MTT poker tournaments with low, medium and high blinds: how to play them

It is important to know how to play multi-table tournaments with blinds of all sizes. That’s why we thought it would be a good idea to create a post focused on this aspect for those who have doubts about the extent to which the strategy changes when playing with low or high blinds.

How do you play MTTs with low, medium and high blinds?

MTT poker with low blinds: general guidelines

There are a number of recommendations to keep in mind when playing multi-table poker tournaments with low blinds. Although we are not talking about infallible tricks, they are a good guide to shape solvent plays that cannot compromise your bets with small blinds.

Preflop play

In preflop play, with low blinds, it is always better to play IP. Maniacs, if any, should be avoided. In addition, the game here has to be cheap because if not, it will not be worthwhile to bet if we have to pay to stay in the hand.

Playing with low blinds preflop, the chances of getting a good hand on the post flop are 12%.

Postflop play

We will bet big if we open the pot. It is possible that we will be busted right away. There will be no problem if we stay IP (pay attention to the free card on the turn). In case we get bluffed and we are OOP, it is better to check. The advantage of the free card will still be there.

What happens if we get re-raised? Pay attention to the odds, because here they come into play. Most likely we will be beaten on the turn. Folding here can be a very important float.

In case it is the others who open the pot, our game will depend on the odds and the implied odds.

In case we connect our minor pair with the flop and we get re-raised, we can defend ourselves by going all-in. In addition, if we play with high cards, slowplay should no longer be considered, since it is only worthwhile in chaotic flops.

If we do not connect our pair to the flop, we should only play threes or better. Minor-middle pairs are speculative, not a value bet, mind you. An overpair can be a problem, and here playing IP is more important than ever.

What not to do playing with low blinds

Mistakes to avoid playing with low blinds:

Contesting big pots with average cards.
Playing too many hands.
Limping dominated hands.
Being impatient.
Playing speculative OOP hands.

How to approach the game in a MTT poker game with medium and high blinds

The game with medium blinds is based on attack and defense. The preflop raise must be taken into account because well played it will give us a tremendous boost of credibility. This will allow us to use a speculative raise in critical moments.

Risks of a preflop raise? That we get caught. That will affect our whole game and will compromise us for successive rounds. Because from then on, the surprise factor of a raise falls down, and it makes no sense to try another coup d’effect.

One thing you should do: bet with the minimum. Putting small amounts in play will give you many more options. This will also give the others enough time to fold if they wish to do so. It is very convenient that those who are not clear about their continuity of the hand, can withdraw if necessary. Holding them back can be costly.

The optimal strategy will depend on whether we play with low or high stacks. When the blinds go up, the range of cards changes, and managing to keep a small stack can make the difference. In case we run out of room to maneuver, then we will have to play compromised with the pot, something that is not convenient to happen.

As a general rule, playing with a stack of -18 BB and up is something to avoid. Because that puts us in a rather delicate situation. Raising preflop and continuing with a c-bet is useless if we lack sufficient chips, something that is likely to happen if we play with a stack that does not fit what the game asks for.

In case we have enough chips and we make a c-bet, it may happen that a villain will call us. He will also be committed to the pot, and he can perfectly re-shoot our preflop bet. Keep in mind that with short stacks pot commitment is almost automatic. Give that approach to your game because trying to play detached from the pot almost never works out well.

With larger stacks we can venture to steal the blinds, but from + 25 BB. Otherwise, it will be suicide. In addition, we can take advantage of our position to put pressure on those who are in the game with shorter stacks.

Things to avoid playing with medium and big blinds? First of all, attack or defend with weak hands. A mediocre hand here takes its toll, so it’s something to avoid.

Ignoring which game is the most suitable is another problem of playing with high blinds. You have to associate a type of play with each stack in order to make the right decisions. And that leads us to talk about the necessary adjustments to be made in the card ranges when the blinds go up, something basic to have any chance.

Finally, keep in mind that we should always be the ones to make the final push. But it is something that is only possible with a premium hand, that’s why wanting to get into a pot with a mediocre hand is such a bad idea. The moment we call, goodbye to our fold equity. To win, there is only one option: to have the best hand at showdown.