Tournament Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
Suppose you call a middle-position raise
Suppose you call a middle-position raise with K-J in the big blind. The flop comes 10-8-3. The standard play here would to be to check-fold or maybe check-raise. Donk-betting is also an option because it is really just a semi-bluff. By giving yourself a little fold equity, you can make a marginal profit from what is typically a check-fold hand. However, this play will usually increase variance, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your table.
Call frequent donk-bettors when you would be happy getting to showdown,
Call frequent donk-bettors when you would be happy getting to showdown, such as with top pair, and raise or fold when you miss. If you have a good semi-bluff hand, you should usually raise as well. If you raise from middle position with Q-J, the big blind calls and you see a J-4-2 flop, it’s usually a good idea to call if lead into.