another $5, or something along those lines.

Re-buy tournaments are notorious for their early loose-aggressive play, because players have the option of simply purchasing more chips if they go bust.  Given this option, they are more likely to get all their chips in with much more marginal hands.  So if you have a very strong hand, it's almost always advised to get all your chips in to get the most value from your hand.

When you're considering whether to play in a re-buy tournament, there are a few items to consider prior to, and while you are playing:

1)      How much money are you willing to invest in re-buys and add-ons?  It is extremely rare that you will be in a position at the end of the re-buy period and not need more chips.  Because of the fast and aggressive nature of the tournament, you should budget for the tournament according to your bankroll to accommodate for this.  Remember, you need all the chips to win the tournament, and the players with the most chips can provide the most pressure.

2)      Open up your game.  In order to counter the aggressiveness of your opponent, you are going to have to play more hands.  Get ready to mix it up and expect some random behaviors early in the tournament during the re-buy period.

3)      Your chip stack relative to the blinds.  If you're playing at a level of say 400/800, and you are re-buying only 2000 chips, you're basically adding money to the pot as a short stack.  Once the blinds go up to a level that leaves the Re-buys short, you may be better served walking away if you bust.

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Grinding a Bankroll Using SNGs

Sit and go tournaments, or SNGs, as they are familiarly called, can be a good way for players who enjoy this format of poker games to win a regular, steady stream of winnings. Players who get a steady income from sit and go tournaments are called SNG grinders, and they play several tables at once in the tournaments that have a low to average stake. Sit and go tournaments grinders often win several thousand dollars a month – it can be a profitable way of playing online poker.

How does one become a successful sit and go tournament grinder? It is not difficult, but a certain amount of time and commitment, discipline and determination are required. There are some points to bear in mind, and some things that can cost a sit and go tournament grinder a lot of money – these errors should be avoided.
The first, most basic mistake a beginner player should avoid is giving in to the temptation of moving up into high stake sit and go tournaments. It is important not to over-extend oneself; to move up one step at a time, and to move back to a lower level if one is not successful at the higher level sit and go tournaments.
And what are the factors that an aspiring Sit and go tournament grinder should take into account? The first thing is bankroll management. The player should have a good bankroll in order to steer clear of a bust in case of a run of particularly bad luck. Such protection is vital and the importance of bankroll management cannot be overestimated – ups and downs in the game happen to every poker player and it is best to be prepared for the downs at any time. A player shouldn't have to be concerned about money when he or she is making crucial decisions during the tournament.

Those who want to become Sit and go tournament grinders should remember that multi tabling sit and go tournaments can bring in healthy profits. So an SNG grinder should be skilled at multi tabling – in fact, this should not be attempted unless one has the necessary skills and confidence. Consider using tiled or cascaded views, ors sets as opposed to continual. When a player is multi tabling at a sit and go tournament, it is a good idea to move back to a single table if things are not going well. During multi tabling, the number of buy ins needed should be multiplied by 1.5.

Another good idea is to go online to find an SNG coach. Players can find low limit or middle limit coaches to help them with their sit and go tournament games.

Math plays an important role in an SNG grinder's success. A player should know how to make ranges and equity based decisions based on better profitability. Push / fold poker strategies should also be used effectively.

The most important thing, though, is that a player should enjoy SNGs and understand the mechanics of these tournaments well.

We recommend FullTilt Poker for a perfect place to grind SNG´s.

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How to Play Late On In MTT's

The practice of playing multi table tournaments or MTT's has been gaining momentum over the recent years with a large number of participants opting for online poker games. Multi table games are those where the players take part in poker games at more than one table. This means the player will be active in more than one game; many players often play six at a time.

While a single table tournament played online creates a huge interval between the games, the player can make use of this time gap to try out his luck by playing on other tables. The middle and concluding part of the game are highly crucial in multi table tournaments.

This article aims to provide some hints on how to play late in multi table tournaments.

• Ensure survival: Playing to ensure survival is the primary step to be taken towards getting to the last stages of the tournament. Playing tight and gaining over the chips held by others can improve a player's position towards reaching the 'bubble'. The more chips that are in one's possession, the greater the chances are for guaranteeing this player's position during the bubble. The Bubble is the state of the game wherein the player who is next in line to quit the game will fail to win any money while the rest will gain a portion of the same.

• Play aggressively: After having ensured one's survival during the initial and mid level of the game by playing tight and having collected as many chips as possible, the player can start displaying aggressiveness as the game progresses. If the player has a good hand, aggressive play can be managed by buying the blinds when they are large and doubling up with premium hands. When the number of players at the table lessens, playing more hands will turn out to be advantageous.

• Poker psychology: Closely observing the playing moves and facial expressions of one's opponents might give one an insight into the strength of the opponents' cards. Be careful when resorting to bluffs at this stage, as it might turn the cards in favour of either player. Calling a bluff towards the end of the game when one is not in the custody of good cards will be fatal for the player.

• Think before a raise: The player should refrain from calling a raise unless he is assured of a good hand of cards. Being in possession of the top rated cards gives one the opportunity to go in for the kill and re-raise with an all-in.
• Steal Blinds: Steal blinds with decent hands if you have good cards. When the others tighten up their positions with the blinds, steal it from them especially when you have a good stack of cards.
• Call a pre-flop raise at the right opportunity: Towards the end of the game, the player should remain cautious and ensure that he is not the one to call a large pre-flop raise. But on having a very good hand the player should go in for the kill and make a re-raise, thus putting more pressure on the opponents forcing them to go for an all-in.
Using well timed aggression and making wise decisions are crucial factors towards making it to the last stages of a multi table tournament.

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How to play the first hour in low stake MTT

The first hour in the MTT is, in my opinion, the hardest type of online poker tournament there is. You will have fish and donkeys surrounding you normally, playing appalling poker but it is so hard to dodge all the bad beats it normally takes a small miracle to avoid one. Of course all the bad play can be a great advantage if you are hitting the cards and raking in the chips, but if you are not, it can be a very long hour.

First of all I would advise playing very tightly for the first thirty minutes or so. This is where the bad players will make the game into double or nothing practically every hand and they often are not strong at all.

I would recommend not calling unless you have a top 5 hand as it is likely you will be facing more then one caller which will cut your odds of winning the pot dramatically. After that hectic thirty minutes, play should settle down and the worst players will hopefully be out and you can continue to play normal poker once more.

You will now have a huge chip deficit to the top player, unless you were fortunate enough to win a few double ups along the way, and you now need to gain some ground. Blind levels will have risen three times by now which normally makes them around 25/50 which is the type of level you need to start stealing blinds. This is a great way to cover ground and because you will not have played many games, you will have a tight image which means your raises will be more respected and stealing pots will become much easier.

You will need to steal pots when in position. The optimum position for stealing pots is the button, but any late stage is good enough. You will want to steer clear of raising pots against players with sizeable chip stacks and players who will likely call you no matter what. You may also need to try and double up if you are still far behind and will need to find the right hand and timing to do so.

Once you are approaching the break, your stack should hopefully have risen substantially from stealing pots and taken down a few hands and you will be in a comfortable position. You now need to start playing more aggressively as players generally start to tighten up when they discover the break is nearing.

This is because they do not want to be eliminated right before the break and will know they have wasted and hour of their time if they do so. Therefore targeting players with below average chip stacks will often result in more success and more chips to add to your stack.

Now the break has approached you should be in a good position on the leader board and able to pursue the top spots as the final stage of the tournament. Oh, you may also take a well earned break, get a drink and relax for five minutes before the tournament starts back up.

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