Texas holdem NL (No limit) multi table tournaments

A multi-table tournament is a tournament that is played at many tables at the same time. Usually it's here the big money pots are! It is more difficult to win, but WHEN you do, you can win much!

A multi-table tournament usually have between 11 and 2000 players. Depending on the buy-in and number of players, the pot varies. Party poker, for example, have multi-table tournaments each week that has 200 K guaranteed pricepool. But the entrance to these big pot tournaments are expensive... Many sites therefore offer qualifiers and sub-qualifier tournaments so you can win the entrance to the big ones.

But... don't get anxious to try the big ones... practice the smaller ones first and learn some useful strategies.

There is one basic strategy for making it to the "money" in a multi-table tournament, and that is - survive!. Unless you are very lucky, it's only one strategy that works, and that is - play tight!. In fact - play VERY tight!. You might get lucky one or two times, but in the long run, luck does not win anything for you. Even though you play tight you will need luck a couple of times to make it. Even the best player in the world needs luck to win a multi-table tournament.

The goal is to get all the chips from all the players. When a player has lost all his chips, he's out of the tournament. (Although some sites offer the possibility to re-buy into the tournment for the first hour.)

This means that there eventually will be one final table.

Now... some strategy:

Multi-table Texas Holdem NL tournament strategy

* Since the goal is to survive, play very tight. One difference to single table tournaments are that you probably will be moved to other tables and meet other players during the game. This means you will not have the same possibilities to get to know your opponent as in a single table tournament. Unless you previously have notes on them, you will most likely play against totally unknown players. However, take notes during the game! These notes are useful when there are fewer players left and you meet them again.

* Even though you are playing very tight, use the fact that the blinds are small. For example, if it is cheap to play small suited connectors, play them! You might hit a straight and small straights are often profitable.

* Multi-table tournaments often takes hours to finish. Do not join a tournament if you do not have time to finish it! And do not join it if you do not have the ability to concentrate for a long time.

* As said in single-table strategy - IF you are lucky enough to hit AA or KK, do NOT slow play them. Play them aggressively! If you are in early position, raise a couple of hundred. If you are in late position and your opponents have raised, re-raise them with all-in. Hopefully this will eliminate some of them and you want to face as few, but at least 1 opponent as possible. This is to avoid getting beaten by a two-pair or similar.

* Your stack of chips will (hopefully) slowly grow bigger, and as you get a greater stack of chips, you can vary your playing more. Still play very tight, but vary your play.

* Do not get bothered by if the chip leader would have 5 * your stack. Instead, be happy as long as you are in line with the average stack. Do not panic. You have plenty of time to hit something.

* If you are lucky enough to get a big stack early in a tournament, do not become more loose because of that. Instead play even more tight!. You want those chips when the opponents get fewer and the money are closing in.

* Avoid getting trapped in a pot by bluffing. If you are in late position and raise (with a weak or average hand) to invoke a bluff, and are getting raised by someone else - consider to fold your hand even if you already put chips in the pot.

* Play some occasional hands with weak hands if you have not played in some time. This is to not let other players think you are too tight. If your'e lucky, you will still get a good flop.

* If your stack is getting smaller and smaller, you do not want to be "eaten up" by the blinds. You will have to gamble. Go all-in on the first pair or A+(any card) you get (Unless you have plenty of opponents called). This might save you and double up your stack. If you lose, then try to learn something from it. Always try to learn something from losses.

* If you are in late position and catch an AKs or AK it might be a good idea not to raise or at least not to re-raise the pot. In case you do not hit anything on the flop you have not lost too much, and if you do, noone knows about your strong hand.

* Watch out for going all-in on an average hand. Do NOT go all-in on one pair only. If you "must", at least make sure to have a great kicker (not a good, but a great).

* When there are fewer players left, play more hands. Now you can play your average hands and begin to bluff occasionally. Use the power of you position at the table, use the weaknesses you noted on your opponents and play more aggressively.

* Never go all-in on connectors like AK or so. Even if you are facing low pair like a 22 you are the odds underdog. Only go or follow an all-in with a pair, the higher the better.

* When the tournament are close to "the money", the play usually get a little different. Noone wants to be on place 51 when the money is on place 50. Should this affect your play? Well... you don't want to end up on 50th place, you want number 1. Fo not fold you AA just because you want someone else to be 51th. BUT, you should consider folding a slightly above-average hand you normally would have played.

* If you are up 1v1, read the 1v1 guide at 1v1 holdem. This could be the difference between you going + or ++++ on your poker.

Do not play tournaments you can not afford to play just because of the nice looking pricepool! Instead "work you way up" and take the time to improve your skills with lower stakes tournaments instead.