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
Tend to check out of position with medium-strength hands,
Tend to check out of position with medium-strength hands, such as a high overpair or bottom two pair, because again, it is tough to get called when you are ahead. Obviously, as your hand gets stronger, the way you get to the river matters more. Suppose you raise 5-4 from middle position and the button calls. The flop comes 8-5-2. You bet and your opponent calls. The turn is the K and you both check. The river is the 4. Bet here every time, as no one would put you on a random 5-4.
Take a different line if you raise the same 5-4 in middle position,
Take a different line if you raise the same 5-4 in middle position, the button calls and the flop comes Q-5-4. Here you will bet the flop, like always. The turn is the K. You bet again and your opponent calls. The river is the A. In this spot your opponent will have a tough time calling without a hand that beats you. He probably didn’t call down with ace-high. In most cases he’ll either have something like Q-J or Q-10, which he’ll fold to multiple streets of aggression, or a hand like A-K, A-Q, or K-Q, with which he’ll call or raise. So, checking on this river is good because your opponent may bluff with a weak hand, or he could value-bet with a hand like K-J, as your hand is under-represented due to your check.