Multi-Table Tournament Strategy: Late Blind Levels

Generally, I'm either eliminated right out of the money, or I make it to the final table. If you're like me and are more interested in winning the tournament rather than placing, I'll show you exactly how to build a huge chip stack in order to do just that.

You Don't Need the Cards

You read that right. I almost never get the cards in the later rounds but the majority of the time I build a huge chip stack. How?, you might ask. I do it by raising the blinds when everyone else is trying to make it to the money. This is a surefire way to either (a) get eliminated, or (b) go on to win the tournament.

I love this strategy so much that it pains me to reveal the secret that separates a normal tournament player from a dangerous tournament player. I'll tell you up front, there will be a lot of risk involved, but usually people won't call you when you raise their blinds. If you've been playing tight all game, you now have the opportunity to steal blinds left and right.

Out of the Money Strategy

My favorite way to build a huge chip stack is to raise blinds. The reason I play tight the whole game is because sometimes cards run cold. If you've been playing tight the entire game, you have the license to bluff.

When the blinds get high, I'll take just about any two cards to raise them. I will look for tight players, but even if I don't find them, I'll put players to a decision for every chip in front of them. A lot of times, I'll raise the pot, and if I get a caller, bet the flop regardless. Usually your opponent will miss the flop and you can take the pot down. If they re-raise, just fold and do it again on the next round of blinds. I rack up a ton of chips doing this throughout the later rounds of a tournament.

Sometimes you'll get called on a bluff. The key here is to just back off and let your opponent have the hand. Even when I have maniacs behind me, I'll put people all-in effortlessly. The reason this works is because you've been sitting tight all game. If you happen to run into aces, you must shake it off and recover for the next tournament. This strategy may seem very risky, but it's less of a risk than it might appear. Most people will not call you unless they have aces, especially if you've kept a tight table image.

Large Stack Strategy

If you have an average stack or small stack, you want to stick with the above strategy. If you happen to be the chip leader of the tournament or within the top 10, you may want to play a little tighter. Play as you did in the early rounds until you get to the final table. The exception is if you have a tight player left to act behind you. In this case, you can raise his blinds with any two cards and expect to make a profit. I've blown so many tournaments as a large stack because I was greedy for blinds. Don't make this mistake.

If you have a really large stack, I recommend sitting tighter than usual. If you're catching some decent pairs you may want to raise the blinds occasionally, regardless of the player. Just remember that all those chips can disappear really quickly if you're not careful.

I encourage you to read my final article, entitled Multi-Table Tournament Strategy: Final Table, for tips on how to walk out of the tournament a winner.