Basic MTT Tournament Strategy

Every poker player who takes the time to learn solid multi-table tournament (MTT) strategy will eventually realize great payoffs. It seems to take forever to win that first tournament but when it happens, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. If you stick with it, you too can win your first MTT and take home a hefty first place prize.

MTTs are a totally different beast than cash games. You’ll generally find softer competition in MTTs than in cash games but they still require a completely different skill set and an incredible amount of patience. MTTs are exciting also because there is no other poker game in which you can win so much money with just a single buy-in and a few hours of poker play.

Multi table tournament strategy can be broken up into three basic parts: early stage, middle stage and late stage. Each stage of the tournament is defined by how many players are left in the tournament and the size of your stack in comparison to the blinds.

In this article I’ll cover the basics of each stage of tournament play. You can find more detailed strategy for each stage of play by clicking on the appropriate links at the bottom of each section.

Early Stage Tournament Strategy

The exact definition of the “early stages” of a tournament varies but the early stage is basically characterized by small blind sizes, lots of players left and extra loose play.

In the early stages you’ll see lots of wild players and fishy plays so you should play a tight, straightforward game. There’s no need to play tricky or worry about your table image because most of your opponents won’t be paying attention in the early stages.

Playing in the early stages of a tournament is just like playing at a micro stakes cash game. There are still lots of weak opponents in the tournament so you’ll see fishy plays, lots of calls and generally loose play. Your best strategy is to play a tight, straightforward game just like you would in a micro stakes cash game.

In depth Early Stage MTT strategy article

Middle Stage Tournament Strategy

The middle stages of the tournament begin when the big blind is about 100 chips or greater and it ends right before the money starts being handed out (the bubble). Your strategy during the middle stages should become increasingly aggressive.

As the blinds get bigger, they become more worth stealing. You’ll want to turn up the aggression at this point and start building up your stack with uncontested pots. Look for tight players and try to steal their blinds whenever you get the opportunity.

The best opponents to attack are the middle sized stacks because they know they still have a shot at the money. You usually won’t want to steal from the small stacks because they are getting desperate at this point and you won’t want to steal from the big stacks because they can cripple or knock you out.

Eventually you’ll reach the bubble phase of the tournament and you’ll notice many of your opponents tighten up considerably in an effort to make it to the money. This is the best time to amp up your aggression even more. The blinds will be very sizable by now and you’ll be more likely to succeed in your steal attempts.

Keep up the pressure, be selective about who you steal from and keep a close eye on the blind levels. Just one increase in the blinds at this point can make a big difference in how healthy your stack size is.

In depth Middle Stage MTT strategy article

Late Stage Tournament Strategy

The late stage of the tournament begins when the bubble has broken and it ends when the tournament ends. It’s a notable achievement to have made it this far but there is still plenty of work to do. Making the money is not the goal; taking first place is the goal.

Some players are just happy to make it to the money but if you want to be a long term tournament winner, you’re going to have to gun for first place every single time. During the late stage of the tournament, the blinds are going to be putting even more pressure on everyone so you’ll see even more all-in plays and desperation moves at this point.

You’ll want to continue picking on the tight players to build up your stack as much as you can. The blinds are well worth stealing at this point so stay on the lookout for opportunities to steal them. Tight, medium-stack players are your prime targets.

Right before it gets down to the final table, you will sometimes notice the players tighten up again as they try to make it to the final table. This is a great opportunity for you to open up and make some well-timed steals.

At the final table you’ll find mostly skilled poker players. It’s going to take a lot of careful maneuvering to pick up blinds but it’s important that you continue to do so. If you sit back and wait for ultra strong hands, you’ll get blinded down to nothing fairly quickly.

In depth Late Stage MTT strategy article