How to win your first Texas Hold'em Tournament

You've read all the books, followed all the systems (including the ones that contradict each other) and still can't get into the money. What you have to remember about online tournaments is that many of the players are not as skilled as the players you'd likely find in a live game and most of those instructional books and strategies are aimed at the live game. So let's forget, for the time being, how many outs you have and the statistical probabilities of a winning hand and concentrate on getting in the money. This is about survival at the tables not about becoming a legend. Your biggest obstacle will be to overcome the urge to bet on anything that resembles a good hand. Early Tournament Strategy This is the most crucial stage, because over half of the players will be eliminated; try not to get too involved as the ante will be low and even if you do not play a hand you will have lost very little 1. If you can't spot the worst player at the table within 10 minutes its YOU. 2. Play very cautiously at the beginning. Since the betting will be erratic and you don't have a read on all the players, don't go all in pre-flop. 3. Don't play a well-known system because it will not work at this stage of the game. 4. Half of the players will be eliminated within the first quarter of the tournament. Don't be one of them. 5. If you have the best hand let your opponents think they have the best hand by letting them lead the betting and hit them on the river if know you can not be beaten. 6. If you are not sure you have the best hand, make your opponents think you have. Bet aggressively (but not all in). Watch the betting and get out if they bet big, you don't want to pay to see if it's a bluff. 7. Don't go all in pre-flop, as some idiot will follow with 3,4 and beat your AA with 2 pairs. 8. The object of the early stage is to survive to the next stage and maybe pick up a few chips on the way. 9. The ante is small at the beginning but as it rises it will soon eat away at your chip stack. Only bet with AA KK QQ AK and AK-A10 suited if the betting has been raised pre-flop. 10. Try not to raise early to eliminate weaker hands as some novice players will not get the message and hit a good hand on the flop. Mid Tournament Strategy This is the time for some solid play to get into the lower prize money. 1. Remember you are now playing against good players but be on the look out for the bad player who got lucky. 2. Some of the players you are playing with will make the final table, so you want to give the impression that you are a tight solid player. 3. Don't worry about the amount of chips other players have accumulated, be patient and wait for the big hands. 4. The blinds will be quite high so only call with good cards. Position is everything. Use it. 5. If you have a good hand after the flop, make your opponents pay to stay. If your hand cannot be beaten, go all in. 6. Don't bluff. 7. If the flop does not help your hand, fold, unless you think your opponents hands have not improved (watch the betting). 8. Don't make it personal. Turn off the chat, as some players will try to intimidate you. It may be anti-social but you can chat as much as you want after the tournament. Final Table Now you can play your system if you wish or just follow the simple steps below 1. If you are chip leader, don't play too loose as the blinds are very high and you can loose a lot of your chips in just a couple of hands. 2. Try to steal the blinds by raising pre-flop with good cards. You must be bold and aggressive in your play. If you are not too confident then just call or fold. 3. If you have a short stack (=

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