Along with several friends, I play no limit tournaments regularly. Typically, we have around 8 players and with a $5 buy in are low stakes. Honestly, I’m now not troubled of anything really serious as I believe I’m a decent player and have read several poker books. I was also able to take home the pot a number of times. However, I don’t know how to play when the table finally gets down to 3-4 players. Is there any adjustments I need to consider when playing against fewer players? And how many hands playable there could be in a table with just a number of players? Any idea? I believe you have.

I’ll be glad to hear from you soon.

Thanks!
Moore
Moore,

When you get down to 3 or 4 players, you can open up your hand ranges a bit. Big cards, any ace, and any pair are good hands to play. I would also try and see cheap flops with other holdings to try and flop lucky. When you get your big hands, you need to push your advantages.

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I must admit it, I badly want to believe I’m an above-average player. I’ve played well before and I’ve already held a monthly poker game. Not to mention that I was invited several times to play at some local games. I believe the biggest one so far was the one with the biggest cash prize. However, there’s just one thing I don’t like about the game, its house rules are a little different than usual. Blinds move up every after 20 minutes till the final table. The problem I have encountered then was due to the blinds actually. I’m a tight player and when the blinds move such way, I’m headed to an uncomfortable zone, particularly when I have few chips.

Do you have any advice for me? I’m thinking of bluffing next time. What do you think? And what kind of hands should I consider when the blind is 3rd quarter of my chips? Any idea?

Thank you in advance!

I hope to hear from you soon.

Warm regards,
Schoonen
Schoonen,

You need to widen your hand range a bit when playing a tournament with such a high blind structure. You also need to play your position more. As far as bluffing, if you have some players that you think you can run a bluff against, then by all means, give it a try.

As far as a hand to put your chips in when the blind is ¾ of your stack, you need to pick any sort of reasonable hand and go. Any ace, any two big cards, any pair, and even suited connectors or suited cards are decent cards to play in this spot. Another thing I will do sometimes is that if there is a lot of action and I am super short stacked, sometimes I will move in with any two cards. The reason is that if there are several people in the pot already, I have great odds on my money. Yes, I am likely behind, but also I probably have two live cards.

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First, I would like to commend you for having a nice site. Congrats!

Well, just last night I was in a tournament with several friends. In late position, I got dealt pocket kings. Just one player then called the blinds therefore I decided to move all in.

At the table, there was one player in the hand who played aggressively. He had four times the amount of chips as I had then. Well, he had beaten several players so this was not that surprising. Later, a friend of mine who had A7s called the bet. Cards then came out and he ended up having an ace high flush.

Now, I’m thinking if I made a big mistake moving all in with pocket kings. Any idea? Also, I’m wondering if what were his reasons for calling.

Hope you can help me.

Thanks a lot!

Cheers,
Bratli
Bratli,

Without knowing more about the scenario regarding blind amounts and you stack, it is hard to say whether you should have went all in or made a strong raise. If you think that an all-in was the best way to take the pot down, that’s one thing, otherwise a strong raise may have done the trick in most situations.

As to why the player called your bet, it is hard to say. He may have thought you were on a steal and thought his suited ace was good. Not knowing more about your chip stack, the blind amount, and his stack makes it hard to gague whether this was a super poor call.

Taken in the context presented, he made a really poor call and you got unlucky.

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At certain point, I was okay though I was not the chip leader. I was hoping so hard then as I was close to being one and many was already busted out.

It was mid part when I realized that player on my left was playing too aggressive. He was low in chips. Eventually, I got pocket Queens and then placed a bet by which I believed then was unreasonable bet as I was not in good position and I can actually bully a little.

Later, flop came and was not helpful at all. Afterwards, I placed a $2,000 bet instead of checking. He then thought I had an Ace. While he had a King. I wondered then why kept on saying,”You have an Ace, you have to have an ace.” Very intriguing actually. Eventually, he folded and so I won.

Well now as I look back, I believe he was just playing conservatively as the tournament had higher stakes and second place seemed to be as good as the first. But I’m curious, do you think what I did was really a bold play? And that something that I can save for the future or else risking $2,000 in chips?

By the way, I’m now referring to your site and Doyle’s book for guidance. I owe you and Doyle a treat. Many thanks to both of you!

Keep up the excellent work on this site!

Regards,
Holdenn
Holdenn,

I don’t know why your player just assumed you had a bare ace. He might have been trying to get a read on your hand. He may have been holding something like K-Q, K-J, or maybe a weaker ace. I think he was just trying to put you on a hand and didn’t have anything.

If the flop did not come with an overcard, betting out with queens is a good move. It’s not any sort of special move. Your opponent was just overacting I think.

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Last night, I was in a 14 person NL tourney. I believe the players who joined were mostly average players, just one or two were really good players. The entire night, I was doing okay and was actually dominating the table. I played aggressively and was focused then on winning the pots alone.

At some point, with an average player, I got to heads up. Good side was that I had more chips, I believe 2-1. Blinds then were at 500-1000. In the small blind, I was dealt A-8 suited and so I decided to go all in with a little hope of stealing blind. Consequently, with 910 of diamonds, he called. Flop came and brought 2 diamonds. Turn followed but was a blank. Finally, river came and gave him a flush. Because of this, he won.

Now I’m wondering if my all in play with A-8 suited is a good one? I believe I had the best hand then so I went all in. I was also expecting that the guy will call as I was stealing his blinds and was pushing him.

On the other hand, in a heads up game, is going all in with any ace pre-flop effective? How about if I’m the chip leader? And do you think putting in a raise while hoping that flop would hit is far better? What about pocket pair? Or I’m the chip leader?

Sorry for the many questions. Please bear with me, I badly need your help.

Thanks,
Alexander
Alexander,

Without knowing the stack sizes etc, I can’t say whether the push was really good or not. However, raising with any ace preflop is a good play heads-up. If you went all-in, that’s not necessarily a bad play. It turned out you were ahead. You just got unlucky.

Heads up you want to raise with a wider range of hands to include pairs, any ace, and two big cards. Being the chip leader or not doesn’t matter. You want to push your big hands preflop. Otherwise, see a lot of cheap flops with your other hands and hope to flop well.

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Say in a certain tournament you’re short-stacked and you have to do something immediately as you are blinded into some stuff. As expected, some will go with any paint. However, anyone who will call you might control you if you can’t have a not so significant amount. Well, A9 might work however your caller will have much better. What will you do then?

Well, based on my past experiences, if I am short-stacked, I normally go all-in with a suited semi-connector like 8-5 of Diamonds as a double up is more possible. However, I normally should not play against a pair for this to happen.

I’m wondering if what would you rather have against big slick, suited 8-5 or far better AQ. Please, I need to hear from you.

Thanks for your time. Nice site!

Lowe
Lowe,

If I am against A-K, I want either a pair or a couple of live semi connected cards like 9-10 or J-10 etc. When you are short stacked, a couple of big cards, a pair, or any ace can be a good hand to push. However, when that fails, try to be the aggressor in position. Yes, you will likely be called by a big stack or a better hand, but it give you a better chance of being heads-up for your tournament life instead of three handed or more.

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