Lessons in tournament poker I’ve learned the hard way

[Chipless Wonder]

I've learned a lot of lessons in tournament poker over the last year, and feel that my game is stronger than ever before. However, as anyone who plays with me regularly can attest, I still suffer from spontaneous bouts of idiocy from for no apparent reason from time to time. So I as I prepare to leave for Las Vegas this weekend, I've tried to assemble a list of the lessons I've learned. I plan to carry a copy of this list with me, and refer to it, especially if and when I find a way to acquire a big stack. Hopefully some of you can benefit from my lessons too.

+ Play tight and straightforward early on.
+ Don’t talk during a hand.
+ Try to play in such a way as to make decisions easy later in the hand.
+ Don’t show my cards or explain my thought process after a hand.
+ Be careful to not spew chips.
+ Don’t defend my blinds without good speculative hands (i.e. suited connectors or small pocket pairs), and only if it’s a small percentage of my chip stack (i.e. < 10%).
+ Don’t worry about stealing blinds until the antes begin.
+ Be wary of the UTG limp and strange raise sizes (i.e. to 900 when the blinds are 200/400).
+ Normally enter most pots with a raise.
+ Don’t normally call pre-flop without position, except to set mine.
+ Don’t set mine without ~ 12:1 effective chip stacks.
+ Normally keep bluffs small.
+ Be wary of overcalls that could be overpairs.
+ Don’t slow play unless I flop a monster (i.e. full house or nut flush).
+ Plan to keep the pots small with small hands, and make the pots big with big hands.
+ Remember to take all the time I need for each decision.
+ Make most decisions based on betting patterns. Rely on tells for close decisions.
+ Try to prevent showdowns.
+ Always watch for straights. Don’t call on the river until I’ve at least considered this possibility.
+ Once I have a big stack, steer clear of the other big stack(s) unless I have a monster.
+ Be the abuser on the bubble. Do not play weak at this point of the tournament.
+ Under 20 BB, don’t normally fold to a pre-flop re-raise.
+ Under 15 BB, don’t limp except to trap. And if I do limp, don’t normally fold pre-flop.
+ Under 10 BB, don’t enter a pot unless it’s all-in.

[pulpfunction]

I loved the "rules" post. You could be like danaman and whip out your list at the final table.

[CW Buckeye]

I think this list will do you fine.

Add one more, 'Don't have a SCBU'

[reuter798]

write it down and carry those rules with you in your pocket. worked for steve dannenman, didnt it

[SemiEsq]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts - great list. If I don't see you - I hope you run well and flop some monsters!

[fcukyourluck]

very nice post, Scott!

But diasgree with thiss one

+ Under 20 BB, don’t normally fold to a pre-flop re-raise.

[Ivan_Drago45]

Good list and good luck. Keep us updated on how its going while you're out there.

[lamAIlin]

Good JOB scott))

[cardsfan04]

very nice post, Scott!

But diasgree with thiss one

Raise/folding w/ under 20BB's is generally spewy. You should NEVER do it w/ under 15, and very rarely with under 20.

-----Added 13 Jun 2009 at 05:19:02-----

I've learned a lot of lessons in tournament poker over the last year, and feel that my game is stronger than ever before. However, as anyone who plays with me regularly can attest, I still suffer from spontaneous bouts of idiocy from for no apparent reason from time to time. So I as I prepare to leave for Las Vegas this weekend, I've tried to assemble a list of the lessons I've learned. I plan to carry a copy of this list with me, and refer to it, especially if and when I find a way to acquire a big stack. Hopefully some of you can benefit from my lessons too.

+ Play tight and straightforward early on.
+ Don’t talk during a hand.
+ Try to play in such a way as to make decisions easy later in the hand.
+ Don’t show my cards or explain my thought process after a hand.
+ Be careful to not spew chips.
+ Don’t defend my blinds without good speculative hands (i.e. suited connectors or small pocket pairs), and only if it’s a small percentage of my chip stack (i.e. < 10%).
+ Don’t worry about stealing blinds until the antes begin.
+ Be wary of the UTG limp and strange raise sizes (i.e. to 900 when the blinds are 200/400).
+ Normally enter most pots with a raise.
+ Don’t normally call pre-flop without position, except to set mine.
+ Don’t set mine without ~ 12:1 effective chip stacks.
+ Normally keep bluffs small.
+ Be wary of overcalls that could be overpairs.
+ Don’t slow play unless I flop a monster (i.e. full house or nut flush).
+ Plan to keep the pots small with small hands, and make the pots big with big hands.
+ Remember to take all the time I need for each decision.
+ Make most decisions based on betting patterns. Rely on tells for close decisions.
+ Try to prevent showdowns.
+ Always watch for straights. Don’t call on the river until I’ve at least considered this possibility.
+ Once I have a big stack, steer clear of the other big stack(s) unless I have a monster.
+ Be the abuser on the bubble. Do not play weak at this point of the tournament.
+ Under 20 BB, don’t normally fold to a pre-flop re-raise.
+ Under 15 BB, don’t limp except to trap. And if I do limp, don’t normally fold pre-flop.
+ Under 10 BB, don’t enter a pot unless it’s all-in.

I agree with most of this. A few I don't though:

- Don't speculate w/ SC's for 10% of your stack. You don't have implied odds hardly ever.
- You should slowplay more hands than monsters. If you don't, you are very readable and exploitable. Even top pair should be slowplayed sometimes.

[Patricii]

I know we don't agree on this but I still don't have issues with raise folding with 15-20bbs or less. If I feel I am beat and folding will give me a better shot at winning the tourney or cashing higher then I fold. I am comfortable with playing a shorter stack and sometimes think I can find a better edge to get my chips in.

I wish I could track the times I have raise folded with 20bbs or less and how I ended up finishing compared to what would have happened if I would have called a shove.