Sit-N-Go Tournaments – Don’t EVER Give up!

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2005 (Bob Acton)

Playing in an online tournament is one of the most exciting ways to play poker online. With many poker websites offering hourly multi-table poker games, it is a fun way to play poker, and with a small investment, have a chance at winning a substantial amount of money. There are a number of proven strategies that will help you finish in the money more often, and win your share of tournaments.

Every month, I will share some tidbits on succeeding in online sit-n-go tournaments. Today’s lesson, as Yogi Berra was so famous for saying is “It ain’t over till it’s over.” All of us have heard others claim that they had faced the brink of elimination in a tournament only to come back in a frenzy and win the whole thing. I generally take these stories with a grain of salt as people tend to exaggerate their exploits while playing. Poker players love to talk their games up, it’s just the nature of the game. I mean really, how can anyone be down to their last 100 chips by the 2nd hand of a tournament and come back to win? Well, the story I’m about to tell you has changed my position about all that.

For today, I wanted to share an interesting tournament I played in this past week. It was an online Level 2 Qualifier for a World Poker Tour event. I had won a level 1 the day before ($5 entry fee) which paid the $50 entry fee for this tournament. I have been focusing more and more on these types of low cost qualifiers as of late because my goal, as is probably the goal of most online players, is to be able to make the jump into the pro rankings.

There were 36 players in the field and the top 4 have their entry for a level 3 paid for in full ($500 value). In the 2nd hand of the tournament, I was dealt Js-As on the button. 2 players limped in before me and I made a modest raise. The blinds were still small and this being early in a tournament, it’s more about building and winning pots than stealing tiny blinds. The small blind folded, Big Blind called and one of the original limpers called. The flop came down Jc-4h-2d. The Big Blind checked, the original limper bet $100 and I raised to $200. The Big Blind folded and the raiser re-raises me all-in! I think for a minute and to me, this smells of a bluff. “This guy must have me on AK”, I think to myself. I call and I’m left with $90. He flips over his cards to show J-9. I have this guy done I think to myself. Much to my horror, the turn and river were both 9’s giving this yo-yo a full house and leaving me scratching my head and questioning the poker gods. I always get upset when someone commits as huge an error as this opponent and they get rewarded for it.

I’m thinking my tournament is over at this point and I may as well wait for a respectable hand. A few hands later, there are 27 people left and I’m staring at my $90, the smallest chip stack BY FAR. Then it happens, I’m dealt pocket Kings. I go all-in and there are 2 callers. My Kings hold up when I flop a set and I triple up to give myself $270. “Ok, I’m back in the game for now, I think”, so I’m feeling better. The very next hand, I get dealt A-K. Again I go all in and this time I double up. Ok…$540. Then, 2 hands later, I’m dealt pocket 8’s on the button. I go all-in and there are 2 callers. “Uh-oh, I’m caught.” The cards flip over. One player has Pocket Aces and the other has A-K! I start getting ready for bed after the flop and then the turn gives me nothing. I’m down to a 2-outer on the river. Lo and behold, the River turned up my 8 and I triple up again to give me just under $1700 and chip lead at our table.

Coming off that miracle river, my confidence was oozing and not only did I have the strength to finish in the top four to earn my free Level 3 entry, but when the last player was eliminated, I had a large chip lead over everyone. This was easily the most incredible comeback I’ve ever mounted. It all happened because I didn’t quit and give in with an average hand. I waited and went on one of the greatest tournament runs in my online career.

Generally speaking, if you find yourself as the short stack at a table, it pays to take a chance with some decent cards to try to double up. If you don’t even try, you will eventually get blinded off into oblivion. And more importantly, don’t give up. Often times, I’ll see a player lose a big pot early, be left with scraps and go all-in on the very next hand with terrible cards and they usually get knocked out. Don’t fall into the web of “Tournament Tilt.” Play your game, maintain your focus and you can come all the way back. Remember that. This skeptic was once like you, but I’ve seen what can be the benefit of a game plan and solid execution.

Until next time, may the chips fall your way.

(For more poker strategy and tips, please visit the PokerStrategyKing’s website at www.pokerstrategyking.com )

Click here for the Strategy Archive