Gameplay & Strategy

Winning a Online Poker Tournament

Because of the lockdown of 2020, many people sought online casino platforms as a safer and more convenient alternative. This led to the drastic rise of online gamblers all throughout 2020 and this was a trend that continued into 2021 as well. Nothing could stop avid gamblers from flocking to Australia online casinos as a way to pass the time while staying cooped up indoors throughout the pandemic. Of course, there are a variety of different casino games which were considered to be crowd favorites. But one particular casino game stayed popular all throughout the pandemic was poker. Naturally, this game has been beloved for many centuries now. 

One particular style of playing poker online is through tournament games. Sure, straight-up cash games tend to be the most popular playing style. But the poker tournaments offer a different kind of rush and adrenaline. Fortunately for poker players, there are a lot of the top real money casinos online offer tournaments, practically on a weekly basis. If you’re looking to get lucky while playing these tournaments online, then there are a few tips that you need to follow. Remember that tournaments can’t be played like regular cash games. There are a few things that you need to keep in mind if you want to win.

First, you need to be prepared with your endurance. Poker tournaments aren’t like cash games wherein you can just quit in the middle whenever you’re feeling tired. These tournaments can last for hours. Some tournaments can even last for days. This is why it’s important for you to always be prepared to embrace the grind of a full-on tournament. Make sure that you have some snacks nearby to keep you satiated while playing.

Next, you have to start off slowly. You can’t just come out with guns blazing and expect to come out on top. That’s the quickest way for you to come out short-stacked right at the beginning. What you want to do at the start is methodically build your stack while waiting for other people to fall out of the tournament one at a time. Play safe and just keep things tight. Play hands that you know you can win and sit out hands that are kind of iffy. There’s no need to swing for the fences early in a tournament. However, if you find yourself holding the nuts, don’t be afraid to bet big. It can be very advantageous to have a big stack during the early stages of a tournament.

Another thing you want to keep in mind is that you will probably go through a series of highs and lows. Since the tournament can take a long while to finish, it’s likely that you will find yourself going through some high streaks and low streaks. Given that, it would be best for you be aggressive and take advantage of your high streaks. But also, learn how to ride out and stay patient during your low streaks. It’s about peaking at the right time.

When it comes to betting, always be prepared to fold big hands. Sometimes, it’s not just worth the risk. Even if you’ve already invested a bunch of your chips pre-flop, it’s best to cut your losses if you know that your hand isn’t that good. At the end of the day, you’re playing the long game here. You’re not trying to win everything in one go. When it comes to tournaments, it’s survival of the fittest. You want to survive and outlive everyone. There’s no need to be taking risks so early on.

Ramp things up towards the end when you’ve secured a moderately big stack and there are just a few of you left. Don’t be afraid of bullying people into submission with your big stack when you’re nearing the end of the tournament.