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Tournament play: Mid-Range M Value Part II

• 31.06.2025 2:16 pm
• Helen
• 0 Comments

We outlined in the first part a couple of important tournament techniques with the potential of improving the results you get in MTTs.

Part 1 is here in case you have not gone through it.

In the second part, we will discuss another important tactic-and this is re-stealing versus any late position raise.

We will look into the re-steal specifically as among the main adjustments you should make the moment you find that you've got an M in any range of 8-15 in a tourney.

The Re-steal

A good number of players in most cases play exceedingly tight the moment they face any opening raise from a late position.

Obviously, the moment any player successfully raises in the under the gun situation, he has his way.

A cut-off raise, however, could simply stand for a wider hand range.

Focus on getting the cash in the middle.

Where it allows, be aggressive and make all efforts to get that sum in the middle already.

Think of a scenario where you've got your M of 8 on the button with A-8.

If an opponent who happens to raise up-to 3 times the big blind and from the cut-off, you are left with a hard decision to make.

For instance K-Q or maybe K-J, or maybe hands like 8-7 suited or J-T.

It's preferable not to try any move using pocket pairs of the smallest size like 22-44, but the rest of the pairs have enough strength to push you through.

Play with winning in mind

If you dream of dramatically improving the tourney results, you have to play with a winning mentality. You might eliminate yourself in the long run prior to getting the cash.

The risks you take will see you make more appearances in the final-table. This gives you greater chances of finishing among the top three and earning a sizeable pay.

Consider the factors below before making a decision to try any re-steal:

• The probable opponent's hand range
• The probability that he is going to fold to the re-raise
• The performance of your hand in any showdown if he happens to call

If you can successfully consider the factors above analytically and not emotionally, you are on the right way towards improved results.

The Squeeze Play

This is another common re-steal

Squeeze play is known well by tournament poker regulars. It involves working towards exploiting any rival you guess is raising light.

It is applied when another player who might be having the same thoughts as you makes a decision of calling and not raising.

This obviously leaves the two players on spot for this squeeze play.

The specific player doing this play makes a significant re-raise. This ends up trapping that initial raiser (who most likely has a hand that is relatively weak) between the caller and you.

This ends up making it very hard for the initial raiser to place a call. The caller in most cases usually has a hand that's weak because he was caught unawares to re-raise before flop.

For a given reason, the calling person makes a note that the initial raiser is perhaps trying to make the position raise, and aims at seeing a cheap flop.

Before he can re-raise, you can deny him the chance.

Consider this common scenario:

You happen to be in that big blind with a $15,000. The cut-off then raises 3 times the big blind, making it $3,000 then the button calls.

In case you possess a favorable hand, weigh the options of moving-all-in. In case the two players fold, you will have added to the stack you've got $7,500.

More aggression equals better results.

Since there is a chance of the pot to be stolen, consider moving in with a big count of hands most rivals would not consider in normal circumstances.

More aggression equals Improved results

This is very important, and that's why I have repeated it.

In tourney play, big money lies in the best three positions.

Sneaking your way into the money is going to do little regarding your profits in the end. If you dream of improving the results you've got, playing to win is what you ought to do.

Keep an open eye where you can regularly use the re-steal. If you successfully do it, you begin noticing that the stack you've got is far much better in the final and significant stages of the tourney.

Becoming an aggressor more-so when the stack you've got goes down to the range of 8-15 pays off with some additional final-table finishes, and hopefully a higher count of tourney victories.