Tournament poker requires distinct strategies for each stage, as blinds increase and stack-to-pot ratios change dramatically throughout the event.
Early Stage Strategy (Deep Stacks): With 100+ big blind stacks, play tight and focus on implied odds. Speculative hands like small pairs and suited connectors have tremendous value when you can set mine or make disguised straights and flushes. Avoid marginal situations and preserve your stack.
Middle Stage Transition (Medium Stacks): As blinds escalate and stacks become 40-60 big blinds, shift toward more aggressive play. Steal blinds and antes more frequently, and apply pressure to medium stacks afraid of busting. This stage separates tournament winners from early exits.
Late Stage Tactics (Short Stacks): Near the money bubble and final tables, Independent Chip Model (ICM) considerations dominate. Your chip stack's value changes based on payout jumps. With short stacks, look for profitable shove/fold spots. With big stacks, apply maximum pressure to medium stacks protecting their tournament life.
Bubble Play: The period before payouts begin creates extreme fold equity. Big stacks should attack relentlessly, while short stacks must pick their spots carefully. Medium stacks face the most pressure, often forced to fold profitable hands due to ICM constraints.
Final Table Adjustments: Pay jumps significantly impact strategy. Short stacks gain fold equity as bigger stacks avoid marginal confrontations. Monitor stack sizes constantly and exploit opponents playing too cautiously for pay jumps.
Rebuilding Short Stacks: When short-stacked, identify resteal opportunities against aggressive players. Don't wait for premium hands—push with any playable holding when fold equity exists. Survival without accumulating chips just delays elimination.
Chip Accumulation: In early and middle stages, take calculated risks to build a dominant stack. Big stacks at final tables have massive advantages, able to bully opponents and survive mistakes that would eliminate shorter stacks.
Responsible Gaming: Tournament poker requires significant time investment. Set stop-loss limits, take breaks between sessions, and never play with money you can't afford to lose. If you experience problem gambling symptoms, seek help from organizations like the National Council on Problem Gambling.