Go All in after an opponent's raise when you have less than eight times the original bet.
You need to keep increasing your chip count to win a poker tournament. When you get a good hand and need chips, look for opportunities to pressure your opponents. Good hands are medium or higher pairs and A-J suited and above. This is an aggressive style that can help you build a big stack or knock you out of the tournament.
Example:
You have 7-7. It's the middle stage of the tournament. Blinds are 200-400. You have 10500 in late position. A player with 20,000 raises to 1400. What should you do?
The pot currently has 2000. You have less than 8 times the opponent's bet. If you call, you will usually lose at least 20% of your chips. If you raise, you are committed to this pot. And if you push All in, one of the following will happen:
- Your opponent folds and you increase your stack by almost 20%.
- Your opponent calls and you either get knocked out or more than double your chip count.
Calling is the most common option chosen by players. However, it is not the best option; in fact, it is the worst option. It's better to fold than to call. Even better is to push All in. You need to take a risk.
