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
Sometimes it makes sense to pot-control with a draw,
Sometimes it makes sense to pot-control with a draw, which will usually net you a free card and an opportunity to bluff the river if you miss. Suppose you raise 9-8 to 2.5BBs out of your 80BB stack and both blinds call. The flop comes 10-6-2. Both opponents check to you. This is a good spot to bet because if you’re called, you can happily check the turn, and if someone raises you on the flop, you can push on him. So, you bet around 6BBs and the small blind calls. If the small blind re-raises to around 16BBs, push every time with your gutshot and flush draw because you will have a lot of fold equity plus around 40-percent equity when called. Your opponent will often fold the best hand when you raise or go all-in with a draw. Check behind if you miss the turn and your opponent checks to you because if you bet around 12BBs, he can push and force you off your hand. Be willing to bet any river if he checks to you again. You will either have a strong hand or a total bluff, making your hand naturally balanced. Also notice that you would play hands like top pair the same way. This will keep your opponent guessing.
When you have a draw and your stack is starting to get short,
When you have a draw and your stack is starting to get short, you always want to be the player that puts in the last bet because that gives you fold equity. You are playing incorrectly if you find yourself frequently calling off for your entire stack with a draw. Check if you cannot figure out a way to put in the last bet.