The Tournament Strategy Most Players Get Backwards

Here’s something that blew my mind when I first heard it: In 1970, the very first World Series of Poker had just seven players. Seven! And you know what the winner, Johnny Moss, did differently than everyone else?

He played like a complete maniac at the end.

Turns out, most of us have tournament strategy completely backwards. We think we should play tight early and loosen up later. But the real money? It comes from doing almost the exact opposite at different stages. And I mean exact opposite.

I’ve been studying tournament footage for months now, and honestly? The patterns are wild once you see them.

Early Stage: Become a Rock (But Not Really)

Nobody wins a tournament in the first hour. But tons of people lose it.

Picture this: You sit down, take a deep breath, and just watch. For like five whole minutes. I know it sounds boring, but you’re hunting for the crazy players who’ll hand you their chips later. The guy shoving with ace-seven? Mental note. The woman who can’t fold pocket nines? She’s your target.

Here’s the weird part though – you want to see cheap flops with junk hands. Yeah, you heard that right. Those suited connectors everyone tells you to fold? Play them against the loose players. Why? Because when weaker players slow-play their big hands, you can stack them when you flop two pair or a straight.

But please, for the love of all that’s holy, don’t take coin flips early. That’s just gambling.

The Fish-Hunting Phase

Time to get predatory. You’ve spotted the “fish” – players who limp with garbage like nine-six offsuit. Now you isolate them.

Raise them up with hands like king-jack or queen-jack. Make a half-pot bet on the flop. Here’s the beautiful thing: random hands miss the flop two out of every three times. They fold, you win. It’s almost too easy.

Oh, and start stealing blinds from the button like it’s your job. Any remotely playable hand works. King-nine? Raise it. Ace-four? Why not. You’re playing position and information, not just cards.

This is where having quality poker chips really matters, by the way. When you’re constantly raising and players need to make quick decisions, beat-up chips that stick together or don’t stack properly just slow everything down. Professional tournament chips make the action flow smoother, which keeps everyone focused on the actual strategy.

Bubble Time: Become a Bully

The bubble is pure gold. Everyone’s scared of busting right before the money.

Look for medium stacks – guys with 20-30 big blinds. They have the most to lose. Big stacks don’t care. Short stacks are desperate and will call with anything. But those medium stacks? They’ll fold everything except pocket aces and kings.

Shove on them relentlessly. They literally can’t fight back unless they wake up with premium hands. It’s like taking candy from scared children.

Post-Bubble: Time to Gamble

Everything changes once the money bubble bursts. Now you need to get crazy and take flips. Ace-king versus pocket jacks? Ship it. Those coin flips you avoided early? Now they’re your best friend.

Why? Because all the real money is in the top three spots. Playing it safe just gets you blinded out into a min-cash. Nobody remembers fourth place.

Late Stage Madness

Here’s where it gets really fun. When you’re down to 50 players or less with a big stack, raise every single hand. Every. Single. Hand.

I’m not joking. Become the table maniac. Players will start folding just because they’re terrified of you. It’s psychological warfare, and it works.

FAQ

Q: Won’t people catch on if I raise every hand? A: Maybe, but they still won’t have cards to fight back with most of the time. Position is power.

Q: Should I make deals at final tables? A: Only if it’s life-changing money – like hundreds of thousands. Otherwise, play to win first place.

Q: What if I get short-stacked early? A: Stay above 15 big blinds if possible. Below that, you’re in shove-or-fold mode and fighting pure math.

Q: How do I know when to switch strategies? A: Watch the blinds, not the clock. Your stack size relative to blinds determines your strategy, not how long you’ve been playing.

The craziest part about all this? It works because everyone else plays it backwards. They play loose early and tight late. Do the opposite, and watch your results change completely.