ICEMAN 5 Tips To Improve Your Poker Tournament Final Table Strategy

Let us set the scene… after several hours of play you have just reached the final table of a poker tournament at your chosen online poker room. 700 players are already out - just you and 9 others now remain. The prizes now climb steeply for each place – in fact you are looking at your biggest cash to date, one that could transform your poker bankroll overnight...




While getting to a tournament final table is the dream of many online poker players how many have actually thought through their strategy for when they arrive there? After all, one mistake could now cost $100s if not $1000s!



This article looks to address final table strategy for beginning and developing players by looking at 5 tips that will help any player improve their final table play - after all, you can not control the cards or other players, but can make sure you do many things to ensure you maximize your potential payout..



Poker Tournament Final Table Strategy: Tip #1 - Watch The Last 3 Tables!

Having ‘reads’ on your final table opponents before reaching the very last table will give you an immediate edge. When the game gets down to the last 3 tables make sure you are watching each one closely and are taking notes on the style of your potential opponents. Things to watch out for include aggression, bluffs and strange bet sizes. Any information that gives you a read on an opponent is an important aspect of NL Holdem Final Table Strategy.



Poker Tournament Final Table Strategy: Tip #2 - Who Is Playing to Win?

Sure, everyone would like to take first prize - but there are many players whose first priority will instead be to move up the payment scale. A valuable part of your final table strategy is to identify who is ‘playing to win’ and who is playing to move up the payment ladder. If you do identify timid opponents who are less likely to take risks then you should ensure you play many hands with them. Conversely, those players willing to 'gamble' in order to take the first prize are candidates for big bets only when you have premium holdings.



Poker Tournament Final Table Strategy: Tip #3 - Learn Basic Chip Equity Math.

This is something that can be easily done in advance of reaching that online final table. Prize pool structures mean that each chip can be assigned a dollar value. Gaining more chips at a final table will increase your chances of winning a bigger prize - but not in a straight forward fashion. Each additional chip is actually ‘worth’ slightly less in dollar terms than the chip before it.



Mathematical models such as the 'Independent Chip Model' (ICM) explain this clearly, and while primarily used in Sit N Go play can be quickly and easily incorporated into your approach to multi-table tournaments.



NL Holdem Final Table Strategy Tip #4: - Awareness Of Stack Sizes.

By the time you reach the online final table players will have a wide range of stack sizes. Awareness of each persons stack size will help your final table strategy in many ways. Some examples include:



Small Stacks might be desperate enough to go all in with medium strength holdings.

Big Stacks may raise without strong hands to 'bully the table'

A medium stack who raises after a small stack has already entered the pot usually has a stronger hand than when that same person is first to raise. This is because players who expect to be called do not usually raise without good hands.

Your own stack size, especially in relation to the blinds and antes, is also a significant factor in your NL Holdem final table strategy. Calculate how many times you can go through the blinds before your stack disappears and use this to decide how tight or loose to play.



NL Holdem Final Table Strategy Tip #5: - Practice Heads-Up Play!

To win an online NL Holdem tournament you have to beat your last opponent heads-up. For players who are used to full tables adjusting to this can be a big challenge. Practice heads-up poker play in advance, either with a friend or at an online poker room. Experience in the relative strength of hands in heads-up situations will greatly assist your NL holdem final table strategy… remember that the jump from 2nd to 1st prize can be several thousand dollars!!