Single Table Tournaments Strategy

One of the most popular Texas Hold'em options that players like to go for are the Single Table Tournaments. For a single buy-in fee, to suit your account, you are given a set number of chips and once the table you've chosen is full the tournament begins.

There are many online poker players who will play almost nothing but STTs and will become very good at them. The financial variance that can be experienced at cash tables is not there with single table tournaments. You know what you've paid to enter and the very worst that can happen to you is that you will lose that buy-in.

Single Table Tournaments require a degree of skill and knowledge all of their own and are the right game if you like fast-paced action and all of the excitement of poker condensed into a short space of time. STT's rarely last beyond one hour and with blinds increasing with merciless regularity it pays to go into your games with a firm battle plan.

Here are some pointers which should help you with your Single Table Tournament game:

Game Format

STT's come in a variety of forms. They can offer games with as few as 5-players or as many as 10. The chip stacks can vary between normal and deep-stack and then there is the pace of the game. Speed and Turbo games, where the blind levels increase much more quickly, are very popular online and offer the chance of some hectic poker action, where players are compelled to get involved or risk being blinded away. Pick which game you think will best suit you.

Buy-In

Of great importance is that you pick a buy-in which will not affect your own style of play. If you play at too low a level you will most probably not too worried about losing and that could well lead to you playing well below your normal level. That may be okay for a bit of harmless fun but it could well lead to steady losses in the long run.

Conversely, if you are at too high a level for your Bankroll it may affect the way you play. There is a saying in gambling that "scared money never wins" and if you're playing in a game where you simply can't afford to lose that it will almost certainly have an effect on your decision-making process. You'll find yourself folding when you should call, calling when you should raise and praying like mad that K-K or A-A comes your way so that you can make your moves.

Find the right buy-in to keep you competitive and playing your very best game.

 

Early Play

You may well come to develop your own style for the early stages of a single table tournament but unless you're playing a Speed or Turbo game the accepted wisdom is to play quite tight at first. The blinds are too insignificant to be worth trying to steal with bluffs and quite often you will find that the loose and aggressive players will be busy knocking each other out while the blinds are still very low.

At all costs you must avoid confrontations which could see you eliminated while you're holding marginal cards. You have no chance to win, or even enjoy the game, if you get yourself knocked out early.

You should always try to avoid wasting chips by chasing hands to the river and should only really bet when you have a hand worth betting with. If you do get a premium hand then be sure to push hard with it and if you should acquire an early superiority in chips then don't be afraid to try and dominate the table.

 

Middle Play

Because the blinds will start to become larger and larger in relation to your own stack of chips it is important that you do become involved in the action before you start to get blinded away and that you don't allow your stack to become so small that your bets pose no threat to your opponents.

By the middle section of the game you will need to be increasing your number of chips and to do with you will often need to start constructing hands or stealing blinds from your opponents. In short you need to make things happen for yourself if the good cards have not been coming your way. As the game develops more and more players will be eliminated and you need to identify which of those are passively trying to get into the money and try to steal from them.

Remember, the only thing that matters in a Single Table Tournament is that you get into the places which pay out a prize and all of your efforts should be focused towards that goal. Don't expect that players will knock each other out, especially if you're the lowest stack left, and always be ready to make your move. Nobody wants to be the bubble and miss out on the money by one place, so a bold approach will often bring its own rewards.

 

The End Game

If you have made it into the pay-out places then don't stop too long to congratulate yourself. There is still a lot of work to be done, as there is usually a big difference between the prizes for second or third places and that which is paid out to the winner.

Don't just sit there and hope that your opponents will knock each other out. Play your normal game and remember that with only two or three players remaining your hands are much powerful than when the table is full. It will be hard to win by being passive and so you need to always try and be the one who is making the moves, instead of just reacting to those of your opponents.

In 10-player Single Table Tournaments a first place finish will usually pay you five times your buy-in fee, so the profit to be made by becoming a successful STT player is there for everyone to see. Develop your game and see which format best suits your own individual style and abilities.

 

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