One of the favorite moves of tournament players is definitely going all-in, that is, betting all of their chips. Although many disagree, this strategy, if used at the right time and in the right way, can be very profitable, while if done without planning, it can be a disaster. Knowing when to use the all-in is essential for this to be a profitable move.
Before we get into a deeper discussion, let’s address one of the worst strategies out there: going all-in in the early stages of a tournament. Many people do this in the hopes of doubling up, but the problem with this situation is simple. When you commit all your chips to the pot, everyone knows you have a decent hand. Players usually do this with pairs, such as pocket jacks (JJ), which ends up only getting called by better hands like QQ, KK, and AA and potentially getting eliminated early.
With that said, planning an all-in can work wonders. One of the things that separates a good player from a great one is knowing when to go all-in. Here’s a quick guide to help you determine what kind of hands are good for all-in.
Final stage of the tournament (with a tight/conservative image)
If you've been playing tight throughout the tournament, your opponents have probably noticed that you're only playing good hands. You can use this against them and take advantage of the all-in move to steal the blinds. If you're on the button and everyone has folded to you, don't be afraid to push your chips with Axs or pairs against decent players. Always remember that it's much harder to call an all-in than it is to go all-in.
All-in against skilled players
The all-in strategy is great for players who are strapped for cash. When you are playing against high-skill players who can beat you post-flop, going all-in pre-flop can be a good strategy. While this strategy can have side effects on you, it can be profitable if executed against the right player at the right time.
If you are in a situation where you are certain that you have an opponent who is much “stronger” than you, it may be more worthwhile to apply pressure by putting him all-in than to make a standard raise, go to the flop and end up losing a good part of your stack after receiving a raise or something like that.
The bubble
While this also applies to the later stages of a tournament, the situation is a little different. During tournaments, players tend to become increasingly tight as they get closer to the money. This is a great time to apply the all-in strategy and build up a good stack. If you can significantly increase your stack at this stage, you will greatly increase your chances of winning the tournament.
If you want to become a winning MTT player, you can’t be afraid to put all your chips on the table. The next time an opponent raises, you can say “I’m all-in” knowing that you’re doing it in the right situation.
Let's be clear that the all-in strategy generally applies when your stack (or effective stack) is short to medium (somewhere around 5~20 big blinds). If you and your opponent both have 30 or more big blinds the situation changes and post-flop may be necessary.
Article translated and adapted from the original: Tournament Concepts: Going all-in
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I really liked the article about all in being the Achilles heel of any conservative player, but you can't escape it, you have to play anyway, but in the final phase of tournaments, it's not worth taking the risk if you don't have a really monster hand, like AA, KK, AK, and JA, preferably if it's a good "face" AK's and JA's if not, waiting for the flop is healthy.