Tournaments unfold in distinct phases, each requiring a different strategy. Understanding these phases is the foundation of tournament success.
Early Stage (Deep Stacks)
With 50+ big blinds, play like a deep-stacked cash game. Be patient, play tight, and look for set-mining and implied odds situations.
Middle Stage (Medium Stacks)
With 20-35 big blinds, aggression becomes essential. Steal blinds actively, 3-bet light, and avoid marginal calls that bleed chips.
Bubble
The bubble is where the most money is made. Short stacks tighten up, giving big stacks enormous leverage to steal. Use ICM pressure aggressively.
Final Table
Pay jumps create extreme ICM pressure. Adjust by targeting medium stacks, avoiding confrontations with big stacks, and looking for laddering opportunities.
The One Key Principle
In each phase, ask: what’s my effective stack in big blinds, and what strategy does that dictate? Stack size, not cards, drives tournament decisions.
Early Mistakes to Avoid
Playing too loose early (the value of chips changes over time)
