Working The Implied Odds
Early on in a poker tournament, it is often good play to go against the usual pot odds theory of only calling a bet if you have to correct odds or number outs to make the call worthwhile. If the tournament is a deepstack tournament or when blinds are relatively small compared to the starting stack, 150 big blinds or more, then calling and hoping to hit the money card can have excellent implied odds. Here are some situations where calling a slim draw when less than 5% of your stack is required can have big rewards.
The Gut Shot Straight Draw
All the poker literature often talks about folding the gut shot straight draw. There are only four cards that can help you so why chase it. The beauty of it is if the gut shot does not come on the turn or river, then you throw away your cards cheap. If it does come and the other player might have made a big hand like two pair or top pair, then a lot of chips will be made. A straight is often well disguised and will be paid off well.
Set Mining
Your pocket pairs early in a tournament are a great way to bust a player or accumulate chips. Hitting trips on the flop, or mining for them on the turn or river will lead to big rewards if the other player hits a big hand like top pair with strong kicker or two pair. Make sure it is cheap to chase and does not require more than 5% of your chip stack since you are chasing the last two cards in the deck to make trips.
Suited Cards Pre Flop
Have a gamble early in the tournament with cards that might flop well. A king high or ace high suited pocket cards can lead to good rewards if a flush draw flops and it is cheap to chase. Suited connecting cards can also flop well and provide you with a well disguised hand.
Use implied odds to make well positioned gambles early on in poker tournaments to accumulate chips.
