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
Raise Players who Fold too Much
Raise Players who Fold too Much Some players simply fold too often. As your stack gets shorter, picking up dead money will constantly keep it growing. If a player folds his blinds often, even if he is halfway across the table, raise him whenever you have some semblance of a hand. You should still fold bad hands, as you are basically total bluffing pre-flop. It is much better to semi-bluff before the flop with J-7 than totally bluff with 7-2.
If a player raises often but folds to re-raises,
If a player raises often but folds to re-raises, feel free to re-raise him with any two cards. You should know your opponents well when making these re-raises. If they are actually tight, you should only re-raise with premium hands while in position. Some players raise with a wide range, continuation-bet often and play straightforwardly after that. Be willing to call these players in position with a decently wide range, floating most flops that don’t hit their range. If they check to you on the turn, you have the green light to take down the pot with a bet. You can also raise the flop against them. A smaller than normal raise often works, as they will usually fold. Be quick to ditch your hand if they play back at you.