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
If you decide to create an image for yourself,
If you decide to create an image for yourself, realize that all players at the table may not be paying attention. One good example is a player watching a sports game while not involved in your advertising hand. If he has no clue what is going on in the hand, do not expect him to make a play later based on the false information you tried so hard to provide. Also, remember which players have seen you make these image plays in previous tournaments. When a player generates a read on you, he will usually remember it for a long time, or until you do something drastic to show that his read is incorrect.
The way you look also affects your image.
The way you look also affects your image. If you are a young kid, most players will assume you are loose. Because of this, you can get away with folding marginal hands because you don’t have to play them to get paid off later. If you are an older player, most players will assume you are tight, which will allow you to bluff much more than average. Think about how you look to other players and ask your friends how they expect someone that looks like you to play. This information is vital, as it will let you know what you can get away with against opponents that don’t know much about your game.