If you’re a tournament poker player, you’ve probably heard some of these five tips at some point in your life. This article will show you that some of the tips out there aren’t as good as they seem and could be reducing the quality of your game.
Tip #1: “You can find a better situation”
People often say that they can pass up some advantages in poker tournaments by arguing that they “can find a better spot.” Any spot that is +EV should be grabbed tightly. To maximize your expected value, you should make moves and put your chips in play in almost any +EV spot. Of course, there are exceptions, such as a satellite tournament where your seat is guaranteed, where folding AA in this case may be acceptable. To understand this better, consider this thought process. If someone offered you free money, would you turn it down on the grounds that you could get more from someone else?
No, you wouldn't turn someone down just because you thought someone else would offer more. There are no better situations. There are +EV situations and –EV situations. All +EV situations are the best!
Tip #2: “You need to avoid going all-in on coinflips”
As explained earlier, going all-in on a coinflip is not necessarily a bad situation, it's all based on expected value. If the situation was +EV against your opponent's range and ended up in a coinflip, it was just bad luck. You went all-in on a +EV situation, but were unlucky enough to find yourself in a 50%/50% situation. If you are the player deciding whether to call, going all-in on a coinflip might not be so bad either, the thinking goes the same way.
For example, you have a ton of chips and estimate that you have 45% equity over your opponent's range. Calling here should be +EV, after all the amount of chips you can win will turn the situation into a profitable one. To be clear, looking for coinflips is not what is being said in the article, but rather looking for +EV spots, if they end in a coinflip, oh well.
Tip #3: “Betting for information” or “Betting to protect my hand”
This plan is not a good one. You should never bet to gather information or to protect your hand. Both of these effects should not be the reason for betting. You should only bet to: get value, bluff or capitalize on “dead” money. Don’t be fooled when someone tells you to bet to gain information – the famous “know where you stand”.
Tip #4: “Poker tournaments are a matter of survival”
Poker tournaments should be played with the goal of making chips in every possible +EV situation. It's not about survival. You play a tournament to win, and to win you have to accumulate chips. Surviving will end up costing you hours of play for a low prize pool or even a bubble.
Tip #5: “Players with big stacks should avoid playing against other big stacks”
No, that's a lie. Players with big stacks should avoid getting into –EV situations against other big stacks, as a mistake in this situation could cost them their tournament life. In fact, –EV situations should be avoided against any player unless the number of chips in play outweighs the equity disadvantage.
Stay alert, watch the strategies, remember to keep acquiring knowledge in this game that changes all the time and try to think first about logic and then about the tips you hear at the poker tables.
Article translated and adapted from the original: Bad MTT Poker Tournament Strategy Advice
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