Sometimes Just Survive
You always want to be putting your poker online opponent to a decision, rather than yourself, they say. You’d much rather see the other guy sweat than be the one sweating yourself. The more weight you can slough off of you and onto him, the better off you’ll be.
In poker tournaments, this is particularly true, as even more than cash games, tournaments are about survival. Especially in events where the periods are long, avoiding the clinch decision while other knock each other out left and right is preferable in middling spots. There’s no need to get wrapped up in a hand you could have just as easily avoided, taking shots in the dark early on in the game. There’s plenty of time to get rough.
And yet so often you see players gunning for the ropes. They think you should build a big stack as soon as possible, and bully on. And sure that works for certain poker online players, but examples in the long haul, like Dan Harrington, show that to the patient man often come the spoils. Sometimes it’s better to sit one out when you aren’t sure where you are at and wait for a better spot, and let the wilder barrels blaze the early guns.
