No Limit Hold'em Tournament Ideas

Bob Ciaffone, A well-known poker player and the author of several poker books, lays out a two- part strategy for success in no-limit holdem tournaments. He writes that at the start of a tournament when you have a lot of chips and small blinds, that you should be fairly conservative and pay close attention to your table position. He suggests the you don't raise with hands like A-K or 10-10 in the cutoff or button positions at this stage of the tournament. He also states that you should call with suited connectors like 7-6s on the button and occasionally call a small raise with these hands if there are players between you and the raiser. This early strategy increases your chances of making it to later rounds in the tournament.

For later round play (like the sixth round and up), Ciaffone has two very different rules of play. Rule #1 is that when you're going to play, you either go all in or fold your hand. With the high blinds at this level, one must play with commitment. You have a huge advantage (or overlay) over players who don't understand this concept and leak their chips in smaller increments.

Rule #2 deals with the desirability to win uncontested pots. Whenever in late position, take advantage of the blinds and raise whenever everyone has folded in front of you. Unless the opponents in the blinds have an overpair to your hand they won't usually call you. Raising in this position is much better than calling and hoping you'll get lucky with mediocre holdings.

This simple strategy in no-limit hold'em tournaments should increase your advancement to more final tables and who knows, maybe you'll win a big one!!

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