In a Poker tournament on the other, your starting hands vary significantly as the tournament progresses and chips move from one player to another. In a ring game, your starting hand standards generally don't vary. They remain the same for the complete session. Additionally the style of play that predominates Poker Tournaments and the usual NL structure dictate the deletion of many starting that may be quite profitable in a Poker ring game.
The biggest modification is the omission of suited pockets from the list of starting hands. Most ring games have an average 4 or 5 players before every flop In a NO LIMIT Poker Tournament the average is three or less except at the very beginning of the tournament. (In a re-buy/add-n tourney this period of normal play may last until re-buys are no longer allowed.) If you play suited cards in a ring game you can expect to win about 1 out of 5. With good multi-way action your flush draws can supply a positive expectation. In a Poker Tournament on the other hand, where heads-up is the normal action, you do not get the pot odds required to make a flush draw a positive proposition.
There is a second consideration and more important consideration. In a ring game if you bust out you go to the ATM. You can bust out 4 times and wait to win on the 5 th . In a Poker tournament if you bust out, you're done and on the rail.
Example 1:
With a single dice roll a 6, bet $100. If you win the payoff is $800. This provides you with a positive expectation of $200 for every 6 times you roll the dice. Over the long run you are going to make out very well. That's a ring game.
Example 2:
Same bet but you can only do it once. Now you will lose the 5 times when the dice lands on anything else and only win if the dice lands on the 6. That means that you will lose 83 % of the time. That's a Tournament game.
Since Poker tournament games seldom get the multi-way action that is required for a flush and you lose 83 % of the time anyway, You will greatly improve your standings in Poker Tournaments by not playing flush draws.
In all types of poker, straight draws probably lose more money than any other "starting" hand. Don't even consider connectors, unless they have intrinsic high card value. The hand JT does not have high card value and has a negative expected value anyway. If you are holding a KQ and an Ace is flopped, you K has no high card value.
Here are the starting hands:
- Limit your starting hands to the absolute top tier of hands; AA, KK , AK s and AK. QQ is a marginal starting hand in an early position.
- Any hand that does not contain an Ace is barely marginal. (Especially in a freeroll where many players believe any ace should see the flop.)
- Do not play 2 suited cards hoping for a flush, if they both don't have intrinsic high card value. Kx suited is not a marginal starting hand. It is a trap.
- Straights lose.
- If someone raises in front of you, consider folding.
Of course we'll discuss modifications to these starting hands, that are needed during the different stages of the Tournament. |
