Bigger Blinds Come With Patience

When playing in a tournament with around 10 or more players, the pot will be sizeable, especially if there are add-ons or re-buys involved.

So what's the best strategy to get you to the business end? I've played with a lot of people who will tell you its vital to act fast, double up and build your stack as quick as possible to carry you through to the latter stages. These are the big hitters at the start which usually fade away in the middle stages.

Don't get me wrong, I love it when people do this. It's a welcome addition to the pot you'll take down when following this style of play...

I play a 'boring' game up to the first break. I fold, fold, fold, fold and fold some more. I'll fold Ace Ten, Ace Jack if someone raises before me. Get out and stay out. Mid to low pairs are only worth limping in to see a flop, otherwise bin them. Not interested, yet.

What's the point? The blinds are small, the raises are usually relative to the blinds and thus relatively trivial. But, as soon as you get committed to a half decent hand, you can quickly find yourself all-in and all-out of the tournament. For this reason you are actually more vunerable at the start of the tournament.

So sit tight, present a tight game, people will put you down as a conservative-tight player. As soon as you make a raise after folding 20 hands, its "hang on, I'm not a mug, he's got a hand, I'll fold".

This is much more valuable than hoovering up a bunch of chips at the start. You'll be toward the lower end of the chip leaderboard, but you have the upper hand, at the time it matters.

Everyone has you down as a tight player. You can nip away and steal some blinds, which are now a significant amount and the pots are big enough to make them worth playing for. Play your position right with a reputation for being a tight player and the chips will come. When you get a power hand, booooosh, play it right and you're chip leader, ready for the trot to the finish line.