by Pokerati Promo, Jun 15, 2021 | 1:30 am

Daniel Negreanu is one of the most respected names in all of poker, whether it be in the online world or in the physical world. He is a true poker professional who has been around for many years and he still continues to win at a high level. Recently, Daniel came out with a Masterclass on his poker strategy and techniques. This is great news for anyone who wants to achieve the same kind of success that he has had over the years. Whether you’re playing on the best online casinos or in local tournaments at your nearby poker club, all of the principles remain the same. Here are some of the best tournament tips and secrets from the man himself.

Start Slow

Daniel says that one of the keys to winning tournaments is to start off slow. You don’t want to come out with guns blazing. You want to get a rhythm for the game as you warm up to the people at your table. Observe their betting patterns and try to see how you’re feeling for the night. There’s no need to start going all-in at the start. Get a feel for the game and gradually ease into things. 

Play the Potential of Your Hand

The potential of your hand can change depending on which stage of the tournament you are in. At the start, play aggressively with hands that have good post-flop potential. Ideally, you go for suited connectors or pocket pairs. This will give you a lot of outs with a chance for straights, flushes, sets, or even full houses. For example, a hand like 3H and 3C might not seem like that strong of a hand when compared to something like Ace-Nine off-suit. But the pocket pair might actually prove to carry less risk with a bigger potential for reward. 

Be Patient

Within a tournament setup, blinds and antes can increase relatively quickly, especially when you’re not paying attention. There’s no need for you to jump the gun with your betting. Stay within the appropriate range of the blinds as you bet. Be as patient as possible. Slowly increase your aggressiveness as the blinds and antes become a bit more expensive. This way, you do a better job of protecting your stack. But of course, if there’s an opportunity to win big on a solid hand, go ahead and take it. Otherwise, just maintain your patience. 

Build Your Stack and Protect It

In a tournament, the goal isn’t necessarily to take everyone’s money. The goal is to have everyone else lose their money while you maintain theirs. Wait your turn and make the most out of your good hands. When you don’t have a good hand, don’t force it. Stay out of the game and just try to maintain your composure. Systematically build your stack as everyone else drops like flies. Once you actually have a big stack, your initial instinct might be to bully other people into submission. Ignore this instinct and play your game as usual. Protect your stack and allow other people to lose their games. Wait until the very end when it’s just a few players left before you start betting aggressively again. 

Stay Tight… to an Extent

When it comes to a tournament, you really have to maintain your composure all throughout. You want to play tightly so that you don’t end up making any costly mistakes that could potentially send you home packing early. However, there is a limit to playing tight. If you have a middle stack during the final stages, go ahead and continue to play tight. You don’t have the firepower to go against the people with big stacks. But if your stack is relatively comfortable, don’t be afraid to let loose.