Questions tagged [tournament]

Tournaments refer to poker games where players play until they run out of chips, with the last person having chips being the winner, the second to last taking second place, and so-on. There is no direct correlation between chip value and money - rather, players are paid based on their finish in the tournament.

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62 votes
8 answers
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How to deal with people who randomly go all-in?

In many freeroll or smaller buy-in tournaments, some people just go all-in every hand or make huge bets for no apparent reason. This is a bit annoying because it scares me somewhat, but it also might ...
Paolo's user avatar
  • 905
18 votes
9 answers
17k views

What's the optimum time to enter a tournament with late registration?

Lately there's been a significant growth in the number of tournaments that stay open for late registration. It's a good thing in that it allows a far greater number of entrants, and you don't have ...
Dom's user avatar
  • 1,256
17 votes
1 answer
606 views

Maximizing profit post-bubble

Had a few pleasant games in a particular tourney format: 9max NL normal speed/structure; NTT S-M field (~150); M-L buy-in (~$300); this runs often enough for me to have accumulated a sample of just ...
Oleg's user avatar
  • 719
16 votes
4 answers
2k views

How big an edge can you have on a tournament field ? ROI vs edge question

The situation: You are playing a deep stack tournament with 300BB starting stack. Let's suppose you have exactly 300% ROI in this field, in this specific tournament. UTG goes all-in on the first hand, ...
kissgyorgy's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
3k views

Does a bounty chop?

In a poker tournament with a bounty on a player, the all in player was against two others at the table. The two remaining players chopped the hand and beat the all in. We split the side pot and the ...
Andrei Freeman's user avatar
12 votes
7 answers
20k views

What are some examples of good, free poker tournament software? [closed]

I'm looking for a good and free software that will help me setup a poker tournament structure. The idea is to keep simple stats about the game in a screen available for everyone to see during the ...
chitty's user avatar
  • 491
12 votes
2 answers
692 views

Profitability of re-buys/add-ons when allowed

If you are not familiar with the format: such tournaments are (at least) available online, mostly in form of satellites to other tournaments etc. Basically the standard satellite structure with 1 ...
Oleg's user avatar
  • 719
11 votes
3 answers
1k views

Are There Good Points-Based Ways To Handicap Home Poker Tournaments?

Currently I am keeping points for my home tourney by assigning the following points: 1 point for play 1 point for each player knocked out before you 1 point for cashing 1 point for heads up 1 point ...
Andrei Freeman's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
269 views

How to stay alert during long tournaments

I was qualified for a $500.000 online tournament which starts in a few days. The tournament starts at 19:00 and blinds go up every 20 minutes so it's a slow tournament. This means that if I'm running ...
Jasper's user avatar
  • 246
10 votes
3 answers
6k views

Quantifying the amount of luck required to win a tournament

If we disregard deals, players accidentally mucking winning hands, and time-limited tournaments, in order to win a poker tournament, you must win the very last hand of the tournament. In order to win ...
TTT's user avatar
  • 699
10 votes
3 answers
2k views

When should you defend your big blind in tournament play?

Should you defend your blinds differently at different stages of a tournament? Meaning in the early stages should you defend a lot tighter and then get a bit looser as the tournament goes on. The ...
Gaz Winter's user avatar
  • 1,692
10 votes
2 answers
1k views

Looking for the BB/M math to build good NLHE Tourney Blind Structures

I'm running a home game and I want to better design NLHE Tourney Blind Structures. So far the auto generators I've found either bias slow build up or long tourney times.
Andrei Freeman's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
3k views

What determines who finishes in a paid position after Hand-for-Hand play?

I've currently been a witness to the following scenario in a MTT: Bubble play - 26 players still in play, 24 places paid. Player A gets eliminated on table 1. Player B gets eliminated on table 2 ...
Jerry's user avatar
  • 203
10 votes
4 answers
381 views

Tough decision on the turn

The tournament has 30 minute blind levels, everyone began with 10K in chips, and the play is 10 handed. At this point the blinds are 200/400 with a 50 Ante. Hero starts the hand with 7825 in chips ...
DonkeyFish's user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
454 views

Is shoving all in with a weaker player the best strategy?

I'm heads up on the final of a tournament. I have around 1200 chips and my opponent around 4800, blinds 25/50. I'm on the small blind with A♥8♥, I go all-in since I've seen him make loose calls and I'...
rodrigoq's user avatar
  • 349
9 votes
2 answers
227 views

Giving a short stacked opponent a perfect all-in vs forcing them to over-commit

I just finished Every Hand Revealed by Gus Hansen and in it he is talking about a short-stacked opponent and says: I should probably watch out so I don't give him too many perfect all-in moves ...
Brett Pontarelli's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
296 views

How should I play blind vs. blind late in tournaments against unknown players?

One type of situation has troubled me when I've faced various versions of it. In the later stages of tournaments where the blinds are significant, I find myself wondering what to do when it comes ...
Michael McGowan's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is "talking to influence action" illegal at WSOP?

It was asked Is trash talking legal in WSOP?, but my question is different from that post. There was a hand played between William Kassouf and Stacy Matuson that caused a big controversy at WSOP 2016. ...
Soner Gönül's user avatar
8 votes
5 answers
693 views

bluffing when somebody is all-in

I was in a small buy-in NLHE tournamet when a situation happened on the last two tables. I had T⋄9⋄. I called a standard raise. The small blind went all in for about three timed my ...
user1738's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
698 views

Folding AA after the flop?

Hero in BB hits AA before the flop. BB is $600, there are 3 or 4 callers (I'm old and can never recall all the details), and hero doesn't like to see his AA busted by a runner-runner so he raises $...
jacknad's user avatar
  • 1,171
8 votes
3 answers
744 views

AKo all in v 57o?

BB is 6,000. 2 callers. I go all in (36,000) on the button with AKo. Also included in the bet are about 30,000 in bounty chips which can't be used till the final table. I'm fairly sure that was the ...
jacknad's user avatar
  • 1,171
8 votes
4 answers
218 views

Joining an offline poker league - can being new be used to my advantage?

I plan to join a poker league at a local pub. I'm told roughly 10 to 15 players are involved each week, most of them regulars. While I played in a similar poker league in the same area in the past, I ...
Dan Stevens's user avatar
8 votes
4 answers
348 views

What tournament size is best to play if completely new to on-line playing Texas hold-em?

Should I be playing large tournaments ie 600 players for a very small buy-in to get more practice or small tables of 6 - 9 player for a slightly larger buy-in?
AllieJ's user avatar
  • 81
8 votes
3 answers
9k views

What is the best strategy once you are chip leader in a tournament?

I am talking about tournaments(MTT) with about 30-40 players.What should be the strategy: Go loose: Force other players to either go all in or fold, if you have slightly good cards Go tight: Let ...
Abhishek Bhatia's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

How do international poker players take tournament prize money home?

I've been watching a few tournaments and I was wondering: how do international poker players take tournament prize money home? For example, winner of 50th World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2019: Hossein ...
jlo's user avatar
  • 283
7 votes
4 answers
338 views

Help with a tournament hand - KK in SB

If you are a tournament specialist, I would appreciate your input on this hand. Daily tournament at a large Las Vegas casino, 24 people total, 8 of us left, 3 get paid Buyin for the tournament was $...
Unknown Coder's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
247 views

What are the measures you should useto tell how well you're doing in a tournament?

I've noticed that on pokerstars mtt's there's a chip graph with the average stack, but I'm not convinced that your stack in comparison to the mean is the best average, because there may be a few ...
Alexander Troup's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
2k views

Simple final table tournament play including push/fold

I've had a look at this table here as a guide of what to do heads up, and made a rough approximation of how to play various hands based on stack sizes, such that I can remember them and don't have to ...
Clinton's user avatar
  • 647
7 votes
3 answers
7k views

Heads Up NL Holdem: Best strategy against all in every hand

Assume you are playing a NL Holdem tournament heads up where the starting stack is 200 times the big blind. What is the best strategy against these all-in scenarios, and what is the expected win ...
TTT's user avatar
  • 699
6 votes
6 answers
16k views

Which requires more skill, cash game or tournament poker?

Cash games and multi-table tournaments require different styles of play. But which one requires more skill to be good at?
Arron Parkinson's user avatar
6 votes
9 answers
7k views

Studying poker math - is it worth it?

I've done some studying, learned about ranges for stealing, raising, calling, positional play etc. but I get bored with all that theory. I don't really care about my odds and outs and I probably make ...
Miro Lehtonen's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
438 views

Determining the proper play on the turn

This hand came up in a local WPT event (not the main event for the series) that had a $340 buyin. Everyone started the tournament with $15K in chips and the structure was good with 40 minute blinds. ...
DonkeyFish's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
154 views

Ax2x, UTG, final tabler, 4 players. Go to war?

At the final table with Ax2x, 60000 stack, UTG, 4 players. Tournament started with about 50 players. Hero calls 8000 BB, no raises. Flop is 2x7x10x. So now hero has 2x2xAx. BB bets 8000 with about ...
jacknad's user avatar
  • 1,171
6 votes
2 answers
542 views

How to play QQ live tournament?

