NO LIMIT FREE POKER TOURNEY Conclusion

The Late Game of a Poker Tourney occurs when every player is modifying his play to insure that he at least makes it into the money. All middle stacks tighten up significantly. Little stacks that feel they have chance to blind into the money get even tighter. Little stacks that feel they will come up little can become maniacs, and Big stacks become tyrants.

This is the point in a Poker Tourney where money is made. If you are unsuccessful here, you won't make money in poker tourneys. It is also the level where rules become skewed. There are just too many variables. The most significant variable is your stack. If you have a big stack you can gamble almost with impunity, often increasing your chip lead significantly. If you have little stack, you have to gamble, and just pray to the Poker gods to get lucky.

There are two ways to measure a little stack; Its' relationship to the average or its relationship to the blinds. Since the blind pressure can become oppressive to everyone at this point, use the relationship to the blinds. It will give you a better grasp of your situation.

20 times the BB might be considered a middle stack. (Especially if there are a greater number of little-er stacks than places to the money. 32 smaller stacks and 30 places to the money.) Look for opportunities to steal the blinds to maintain your position. Try not to get involved with biger stacks.

10 times the BB might not be that bad if there are many smaller stacks still in the poker tourney. Still, look for opportunities to steal the blinds to maintain your position. There is also another problem, compared to the other stacks, your stack is losing power. When your stack is small compared to others, they will call you almost in passing with anything. Your chances of an outright steal are decreasing.

5 times the BB , you are definitely under blind pressure. (Unless it is only a few eliminations from the money and there are several other little stacks.) At best you have 3 rounds left. If you think there is a possibility of making the money, tend to hold on and wait for the good hand. Otherwise you need to pick your spot and fire away. You won’t win all of them.

The little stack is in a dilemma. Usually to have a chance at the big money, you most double up many times. To double up, you have to play, but by playing you endanger the small prize you when if you can barely make the money.

Normal stacks, stick to the top cards. Don't get in confrontations with larger stacks unless you have a definite edge. Realize that little stacks will go all in at the drop of a hat so don't play them unless your hand has all-in quality. When playing marginal cards always do it from late position and against no callers.

Raise

Ultimately the normal stack at this level of a poker tourney is faced with the same decision as a little stack. "You can increase your chances of making the money by decreasing your chances of making the bigger money." Although your chances of winning the big prize are significantly better.

Big stacks own this level of a Poker tourney. They bully and eliminate little stacks almost at will. If they take several small losses, they can regroup and still expect to do well in the poker tourney. In many poker tourneys, you can often see big stacks that simply sit-out during this period of the tourney and insure their position in the money, but these "Poker" players give up a unique opportunity to garner a large number of additional chips for the final end-game.

In Freeroll tourneys tend to target the final prize. Although free rolls often pay many places, your not going to get much for $5. In a free roll, you want to win the top prizes. When the top prize is exceptional, like a cruise or ticket to a big money poker tourney, everything else is inconsequential.

After giving you a strict set up standards, we've discussed all the ways that we should modify those standards based on the situation, but the conclusion is the most important stage of the tourney. At no point in a poker tourney is your play more important, and at no point is it more chaotic.

“After the first shot, we will rewrite our battle plans on the hood of our jeeps.” -General Colin Powel

“We play the cards we’re dealt.” -Unknown

The unknown had played in the final stage of a poker tourney. Bad cards, or Good cards, at some point, you will have to play.

The real cusp starts when the seat prize differences from one seat to the next become significant. Usually this occurs at the final table. In one of the larger dailies this could be significant, $500 for tenth, $1500 for seventh, and $8000 for first. You don't want to miss a putt here.

Once we're here you can see the importance of the order used to evaluate considerations.

1. The tourney status: There is no more.
2. If your stack position is little, you've got to play. If not you've a little flexibility but often even the big stacks might be under blind pressure at this point. Only extremely large stacks have any advantage here. Never call. RAISE
3. Your position changes almost everything. A raise on the button is hard and can only be called with best hands. Since you cannot play unless you are prepared to call an ALL-IN move by anyone acting after you, the button is a friendly place to be. Even then, a little stack in the blinds can bust your aaaahhhhh… toes.
4. Proper knowledge of an opponent at this point of game is as lucrative as a pocket pair.
5. With the above in play your cards are almost immaterial. Often you must play marginal cards. You seldom get a caller much less two or three. If you find yourself in a multi-way pot, you have just put your aaahhhh…. fingers on the table, for someone to bust with a hammer. High cards and pocket pairs are rules of the day.

As the number of players becomes less, the value of high cards increases. Ace rag is a pretty good hand against one or two players. Don't play unless you are prepared to go all-in once the table is little. One last word.

RAISE