PokerWorks

It's Not All About The Cards

Ever since the movie Rounders and Chris Moneymaker's improbable WSOP Main Event victory, the popularity of NLHE, particularly NLHE tournaments has sky rocketed. It used to be you couldn't change the channel on the television without seeing some kind of televised NLHE tournament. The surge of popularity that NLHE tournaments enjoyed has died down somewhat but it is still easily the most popular game around. Sign onto PokerStars or Full Tilt Poker and you'll see thousands upon thousands of people playing a NLHE tournament. Check out the numbers from the 2008 WSOP and you will see attendance figures at an all time high, mainly because of the overwhelming popularity of NLHE tournaments.

Why are NLHE tournaments so popular? The obvious reason is it's where the money is at. The prize pools in these events are much larger than in any other type of tournament. Add in the additional factor that if there is televised poker, outside of High Stakes Poker, it's usually in the form of a NLHE tournament. Money and fame seem like good reasons but it's not enough. For many, it is the thrill of competition... of taking on another person and outwitting them, or in some cases out lucking them. In no other type of tournament can you risk all of your chips in a single moment. You can't move all in with the blinds at 25/50 in a Pot Limit Omaha tournament... you can in a NLHE tournament.

NLHE tournaments test people in multiple ways. Because a player can go all in at any given moment, luck can play a large part in a tournament. Losing streaks are inevitable, and how a player copes with not cashing in ten or twenty tournaments in a row can make the difference between a great player and a broke one. On the opposite side of the rainbow, a big cash can test a player just as much. Numerous players have won five-six figures in a tournament, only to blow it all because they didn't manage their bankroll properly. There is more to playing tournament poker than just betting and raising, and over the course of this book I am going to go over the important issues that will make a difference in your poker career.

Another reason NLHE tournaments are so popular is because they are action packed (a big reason why it is the Main Event at the WSOP and is the game of choice for television). Players cannot sit back and wait for a hand because of escalating blinds and antes. To win a tournament... or even cash in a tournament... you are going to have to play some hands.

This book is going to go over NLHE tournaments from beginning to end with a fine tooth comb. I'm going to show you ideas and concepts that will show you how to handle the beginning of a tournament, what to do in those tough middle stages, and how to close out a final table. In the end, whether you win or lose will be up to you. If you put in the time to study and apply the concepts I lay out, I guarantee your game will improve.