Every poker situation is different. Sometimes you have to make aggressive moves early, sometimes you can sit back on your heels for a while and wait out the gunfight. And a moderately small 100-200 tournament is no different. What’s the smartest strategy for getting through to the final table on an online poker site like Full Tilt Poker or PokerStars?
I would start small here. It’s here at the beginning only that the blinds will be small enough to wade through a few hands and get a feel for things. Let other impatient players fall off one at a time on their flush draws and top two-pair pipe dreams. After the first couple rounds, they’ll have weeded themselves out and the field will be down to around 40 or so.
If you are going to make a play, try trapping one of these players that’s been betting like crazy trying to make a name for himself. That’s the best and smartest way to double up before the blinds take too much of a chunk out of your stack.
In later rounds, you have to make a move, there’s no question. The blinds get so high at the final table, you’re either raising or you’re getting your legs chopped out from under you.
Also, be aware of who you’re playing against in a tournament. Since you can’t buy your way back in, if you’re done, you’re done. That said, just getting to the money is a win in and of itself for many players. So you’ll run into the “money” players and the “victory” players. Someone who’s playing just to get to the money will take it easy after he’s gotten ahead by a certain amount. Someone in it to win it is going to take more risks, have a better overall poker strategy, and move all-in at least a few times to build a huge chip lead. So if you’ve seen someone go all-in before, even if it wasn’t against you, and he does it again, you can start to believe he’s trying to win, and that should shape your response to his bet accordingly.
Also, don’t forget it’s the same as any other tournament, in that you have to use your advantages or you’re a sucker. If you get to the final table and have a sizable chip lead, don’t wait for the blinds to bleed everyone else. Play aggressive and force them to a decision for the rest or a good part of their chips. Unless they’re sitting on strong hidden cards, they’re less likely to limp in and risk being out of the tournament.