Books have been written on how to play Poker Tournaments. David Sklansky is one of the best authors on Poker today, and I will always recommend his books, but his book "Tournament Poker for Advanced Players" was written in 2000 and is a bit dated. It doesn't really address online Poker Tournaments that well or the exponential growth of Poker Tournaments, that occurred when the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour were on television. In the following pages, Openings, Mid-Game and End Game, we will discuss strategy but for a simple, down and dirty basic strategy, for No Limit Hold'em, here we go.

What is the Tournament Status?

• Early: Good solid Hold'em play works, Try not to get pot committed with marginal cards. Don't hesitate to fold.
• Middle: Survive. Allow position and relative stack size to dominate your hand selection. In early position only play top hands.
• Late: With good hands attack short stacks that are under blind pressure and avoid everyone else. Be very cautious in Early position.
• End Game: Attack the short stacks, and avoid the big stacks. Raise, and when down to 2 or 3 never enter pot without a raise.

What is your stack position?

• Tall Stack: Bully short stacks when a loss will not affect your tournament standing.
• Medium Stack: Look for opportunities against short stacks under blind pressure. Try to avoid taller stacks.
• Short Stack: Try to get in multi-action pots. Slow play some in an attempt to entice a bluff or steal from the taller stacks.

What is your position?

• Blinds: When several players are in the pot, call a raise only with very good cards. If the flop hits your pockets, bet it out immediately.
• Early: (There is no such thing as Middle position.) If someone raises ahead of you, consider folding everything.
• Late: (The Button or one off the Button.) Steal the blinds with marginal cards. Raise, and if there are several callers in front, you might limp in with good marginal cards.

Who is the player?

• Good player: Consider folding when he bets or raises.
• Unknown or Medium player: Consider waiting for another hand.
• Poor player: Attack with marginal hands, and don't try any fancy moves he won't understand them anyway. "Never bluff a bad player." - Elvis Lives

What are your cards?

• Good Starting Hands: AA, KK , AK are good hands. All other hands are marginal, or trash.
• Marginal hands: Any Pair and any two cards above a ten might be considered marginal. Everything else is trash.
• Bad hands: Do not play two cards to a flush or straight if they do not include two cards above a ten.

Notice Cards were mentioned last.

You don't really have to know why this wins, but if you wish to, read the other pages; Openings, Mid-Game, Late Game, and End game.

See you at the final table.