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How does one play online MTTs?

Multi Table Tournaments, also known as MTTs, are among the most popular variations of online poker games. These tournaments are often characterized by a large number of participants, which presents a unique set of challenges for players. In major online poker rooms, dozens of MTTs are offered on a daily basis, making it difficult for newcomers to find the right tournament. In the following guide, we will provide you with the essential MTT strategies and assist you in identifying the tournaments that best suit your needs.

Finding the right MTT

Once you have chosen a variant of the game (most beginners start with No-Limit Texas Hold'em, as it is the most popular poker variation), your next step is to find the right tournament. The variety of tournaments is so vast that it is easy to lose track. Therefore, at the beginning, you should focus on the following factors: buy-in, blind times, and tournament format. The amount of the buy-in will tell you if this tournament fits your bankroll or not. The blind times will indicate how fast the tournament is likely to run. Is it a turbo, super-turbo, or even a hyper-turbo tournament? Additionally, the tournament format will inform you if rebuys are possible or if you can purchase an add-on during the course of the game.

Before sitting down at the table, it is crucial to determine the appropriate limit. This decision is based on your available bankroll. Your bankroll management is one of the most vital aspects to consider while engaging in online poker. A sound poker strategy includes minimizing risk and ensuring that you do not risk losing the entirety of your available funds. It is essential to exercise caution and prudence when managing your bankroll during gameplay.

If you risk your entire bankroll in a tournament, you can lose everything after 2 or 3 unlucky hands, making it impossible to profit. Effective bankroll management involves maintaining control over your stakes. It is crucial to adjust the buy-in of a tournament according to your bankroll and always have a backup poker budget. Ensuring that your investment aligns with your financial situation and having additional funds on standby is essential.

A solid money management strategy can withstand fluctuations without leading to bankruptcy. However, a good money management approach involves not only avoiding bankruptcy but also ensuring consistent growth of your funds. It is essential to have a system in place that allows you to weather the ups and downs of financial markets without jeopardizing your overall financial stability. Furthermore, focusing on steady budget expansion is a crucial aspect of effective money management. By consistently growing your resources, you can enhance your financial prospects and increase your chances of achieving long-term success.

Basic strategies

Tournaments represent one of the most thrilling formats in the world of poker. Huge rewards can be obtained from a modest initial investment, commonly referred to as a buy-in, in the event that a player manages to reach the final table or, better yet, emerge victorious from the tournament.

Mastering the various aspects of profitable tournament poker can take a considerable amount of time, and this serves as only a brief introduction to the strategies that can assist you in doing so.

Strategy for the early phase

So, you've paid the buy-in, taken your seat at the virtual poker table, and received your first two cards. What's your next move?

During the initial levels, it is crucial to exercise patience. The blinds are minimal compared to your stack, ensuring that you are not under any pressure to act hastily.

As hundreds or even thousands of players participate in the beginning of MTTs, it becomes crucial to thin out the field without jeopardizing your own chances of elimination. It is worth noting that your primary objective is not to eliminate as many opponents as possible, unless you are engaged in Bounty or KO tournament formats. Ensure that you strike a balance between assertiveness and caution, focusing on making strategic moves and capitalizing on advantageous opportunities. By carefully navigating the tournament landscape, you can increase your chances of progressing further and securing a favorable position in the competition.

Adopt a more cautious approach to playing and refrain from engaging in pre-flop coin-flip all-ins that occasionally occur during MTTs. As the blinds are still relatively low, it is advisable to patiently wait for strong starting hands and concentrate on playing only high pairs and other powerful hands such as AK or AQ. Additionally, when in a favorable position, with numerous players involved in the pot or when you suspect an opponent holds a strong hand, you can also consider attempting to flop a set with a low pair or aiming to hit a straight or flush with suited connectors and other coordinated hands.

In summary: Play only strong hands and strive to increment your stack without taking significant risks, if the circumstances permit. Exercise patience until the field of participants naturally thins out.

Middle phase

The introduction of antes marks the onset of the middle phase in a multi-table tournament (MTT). By this point, the player pool should have already dwindled to about half, and the blinds have escalated to a level where stealing pots becomes profitable. Thus, if you find yourself in a later position and no one has made a significant raise before you, raising yourself can often secure the blinds and potentially boost your chip stack.

The opponents are now becoming an increasingly important factor. Despite changing tables frequently during an MTT, you will still find yourself playing a certain number of hands with the same opponents. Gather information about these players, such as how they play a strong hand, whether they often re-raise in later positions, or their pre-flop strategy. This knowledge will not only benefit you directly at the table but also when you encounter these players again later in the tournament or even at the final table. All sorts of information about your opponents are invaluable in online poker, especially in MTTs, and can significantly enhance your chances of winning with minimal effort.

In conclusion: Make it a priority to seize opportunities to steal blinds when it presents itself without risk, diversify your range slightly, and take notes on your opponents.

The late phase

By playing with discipline and a tight strategy, you typically reach the late stage of the tournament, unless you encounter a bad beat or make significant mistakes. As the blind-to-stack ratio becomes exceedingly high in the late stages of MTTs, it is crucial to expand your range at this point. Sitting idle for many rounds and hoping to somehow sneak into the money spots may occasionally work, but in general, the blinds will devour your stack so rapidly that you will be eliminated before long, left empty-handed.

First and foremost, you should no longer be afraid to make a big raise or call an all-in. The elevated blinds result in most players lowering their hand requirements, making bets, raises, and all-ins with significantly weaker cards than during the early stages of the tournament. Don't hesitate to seize this opportunity and take calculated risks to increase your chances of success. Trust your skills and make strategic moves that can potentially lead you to victory. Embrace the challenge and play assertively to outmaneuver your opponents.

Be vigilant for bluffs and consider re-raising your opponent when they make a play and you don't believe they have a strong hand as they claim. Frequently enough, this will cause your opponent to fold, allowing you to increase your stack with numerous smaller victories, such as safely stealing blinds.

In summary: Broaden your scope and take into account the fact that your adversaries now have a wider range as well. Safeguard yourself with low-risk gains through astute re-raises and the art of pilfering blinds.

Short-Handed Play

As the tournament progresses, your ability to play at short-handed tables becomes increasingly crucial. With fewer players at the table, usually around five to six opponents, you must adapt your gameplay accordingly. Short-handed tables involve more frequent blind payments, making stealing those blinds a particularly important factor. Thus, you need to widen your range and shift your focus from eliminating players to steadily increasing your stack with minimal risk. This strategy allows you to survive more rounds and prolong your game.

The majority of average players who have worked their way into the late stages of a tournament using a tight strategy fail in the bubble, just before the prize pool positions, because they cannot master the adjustment to short-handed tables. They continue to play as if it were a full-ring game, and the higher and more frequent blinds punish this style of play in the long run. Therefore, if you widen your range and consistently secure small profits without taking full risks, you will definitely outperform players who have not adapted their gameplay to the short-handed situation.