The final table of the poker tournament is where everyone wants to be. Of course, bad tournament play will eventually come back to haunt you. You might get deep into the tournament by just winging it, but it will take a more refined strategy to make the final table consistently. Remember that we’re just as interested in the long term poker game as we are the short term one. This means that you really need to sharpen your skills, focus, and look at ways to be profitable while surviving the match.
You see, tournaments attract a lot of players. Not all of these players are going to be sharks, even though a lot of people make that initial assumption. The reality is that you’re going to be playing against fish, shark, and just about everyone in between. It means that you might have a hard time really getting a good “read” on people, because you’re going to be moving all around the tournament. Multi-table tournaments are even harder than SNG’s because of how many people you will be exposed to.
So, let’s address two different scenarios: you are playing the tournament and you want to break into the final table, and then the scenario that assumes you’ve already made it to the final table.
Breaking In (Scenario One):
No matter how big the field is, you have to remember that everything is a matter of numbers. Eventually, the big bad poker players will make mistakes, bail out, get tired, or surpass you. That’s all there is to it. Loose players that rush in trying to get chips will eventually find that their luck runs out. Playing tight at the earliest stages of the tournament seems to be your best option. How tight you play depends on you, but you really want to stay away from garbage hands. Just because you saw Doyle Brunson make 7-2 off-suit work doesn’t mean that you need to try to mirror that at all. The truth is that you probably aren’t a professional poker player. Sticking to basic theory until you get to adjust your strategy usually works out better than thinking you can copy what the guys do at the WSOP. They have literally millions of hands worth of practice under their belts. If you get that obsessed about poker, you can feel free to freestyle. Until then, you need to stick to what works.
The idea here is that you don’t want to try to stand out by getting as many chips as possible. Everyone is going to be doing that. You need to think in terms of chip preservation. Indeed, you want to try to survive as long as possible. This isn’t something that sounds like a good idea — it’s the best idea that you can plant in your head. You absolutely want to be able to move around like that, because any other alternative just isn’t going to make sense. If you go for the big chi runs and you’re wrong, you’re going to lose big. Then you have to spend the rest of the tournament trying to get back to your original stack and then some. It’s better to be stingy with raises rather than the guy that blows all of his chips before the blinds have even gotten serious. Don’t be that guy.
The type of tournament that you’re in matters as well. Freerolls tend to attract a lot of fish. You cannot assume that poker newbies live and breathe this stuff. They tend to be “TV players” that hear about all of the money you can make with online poker and they certainly want a slice.
Playing that way just isn’t going to get you the type of money that you’re looking for. It’s better to think about how you can strategically survive.
Let’s move on to the other scenario: being actually at the table.
The Final Table Hustle (Scenario Two):
So, you made it to the final table. You’re feeling really good and you’re ready to just get that top prize. Not so fast — there are sharks around you. Chances are good that the “bingo:” players that are playing on luck aren’t at the final table. This isn’t always the case, but in most cases you’ll find the strongest players are at the table with you. So you should feel proud if you get down to the final table. It means that your poker skills are definitely getting a lot better. Of course, some argue that if you pick the fishiest tournaments, hitting the final table really isn’t that much of an accomplishment. We’re going to keep it positive around here, because we really believe that it’s better to start that way and work your way up. The time to really make sure that you have things together is right now.
Is your mental game tight? Remember that poker isn’t just about the cards or even the luck — it’s about outlasting the players trying to manipulate you. If they sense that you’re a weak player in any way, they’re going to take advantage of that. This isn’t the end of the world, but it is something that you want to focus on avoiding.
Be wary of bluffs. Make sure that you’re going on the aggressive. Focus on playing in position. Don’t try to bluff at this point, because you can get called out on it. However, don’t be surprised if some marginal hands start having value, since there are so few players. If you’re really in doubt — fold. It’s better to see the next hand then get committed to a pot that you have no chance of having.
Generally speaking, if you hit the final table, you’re going to win something. But there are supreme gaps between say, 1st and 2nd place. You might as well play your best poker and push for 1st place — if you place lower, that’s fine. At least you know that you gave it your best. Good luck!