I wasn't quite sure what to make of a final table I was watching recently. There was one player absolutely running over the table-with his mouth. He was one of those off-the-wall guys who kept talking, talking, talking. Did he have bad poker etiquette?
Probably. Yelling weird phrases like "Snee-snoresnee- snore!" every time you win a hand doesn't really make a lot of friends at the table. He had done a very good job of constructing a loose and reckless image for himself. His opponents were doing their best to bust him-which led to them making mistakes against him as he continued to get under their skin. But, if you were actually watching what hands he was playing, it became clear that his image was just that...an image. His plan was to act as brashly as possible to throw the other players off of their game.
And, much to everyone's chagrin, he went on to win the tournament.
Do I approve of this player's method? It probably would not work for me. But I will give him credit for one important thing-he had a plan. When many players reach the final table of a small-stakes tournament, they are not quite sure how to adjust their play to the increased pressure. Don't make this mistake. Be prepared. That's our first of three key concepts for the final table: Have a plan of attack.
There are several factors you need to take into consideration to play an effective final table. As always, you need to know the exact blind structure. If no blind schedule sheets are available, commit to memory the next five levels. Make a mental note of what your stack size needs to be in order to stay in contention. The worst mistake you can make at this stage is to go into passive mode and get blinded off. In most small stakes tournaments I have seen, having around 15x the big blind is average for the final table. Often, the level time is reduced from 20 or 30 minutes down to 15 or even 10.
In this case, you need to take the blinds at least once each round to stay in contention.
Keep your eye on each players' stack size in relationship to the blinds. Don't try stealing blinds from the short stack without a decent hand-what do they have to lose? Attack the average stacks instead. If you are dealt any face cards, pair, or even A-7, it's time to push with a stack of only 10x the big blind. I also don't mind pushing with medium suited connectors against the average stack's blinds because the pot size is almost always laying you odds for a 60%- 40% type race. For example, if you have 16,000 chips and the blinds are 1,000-2,000 with a 100 ante with 7 players, even if you run into AK, the pot size is well worth the gamble as 1.5-1 dog.
If you are the big stack, you need to be applying maximum pressure to your opponents. If you have 30x the big blind, open-raising 2.5x-3x the big blind every other hand can be very profitable. You have enough chips that if someone gives you too much pressure you can fold without it hurting you. This is also a great strategy to build your stack in the bubble stage as well.
Also, keep in mind the payout structure. The most money is made in the top three spots. That's what you are playing for, so you have to keep practicing selective aggression. Many players slip into passive mode at this point, waiting for a hand to double up. Most small stakes tournament structures simply do not allow for this. By staying aggressive you put the pressure on other people to make the tough decisions.
Just as important as having a plan of attack is understanding the mindset of each player at the table. Our second key concept for the final table: Exploit your opponent by knowing their plan.
Most of the players you will be up against generally fall into one of three categories. First of all, you will find the calling station who has no idea how to play but nailed every flop he saw beating Kings with A-2 and cracking Aces with J-4 because they were sooooooted.
Don't bluff him preflop. Take cheap flops when they limp and outplay them when you have more information.
The second type of player is the most common. The ladder-climber is just hoping to slide under the radar, waiting for the other short stacks to get knocked out.
He is only playing premium hands. They might as well paint a giant bull's-eye on their blinds for you every time they post.
Finally, there will be at least one player who is also going for the top prize. She is playing very aggressively, picking up pot after pot. She is playing a lot more hands than anyone else, so do your best to punish her before the flop by coming back over the top. Or, sometimes it's just a good idea to stay away from confrontations, especially if you both have big stacks. Try to get heads-up with them, then reconfigure your plan from there.
You have played a great tournament just to get to this point, picking your spots wisely and building a stack to contend for the top prize. Making that final table is quite an achievement, but make sure you are prepared by having a plan and knowing your opponents' strategy.
If you can use these concepts effectively, you will put yourself in a position to use our third final table key concept that I will cover in the next article-know when to make the right deal.
You can write to author Jeremiah Smith at: 8811 Rio Grande Falls Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89118
