You have 3-3 in the fourth position and a jackal (see page 33) has raised in the second position. My theory says reraise (three-bet) and "isolate" the jackal (play the crazy player one on one) with your 3-3. The "call to build a pot" theory says just call the bet. But even if you subscribe to it, that theory and the notion of isolating the jackal aren't mutually exclusive. Nonetheless, people who like to call and build large pots tend not to use the more aggressive isolation play.

Small Pairs-Don't Call Three Bets!

You have 5-5, and it has been two bet and then three bet in front of you. For the "majority play hands," as opposed to the "top ten hands," calling three bets is a bad idea. Just fold your 5-5 and live to fight another day. Still, if nearly every hand in your game is being three-bet, then by all means call the three bets! (In a crazy game like that—which by the way, I love to play in—sets tend to play well and win huge pots.) Even at low stakes it is unusual to play in a game where every pot is three-bet, so folding small pairs for three bets is the norm. In general, then, fold all small pairs for three bets unless you know three things: that more or less every hand in your game gets three-bet or four-bet; that your bankroll can handle the wild swings this is almost certainly going to create; and that your emotions can handle things like flopping sets and losing to people who make straights with hands like 2-3 off-suit (this can be tough to swallow!).

• Poker – Small Pairs When The Mouse Has Come In Raising (0)
• Poker – Make It Two Bets With No Callers (0)
• Poker Tournaments Part3 (0)

You have 3-3 in late position, and a mouse has raised in front of you (types of players are discussed in Chapter 3, page 33). A mouse raising, as you will recall, is a scary thought indeed! Both theories are now in agreement: the mouse probably has your 3-3 beat with a higher pair. So what to do? My reraising approach doesn't advocate reraising when you're almost certain that you're beat. Folding your hand at this point is clearly the best idea. Why put in your money as a AVi-to-\ underdog to the mouse's higher pair, which he probably has? You can throw away a lot of "majority play hands" and some "top ten hands" when the mouse comes in raising!

But if you feel that others will call the mouse's raise behind you (something possible to probable in a low-stakes game where the other players haven't even noticed that the mouse is someone who doesn't raise very often), then calling is OK. If you do flop a set, then you'll probably win a big pot. Frankly, I would probably call the mouse's raise, thinking that the most I could lose would be two small bets, but the most I could win would be a lot of bets. In this calling scenario, I'm looking to collect from the other players more than from the mouse. In other words, I would be thinking that if I flop a three, I win big; but if I don't, then I'll just fold my hand, having lost little.

• Poker – Raise And Isolate The Jackal (0)
• Poker – Make It Two Bets With No Callers (0)
• Poker Tournaments Part3 (0)

You have 4-4 and the two people have folded in front of you. According to both theories you make it two bets to go, so that you have a chance to win the blinds before the flop. No need, then, to discuss this case further.

Making It Two Bets with Callers

You have 2-2, and two people have "limped in" (simply called the bet before the flop). My theory says you should raise here. The mainstream theory—"call to build a pot"—can go either way here, but it leans more toward just calling, since two other players have already called ahead of you. The "call" theory is thinking: let's get by for one bet before the flop; then we can fold if we don't flop a set. Not bad thinking, but why not put in one raise and represent something strong with a bet after the flop? For one more bet before the flop and one more after the flop, you may win the whole pot on the flop. And raising does accord nicely with the "building a pot" part of the "calling" theory.

• Poker Tournaments Part2 (0)
• Poker – Small Pairs When The Mouse Has Come In Raising (0)
• Poker – Raise And Isolate The Jackal (0)

17. The IRS requires casinos to issue a Form WG-2 to anyone in the tournament who receives $600 or more. If you're making a deal at the final table and you don't want a WG-2, you can ask for $599 or less and avoid the IRS paperwork.

18. Players who are eager to make a deal at the last table will probably play more conservatively than usual if their offer to make a deal is refused.

19. Traditionally, tournament players are not allowed to select their table or seat at that table. However, there are a few poker rooms that allow it, even though it may not be well known. Ask if you can choose your own seat and table. If you can, get a seat at what you know will be the final table. You'll be one of the few players in the tournament who won't be forcibly moved from table to table, so you may avoid paying double blinds and being in bad position.

20. Watch the best tournament player at your table, especially early in the tournament. Stay out of his way unless you have great cards.

Tournament experience can do a lot to help improve your regular ring game. You'll see that you really have to watch every hand carefully, and you'll learn a lot faster in a tournament that you would in a ring game.

