Play More Pots - Erick Lindgren Poker Tournament Strategy Tips

Erick Lindgren Tournament Strategy Tips
Play More Pots
October 9, 2006

Poker Tips from the Pros

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Erick Lindgren
discusses his strategy in no
limit hold'em tournmaments.
He likes to play a lot of hands
and put his opponents off
balance. Read more to get
great tournament strategy tip
from a pro.

In tournaments, I play lots of hands. I'll put my
money in with all kinds of connected cards,
especially when in position. I might limp, I
might min-raise or raise a little more than the
minimum, depending on the circumstances. I'm
looking to keep my table off balance so they
don't know where I'm coming from.

My overall goal is to pick up a lot of small pots
without a lot of resistance. I might raise in
position and hope for a call from one of the
blinds. If I raise pre-flop with something like
6-7, I might miss the flop entirely, but the
raise puts me in control of the hand. On the
flop, I'll likely bet if checked to, even if I miss.
That small bet on the flop will usually win me a
small, but helpful pot.

Of course, sometimes it won't work out. I'll bet and get check-raised on
occasions. But that's okay, because I actually don't lose much in the hands
that I have to surrender. Overall, I get to gradually add to my chip stack by
chopping at small pot after small pot.

The other major advantage to my style is that, occasionally, I will hit a flop
hard. If I do happen to flop a straight, it's difficult for other players to put me
on something like 5-7 or 6-8. If one of my opponents also gets a piece of the
flop, I'll get paid off in a big way.

By adding to my stack early, I have a real advantage over players who play a
cautious, tight game. The extra chips that I accumulate allow me to survive
some tough spots. So, if I happen to get involved in a race with A-K or a pair
of Tens, I can withstand a loss. An opponent who's playing tight will likely be
on the rail after losing a single race.

New players often ask me how they can learn to play more pots. I always
suggest that they drop down significantly in stakes and practice. If you're
playing $2-$4 no-limit, drop down to $.50-$1 - a level where some losses
won't hurt you.

Once you're at that table, try to play eight hands out of 10. Play everything
but 2-8 or 3-9 - hands that are entirely unconnected. When you get yourself
involved with this kind of frequency, you'll have to concentrate more on your
opponents than on your own cards. You'll have to be on the lookout for
opportunities to take down pots with well-timed stabs. You'll also learn how
to proceed in situations where you flop a good, but dangerous hand.

By dropping down and playing a lot of hands, you're going to learn a lot
about poker. You're also going to have a lot of fun. In my opinion, playing
50% of the hands is a whole lot more entertaining than sitting around
waiting for Aces.

If you look at the success that Gavin Smith, Daniel Negreanu and myself have
had over the last couple of years, you'll see that being active can be an
excellent way to score big in tournaments. It takes practice to play this style,
but it can lead to great results and be a lot of fun.

by
Erick Lindgren

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