Turbo Poker Tournament Strategy

Turbo poker tournaments are extremely popular. One of the biggest reasons is because they are fast and don't take a lot of time to finish. When I first began player online poker a few years ago I would not go near these kinds of tournaments because they were simply too volatile for my taste. However, as the years have gone by I have learned that they do have a place in the realm of online poker and that you can thrive in this format if you just follow a few simple rules.



Recently I won an entry into a Super Satellite for the WSOP Main Event via a Turbo tournament. I beat out 223 other players for one of the two seats being given for the tournament. I have found that my approach to playing in Turbo poker tournaments is optimal for a number of reasons. I will give you a few and explain just how I go about it.

1. The object is to accumulate chips and do it as quickly as possible. Knowing this, early in the tournament I try to get my chips in the middle with almost any pocket pair especially when there are more than a couple of players in the pot. Remember, the blinds are going up every five minutes or so and having a big stack gives you an opportunity to wait for a hand.
2. I want to be as patient as time will permit before committing my chips. That means that I will generally let the first couple of levels pass and try to pick up [T][T] or better if possible. Again, if there are more than two people in the pot before me and I have a pocket pair, even if it's small, I am going to shove.
3. Once you accumulate a lot of chips slow down and pick off the small desperate stacks. Stay away from the larger stacks like yourself unless you have a big hand. It's better to call their min raises than to get into a confrontation that may cost you your chips.
4. Use your chips at the Final Table to steal the blinds and keep your stack.

If you can follow those simple rules you will do just fine playing in Turbo tournaments. Good luck!