Poker is quite possibly the most popular card game in the world. It is quite simple to learn, and even if you have never played before you can very easily pick it up. There are a number of different sites on the internet that offer you the ability to play for free or for real money with a number of different poker tournaments. Going to play poker online is a great way to learn different variations of the game and perfect your skills. You can start at the lower stakes (.05/.10 blinds) and move up the levels as your poker skills progresses. Below you will find a basic poker tournament strategy to help you improve your game. Start at the lowest level you can until you feel comfortable with the level you are playing at.
Start the tournament at a low level. You will start with a small stack. Play aggressively and with any hand. You will be betting in the beginning and by the end of the game you will have a lot of big stacks. Start the tournament with any hand and you will be a favorite to double up. Double up and get back in the game with any hand. When you have a large chip stack you can really take the game to the next level. You are looking to accumulate a large number of chips rather than win the tournament. Poker is a numbers game. You need to build a large stack in order to survive the tournament and to win. When you get to the middle rounds, you are not really playing against the other players, but rather just the dealer. There is no pressure from other players. This is the most relaxed and fun poker game you can play.
At the beginning of the game, you need to be very tight. You can’t afford to make any mistakes. If you do, you will either have a very small stack (10-15 chips) or you will lose the game. From the beginning, you only move up the blind levels when you feel comfortable with the game and the limit you are playing at. There is no set limit so you can never be sure of how much you can afford to invest. When you reach the middle rounds, you are not playing against other players, but rather the dealer. It is a lot of fun to play and it can be financially rewarding. Keep in mind that the higher the blinds are, the more you need to start winning to stay in the game. There is no pressure because no one is risking your entire stack. As the blinds go up, you need to be aggressive to stay in. Use both your skills at being aggressive and understanding the people on your left to get them to move all-in with you. If you have a very strong hand, it is okay to slow down a bit. You are not supposed to win every hand in poker. Some hands you will win, and some hands you will lose. You want to minimize your loses and make sure you come out ahead every time you play. This is how you analyze your opponents, make decisions, and end up with a loose-aggressive strategy. There are many loose-aggressive strategies, but the most important is to get a very good read on your opponents. This will take a lot of experience and time, but you will get there. If you are not sure, start playing at low levels with no obligations. Play your first 5 to 6 hours at a time. Play multiple tables at the same time. There is no pressure to start playing the real money games, so you can play free poker as often as you want or not at all. If you think you are going to hit a hand, play it. Many times you will take the blinds and antes to build your stack. Play in a conservative manner, and at times raise, and you will find a lot of other players coming over the top trying to steal pots. They do this to build their stacks to take over the game later on. Many poker books talk about tight play, which is to play only premium hands, but that is not how you make money. You make money with aggressive plays, so that is what you need to do. Do not limp in. Straight forward play is the key to winning tournament play. Do not loosen your purse strings and do not play marginal hands. You need to build your stack by repositioning yourself with each hand, and by playing only premium hands. Once you build your stack, you will be ready to take down first place. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the majority of your tournament life with a very low stress.