Nl Holdem Tournament Strategy

The following is a list of tournament Texas Hold'em strategy articles for the multi-table tournament (MTT) games as well as the smaller single-table tournament (STT) games.

ThePokerBank is more of a general and cash game strategy site than anything, but I thought that I would cover some basic tournament strategy for all of you interested in playing MTTs and STTs (Sit and Go tournaments).

Tournament Texas Hold'em strategy articles.

TitleLevelCategoryUtility
Basic MTT StrategyBeginnerTournament7/10
Basic SNG StrategyBeginnerTournament7/10
Poker ROIBeginnerTournament4/10
Turbo Tournament StrategyIntermediateTournament6/10
What Is The Independent Chip Model?ExpertTournament8/10
Using The Independent Chip ModelExpertTournament8/10

15 beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons in Texas Hold'em Multi Table Tournament (MTT) strategy at PokerStrategy.com, the world's leading online poker school. With this in mind, here are what I think my top five lessons would be for a new player trying to beat the $2-$5 no-limit hold’em games in Las Vegas. Don’t limp into pots ever.

Tournament strategy section highlights.

Important tournament strategy articles.

The independent chip model (ICM) articles are more advanced than the other tournament strategy articles on this site, but in my opinion they hold the most value for those that aspire to become very successful tournament players.

The what is ICM? article explains what ICM is all about and the using ICM article shows you how to use it. These articles essentially highlight the mathematics behind whether to call all-in or to fold and save your chips in the late stages of tournaments.

Other useful tournament strategy articles.

The basic SNG and basic MTT strategy articles are popular amongst new players looking to get started with some basic strategy for playing these specific variants of NL Hold'em. Even if you're an experienced cash game player, I would still recommend that you start with these articles.

If you're making the transition from cash games you have to be humble and be prepared to the learn the basics of tournament strategy, as the different game structures mean that the strategy you need to employ to be able to win money is more different than you might think.

This is another small strategy section, but as I mentioned earlier I'm mainly a cash game player so I tend to write more strategy for that particular form of Texas Hold'em. If you're after more tournament strategy I highly recommend you check out Sit and Go Planet. It's by far the best resource out there for MTT and SNG strategy.

Go back to the awesome Texas Hold'em Strategy.

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Top 10 No Limit Holdem Tips

Nl Holdem Tournament Strategy Games

In the last 10 years No Limit Hold’em has become the most popular game played in the world. Thanks in part to “TV Poker” and the massive Multi-Table Tournament prize pools. No Limit Cash Games and tournaments are now a permanent fixture in land based casinos as well, and it’s really not a big surprise. No Limit Poker Games allow players to be aggressive, they have lots of action, and of course you can win big pots.The flip side of no Limit Poker, is that you can also go broke in one hand.

To help you avoid going broke, you have put together this simple guide if the Top 10 No Limit Poker Tips, so the next NL game you play, you can be confident that you know what edges to exploit against your opponents, and what strategies you can use to your advantage. Below, you will find a list of tips that will be of immense value to all NL Holdem players who are just getting started with their career.

No Limit Holdem Tip #1 – Playing tight and aggressive is good

Most online grinders adopt a tight aggressive playing style because it works. By playing fewer hands it makes post flop play easier, since you will find yourself in fewer tough spots where you are unsure if you have the best hand.

No Limit Holdem Tip #2 – Adding deception to your game

Although a tight aggressive strategy is usually best, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t alter your strategy by sometimes entering pots with a raise with hands like suited connectors, or three betting with them, etc. Adding deception to your play can be extremely effective because your opponents will have a hard time putting you on hands when you hit, which will make it easier to get paid off.

No Limit Holdem Tip #3 – Never slow play your big hands

In no-limit hold’em, so many novice players tend to make the mistake of slow playing their big hands to trap an opponent. For example, instead of open raising with AA, an inexperienced player will just limp into the pot to try and set a trap, allowing other players with speculative hands to enter the pot and suck out on them. You only have the advantage with of the best hand holding AA preflop, on the flop it might just be another pair of overcards versus a straight or a flush, which can cost you a lot of money.

It’s never usually a good idea to slow playing your hand. Most players will call you with all kind of hands. You should observe the board texture to see if there are any potential draws out there. It would be a cardinal sin to give free cards on a draw heavy board, allowing your opponent to catch their draw at no cost.

Hold Em Tournament Strategy

That being said, it sometimes can be good to slow play, when there are no possible draws, and it’s impossible for your opponent to have a hand they can call with. In this situation, slow playing allows your opponent to hit a hand, allowing you to extract more value then had you bet straight away.

No Limit Holdem Tip #4 – Take advantage of the semi bluff

Bluffing is an important aspect of beating NL hold’em games. One of the easiest ways to incorporate a bluffing strategy into your game is by taking advantage of the semi bluff. Bluffing when you have zero outs to improve the hand is a bad idea, but when you have some out, like when you have a flush draw, even when you get called, you still have a decent chance of winning the hand, even though your intention is to take down the pot straight away.

No Limit Holdem Tip #5 – Pay close attention to your opponents

When playing in NL hold’em tournaments or cash games, you want to closely observe the other players at the table, so you know who’s playing loose or right, to get a better idea of their playing styles. It would be a bad idea trying to bluff a loose player, but if you can be confident your playing against a tight player and you find yourself in a heads up situation when you have nothing, but you sense weakness, it could be a good time to bluff. Your observant skills allowed you to win a pot you may not have won otherwise.

No Limit Holdem Tip #6 – Avoid bluffing bad players

It’s a good idea to refrain from trying to bluff bad players, because they are mostly only interested in their own hands, instead of what the betting of their opponents is trying to represent. For instance, if a player is willing to call you down with a bottom pair hand, getting folds from them is going to be extremely rare, and you should simply be looking to value bet against them.

No Limit Holdem Tip #7 – Position is extremely powerful

Play more hands in position then when you’re out of position, for the simple fact that position is more profitable in any poker games you play.

No Limit Holdem Tip #8 – Adjusting to your opponents

There is no black/white strategy to adopt in NL hold’em. Some players will be maniacs always looking to make bold bluffs, while other players will sit snug and only look to play big pots with big hands. As a poker player, you need to adjust to the different playing styles of your opponents, so that you can react to their actions in an optimal manner.

Nl Holdem Tournament Strategy
No Limit Holdem Tip #9 – Trap the maniac with a strong hand

Against a maniac who is playing loose and aggressively, it’s much better to check and set the trap when you have a strong hand, because it’s highly likely they will interpret this as a sign of weakness and will bet into you, perhaps even bluffing off their stack.

No Limit Holdem Tip #10 – Value bet calling stations

You should be doing this all day long when you have a decent made hand. Chances are they are calling with worse because they don’t know how to fold. The beauty of NL hold’em is you get to choose your bet sizes, so you can extract a ton of value with your value bets.

Other Top 10 Tips Articles: