Mastering Multi-Table Tournaments
Poker tournaments (MTTs) offer the chance to turn a small buy-in into a massive payout. But tournament strategy is very different from cash game strategy. This guide covers everything you need to know to deep run in tournaments.
Tournament Phases
Early Stage (Deep Stacks)
When the tournament starts, everyone has 50-100+ big blinds. Play tight and conservative. Don’t risk your stack on marginal spots. Focus on premium hands and good position. The goal is to survive and build slowly.
Middle Stage (Shallowing Stacks)
As blinds increase, stacks shrink relative to the blinds. Start opening up your range. Steal blinds from late position. 3-bet shove against loose openers. This is where you build your stack for the late stages.
Bubble Stage
When the tournament is close to the money, play adjusts dramatically. If you have a big stack, put pressure on short stacks who want to min-cash. If you’re short, look for spots to shove all-in with a wide range. ICM (Independent Chip Model) considerations become crucial here.
Final Table
The most lucrative stage. ICM is at its peak importance. Big stacks should bully small stacks. Short stacks should look for good shove spots. Pay jumps are steep — sometimes it’s correct to fold strong hands to move up one pay position.
Key Tournament Concepts
Stack-to-Blind Ratio
Your stack size in big blinds determines your strategy:
- 50+ BB: Deep play, standard poker strategy
- 20-50 BB: Medium play, start 3-betting more
- 10-20 BB: Shove/fold strategy in many spots
- Under 10 BB: Pure push/fold mode
ICM (Independent Chip Model)
ICM converts tournament chips into real money value. As you approach the money and pay jumps, chips lose value — losing your stack costs more than gaining chips helps. This means you should play tighter near pay jumps, especially as a short or medium stack.
Push/Fold Charts
When your stack gets short (under 15 BB), memorize push/fold ranges. These charts tell you exactly which hands to shove all-in based on your position and stack size. This is a crucial skill for tournament players.
Tournament Bankroll Management
Tournaments have much higher variance than cash games. Recommended bankroll:
- Recreational: 50 buy-ins for your average stake
- Serious: 100 buy-ins
- Professional: 200+ buy-ins
Best Tournament Sites
- PokerStars: Sunday Million, largest tournament schedule
- 888 Poker: XL Series, good guarantees
- BetOnline: US-friendly with hourly tournaments
- Ignition: $100K+ weekly guarantees
Conclusion
Tournament poker is about patience, timing, and adapting to changing stack depths. Master the phases, understand ICM, and practice push/fold ranges. With the right strategy, a small buy-in can turn into a life-changing score.