From The Felt: Ryan’s Rules of Tournament Play
Monday, January 19, 2009 - John Greene
Instead of the UBOC (congratulations to the winners, whose names I’ve not seen yet as I am writing this on a plane,) this past weekend was spent at a private single-table tournament a friend of mine arranges every time we’re in Vegas together. It’s a pretty big game among friends, giving the winner a nice chunk of change, bragging rights for the next few months and a fantastically awful trophy that used to belong to a little league team. Sadly, I was knocked out early thanks to a beat so bad that Bruce Lee would have walked away dazed, but I got to be a bit of a railbird, sipping my drink and hanging out with my friends, and I got to watch some really great poker.
My pal Ryan is a model player, which is sort of disturbing to those who have spent more than one game around him. He’s meticulous, has no tell that anyone can find, and comes out winning more often than not. After he got knocked out by a bad beat handed down by the same person that got me into the whiskey early, we chatted a bit about how he plays and if he had any advice that I could use for my regular slot here. This is what he jotted down on a napkin.
1. “Play tight for the first two or three rounds.” While blind structures may vary, limping in with small and medium pairs has always worked better for him than making a splash, and he’s only bet heavy when being given a really great set. There’s a lot of players who want to make an impression early on by betting heavily on horrible starting hands, so take their money and play it close.
2. “Open up a bit after that.” Obviously, if you’re rocking a big stack after the first few rounds, you can be more aggressive, but you may find out you don’t need one. Players that are a rock for the first few hands at a tournament table tend to be given more leeway once they’ve established themselves. Pressure the smaller stacks, especially if you’re holding gold. Too many players aim at the larger stacks too early, but if you can pick out those below you, well, their chips are just as shiny.
3. “Relax and enjoy once you’re in the top three.” In general, single-table tournamets pay out if you’re in the top three, so really, play the game for the reason you first started: for fun. Sure, you shouldn’t play stupidly, but try to relax a bit and look at the game for what it is: a great way to pick up extra cash while having fun.
Where did rules like this get Ryan? He bought a new car out of his poker winnings last year and showed a net profit in his gaming after that, so, you know. He’s doing something right.
Tags: poker tournament tips, single-table tournament, tournament
