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Transitioning to the Big Leagues |
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Imagine this all-too-familiar scenario: after winning enough pots against his poker buddies in home games, a man decides to try his luck in a game where the stakes are significantly greater: high-stakes tournament poker.
After going through the registration process and forking up the necessary buy-in amount, the game begins and he is called to a table with nine other people. All nine are unfamiliar faces; each with his or her own unique style of play. So then, how does he go about adjusting from the comforts of friendly home games with little on the line to the challenging world of high-stakes tournament play with total strangers?
The answer is relatively simple, but it requires an assortment of tools the newcomer must use. The first may be obvious; nevertheless, it is very important in any poker game: patience. For example, it’s perfectly okay to sit out the first few hands, even if you have a playable hand such as A-10, A-J, or a middle pair like pocket 7’s or 8’s. But, you say, ‘I play those hands all the time! Why should I fold them now?’ Well, the answer is this: by folding hands such as these, you will buy yourself more time while the other players around you start dropping from the tournament. By waiting for the right hand, you will maximize your odds of winning, if faced with an all-in situation.
Also, another reason to fold early and often is this: you will have more time to analyze the play and gather information from your opponents (besides, those hands like A-10 and 7-7 aren’t as great as you might think, but I’ll save that explanation for another article). So use the time to watch for any patterns or repetitions amongst the other players. Is one of the players always raising the pot in dealer position? He may be trying to steal the blinds. Is another player always folding her cards after a raise? She is likely waiting for a very strong hand before taking a chance on a raise. Is another player making consistent raises pre-flop, from any table position? He is likely raising with marginal hands, simply because he enjoys seeing multiple flops. At any rate, no matter the situation, you will be able to learn valuable information from your opponents simply by sitting out the first few hands. Of course, if you are dealt a strong hand such as A-K, or a high pocket pair like A-A, K-K, or Q-Q, by all means play them.
Another tool the newcomer can use is what I like to call table discretion, or, the Chameleon Effect. Essentially, the Chameleon Effect occurs when a new player is able to blend into his surroundings at the table in order to maximize his chances of winning. For example, if a new player plays only a slim number of hands and takes only a few pots in the early stages of the game, he can survive longer while remaining a relative unknown at the table. Then, after a reasonable number of hands, the player can alter his style of play by becoming more aggressive with his frequency of pre-flop raises and calls, for example. By mixing up his game, the newcomer will keep his opponents guessing as to what type of player he is, while simultaneously allowing him the opportunity to collect more chips.
So, if you’re thinking about ‘graduating’ from home games to tournament poker, make sure you consider adding these tools to your poker arsenal first.
By Michael Patrick Holmes |
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