This may be your most important tournament poker strategy since you will either live or die in the event based on knowing how to play this situation.

You need to accumulate chips to win a poker tournament. When you get a good hand and need chips, look for an opportunity to put pressure on your opponent. A good hand is a medium pocket pair and higher, as well as an A-J suited or higher. This is an aggressive play that can build your stack or knock you out of a tournament.

The tournament poker strategy is this: Move all-in with your good hands when you have eight times or less than the initial raiser’s bet.

Example:

You have pocket 7’s. It is in the middle the tournament. The blinds are $200-$400. You have $10,500 in late position. A player with $20,000 raises to $1,400. What should you do?

There is $2,000 in the pot. You have less than eight times the initial raiser’s bet. If you call, you will most likely lose more than 20% of your stack. If you re-raise you are committed to the pot. And if you move all-in the following will happen:

a) Your opponent will fold and you will increase your stack by almost 20%

b) Your opponent will call and you will either get knocked out or more than double your stack size.

Calling is the play most players make. This is not a winning play. Folding is better than calling.

Moving all-in is the best option. You need to take risks. You need to gamble.

This is one out of 101 winning plays the Poker Pros use to win a poker tournament. Now you can get 10 Free plays and 5 Free Tips that the Pros use from the book “Tournament Poker: 101 Winning Moves.” Go to Tournament Poker Strategy.