Try to play in a few tournaments to gain experience, if for no other reason. I suggest you keep your tournament expenses and wins separate in your records. This chapter alone cannot turn you into a great tournament player-it's intended only to be an introduction to tournaments. If you're interested in learning more about tournament play, look for books devoted exclusively to tournaments.

• Poker Tournaments Part2 (0)
• Poker Tournaments (0)
• Poker – Small Pairs When The Mouse Has Come In Raising (0)

4. Each player's stack size is of paramount importance in a tournament. You should not ordinarily attack a bigger stack than yours because if you lose the hand, you could be eliminated from the tournament, while your opponents will only lose some chips to you and will remain in the tournament.

5. If it is a rebuy event, you can and should play a little more liberally during the rebuy period. You can afford to take chances in an effort to get ahead, and losing won't bust you out of the tournament.

6. Decide ahead of time exactly which hands you will play and under what circumstances. Decide which hands you'll use to call preflop raises.

7. Always be aware of your position relative to the button. It'll help you decide if another player is making a move based on his position more than his cards.
8. Always be aware of the other players' stack sizes, especially before the play of the hand. Players with small stacks are usually more reluctant to call your bets and raises if you act before they do on the hand.

9. Always be aware of how much time is left in the current stage of the tournament. Certain strategies become more effective near the end of each stage.
10. Always have an idea of how much the blinds and the antes will cost you to play each round. Use this to determine how many hands you have before you will be blinded out if you don't win a hand or make a move.

11. Pay attention to the cost of calling the rest of the small blind. Most of the time it's correct to fold.

12. Tighten up considerably after the rebuy period. You're playing for keeps. You can't replace chips you lose except by winning them back from other players.

13. Never miss an opportunity to put a player all-in. If your opponent bets ten of his eleven chips, and you have forty-five chips, you should always raise one more to get him all-in. You've probably heard the saying that all a player needs to beat you is a chip and a chair. It's true. Try to deprive him of both.

14. Don't underestimate the value of a single chip. Do not play too loose, wild or reckless in the beginning of the tournament, just because you have a lot of chips and the limits are small. Beginning players too often make this mistake.

15. Be aware of how many total chips are in play in the tournament, and of how many players there are left. With this information, you'll be able to determine the average number of chips for each player.

16. If you have a small stack late in the tournament, you must realize that you probably won't win. Your goal, therefore, is to end up as high on the payout ladder as you can. If other players have short stacks, give them every chance to bust each other out before you get blinded out.

• Poker – Make It Two Bets With No Callers (0)
• Poker Tournaments Part3 (0)
• Poker Tournaments (0)

Other than jackpots, one way that the average low limit hold 'em player can score a big win and really increase his hourly rate is by winning or placing high in a poker tournament.

Sometimes, in a tournament, you can win more than $1,000 in just three hours of play. Studying tournament strategy is also very valuable to you because it speeds up your learning process and helps you play in your regular ring (full) game.

There's a big difference between tournament and ring game strategy. A player who is good in his regular ring game will almost never win a tournament if he uses his ring game strategy throughout the tournament. There are so many differences that tournament strategy has been discussed in numerous books devoted entirely to that subject.

For the sake of your basic hold 'em education, I've outlined below what should be some of your important considerations if you're thinking about playing in a hold 'em tournament:
1. Should you play in a particular hold 'em tournament? I play tournaments, and I choose which ones I play in for two possible reasons. Either I believe that I have a reasonable chance to make the final table (get in the money), or I think that the practice and experience I will get by entering this tournament will be worth the entry fee. There are many good tournaments with $5-$20 entry fees that are worth the experience.

2. The number one difference between a ring game and a tournament is that in a tournament, survival is what it's all about. In a ring game, you can voluntarily play many dominated hands, because you can lose five hands in a row and make it all back on the sixth hand. If you run out of poker chips before you win that sixth hand, you can always buy more. You can't do that in a tournament, because one or two hands could take all of your chips and you cannot buy any more.

3. If you're playing in a tournament that allows rebuys and add-ons, be prepared to make the maximum number of rebuys and add-ons. Tournaments like this are as much a contest to see who can buy the most chips as they are a contest to win those chips. You need to be able to keep up with the competition just to have a chance to make the final table.

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• Poker Tournaments Part2 (0)
• Poker – Small Pairs When The Mouse Has Come In Raising (0)