Stud Tournaments’ Stealing Antes
Stealing antes later in a Poker tournament becomes a necessity in Stud tournaments. A lot of players have a propensity to play their hands very tight, waiting for pairs or strong drawing cards. Being familiar with spots where you can steal antes will help you build chips or at least stay in front of the antes in Stud Poker tournaments.
You need to identify the targets at the table that will give up their hand to raises first. Near the beginning in a Stud poker tournaments, a player tends to be one of these targets. There is diminutive sense in playing poor hands or weak starting hands to raises prematurely in the event. Betting levels and the antes are just too low to put chips at risk. Some players do not know how to change gears later in tournament is the catch with this type of thinking. They keep on waiting, and these players are ones you can make raises into.
Pay concentration to your position relative to the bring-in. A lot of hands later in tournament on poker sites will be heads-up, you can make a raise into the bring-in and if you are in later position. It is very difficult for a 2, 3, or 4 to make a call except they have something strong in the hole.
Play your big cards tough late in a tournament. Feel free to complete the bet a little more often if you have the high card on the board. There are many occasion where you will take the pot down right there. Pay close attention to their play when a name calls, and if they raise back, you must then make a choice whether you want to chase with a bluff or give it up.
Beware the rock if it is still in the tournament late, odds are they are getting low on chips if not they have gotten very good cards. They will possible only hand over their chips with strong starting hands. If you have the chips to gamble with, follow only a rock into the pot with another strong hand.
Pick a spot to be aggressive in if you are a short stack. This past July, a player in a Stud 8 tournament approached the money as the 2nd or 3rd shortest stack in the room and the shortest stack at the table. He was showing a King up against the rest of the table and in around middle position. He won the antes and the bring-in of another player. This would permit him to sit back and try and find another hand. That one spot where he was able to steal a pot allowed him to pick up enough chips in anticipation of finding a better spot. Occasionally one pot in the right spot can make all the diversity.
Remember some of the above examples next time you are getting deep in a stud tournament. Thieving more blinds will help keep your stack ahead of the curve and with any luck help you reach the final table.
Tags:
Poker, Poker Sites, Stud 8, Stud Poker