Not playing too long so I probably won't provided all the detail needed. Blinds are at $200/400. Hero has QQ. Villain raises to $800 pre-flop. Hero and a few others call. Hero recalls villain has made ...
jacknad's user avatar
  • 1,171
6 votes
3 answers
200 views

99 short stacks reraised under the gun tournament

Hero is under the gun with about 7000 in chips, just doubled up. 6 handed, blinds are 200/400 and 25 antes. Hero has 99. Hero raises to 1200. Chip leader, about 15000 in #2 raises to 3000. Hand ...
IslandCow's user avatar
  • 163
6 votes
1 answer
244 views

Standing of all-in losers in a tournament

When multiple players go all-in during a hand in a tournament, and lose, how is their relative standing (5th, 6th, etc.) determined?
Michael Teper's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
407 views

Questionable Tournament Rule With Two Players Left

I have never heard this rule before but my cousin swore it is real: When a Texas Hold Em Tournament is down to only two players, each player is dealt their first two cards. If one of the players goes ...
Allan S's user avatar
  • 61
6 votes
2 answers
548 views

Is Harrington's zones strategy still valid at the end of a MTT tournament?

Yesterday in a MTT Online tournament I found myself in a situation in which the M-zones strategy "felt wrong" to me. But being at best an average player it's me that is probably wrong, I just would ...
Mathieu Pagé's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
542 views

What I did was right?

I'm a newbie in Poker and so I would like you to judge the rightness of my actions on the following hand: Yesterday I was playing NL Hold'em and my cards were a premium hand, K♣ K♦. We were playing 9-...
pokerIndi's user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
526 views

Starting a Friendly Poker Ring

Not sure if this is applicable to the decorum of Poker.SE but here goes: What is a reasonable way of getting a regular ring together? I have a group of 6-8 friends at work who are fairly interested ...
Christopher Lates's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
812 views

How much should I be tipping when I cash a live tournament?

I play in Portland, Oregon where for legal reasons the dealers are "volunteers". They don't get paid a wage by the house, the only money they make is from tips. I've been trying to tip around 7.5%. I ...
Stackosaurus's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
2k views

How to size an opening raise in a NLHE tournament with antes?

My goal as opener is to win before the flop, get heads up, and/or win on the C-Bet after the flop. My current understanding for sizing an opening raise before the flop is 3 to 5x the BB since less ...
jacknad's user avatar
  • 1,171
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Multiple Chip Betting TDA rule 43

The other night at our NLH tournament (Las Vegas Casino)the betting went like this, 500 bet with one 500 dollar chip, a 500 dollar raise with 2 five hundred dollar chips, then one more raise with one ...
Jon's user avatar
  • 5,757
6 votes
11 answers
24k views

What are the odds of having 2 Quads in the same hand?

Just watched a video that went as follows: Player 1 (Button): Q♥Q♠ Player 2: 9♥9⋄ Player 3: 2♣2♠ Flop: Q⋄9♠Q♣ Turn: 5♠ River: 9&...
Mat's user avatar
  • 61
6 votes
1 answer
208 views

WSOP 2011: -1% badge - what it is for?

Can you please explain what does this -1% badge some WSOP players wear do? Thanks
Mikulas Dite's user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
7k views

How do I structure the blind levels of a tournament to run for a certain length (on average)?

I'm hosting a poker tournament with 10 people and want it to go on for 3-4 hours. I'm bringing a 500 piece poker set for the event (5 colors). What blind structure should I use for this? In general, ...
SoftMemes's user avatar
  • 161
6 votes
3 answers
2k views

What is a "dead raise"?

I've been watching some episodes of Poker After Dark (the tournament episodes) and heard the dealer say that if the players try to straddle, it will be considered a "dead raise". But what exactly is ...
Karnage2015's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
330 views

Adjusting strategy for MTT

I've been playing low stakes SNG's (10-50 participants) for a while and learned to beat the game to such a degree that I can play profitably. However, when I attempt playing in MTTs I rarely make it ...
T.C. Herb's user avatar
  • 416
6 votes
1 answer
623 views

How to Decide Whether to Buy the Add On or Not in Rebuys

Sometimes rebuy tournaments go very well at the beginning and I accumulate a lot of chips, when I've already got lots of chips it seems silly to pay more money for the add on - usually costing the ...
Dom's user avatar
  • 1,256
5 votes
4 answers
3k views

Heads-up river, first to show mucks. Does second player have to show to win pot?

Situation in NLHE tournament: One player was betting on heads up river and got called. He mucked his hand and said "The pot is yours." Does the second player have to show his hand to claim the pot?
Drunix's user avatar
  • 215