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 raise 9-8 to 2.5BBs out of your 45BB stack from middle position
Suppose you raise 9-8 to 2.5BBs out of your 45BB stack from middle position and your loose-aggressive opponent re-raises to 7BBs. This is another great spot to push. You will usually have at least 30-percent equity if called, and most likely around 40 percent. When you have that much equity in a hand, pushing is usually a great play if you have any fold equity at all, and you’ll have plenty here.
Say you raise A-J from middle position to 2.5BBs out of your 50BB
Say you raise A-J from middle position to 2.5BBs out of your 50BB stack and both blinds call. The flop comes J-8-3. Your opponents check to you and you bet 5BBs. The small blind folds and the big blind goes all-in for 42BBs more. While the pot was only 13BBs before your opponent pushed, you should almost always call because he will most likely show up with a hand like K-J or a draw. Note that his push is not that great of a play with hands like J-10 because he’ll only be called when he is beat. Do not make that mistake.