Hold on — if you’re new to poker tournaments, you probably want a short checklist that actually works when the blinds start gobbling your stack. Here’s the thing: tournaments aren’t cash games; they’re a race with checkpoints, and the strategies that matter are survival, timing and knowing when a small gamble becomes a big mistake. This first section gives you two immediate, practical moves to use at your next event, so you don’t sit blind-folded wondering what went wrong. Next, we’ll pin down the basics you must have sorted before you sit at the table.
Quick practical start: two moves that save chips
Wow — fold early when you have marginal hands in early position; you’ll thank me later because preserving chips early is the single most underrated skill in tournaments. Then, widen up a little in late position when the pot odds look fair and players are tight; stealing blinds at the right time converts passive play into real advantage. Both of these habits are simple to practice, and are the sort of small discipline that compound into deep runs rather than first-round exits. Now that you’ve got those, let’s walk through the tournament basics so those choices make sense.
Tournament basics: structure, stack sizes and bubble dynamics
Here’s the thing: tournament strategy pivots off three elements — blind structure, your stack size (in BBs), and the stage of the event (early, middle, late, bubble). Early stage = play tightly; middle stage = target medium stacks with aggression; bubble = tighten up or steal depending on your stack and payout pressure from others. Convert those rules into numbers: if you have >40 BBs you can afford standard opens; 20–40 BBs means mix shove or open-dependent on table; <20 BBs you should be looking for spots to shove. Understanding these ranges sets you up to choose the right hand actions, which I’ll unpack next with hand-selection and position play.
Hand selection and position: practical rules for novices
Hold on — hand ranks matter, but position matters more; an okay hand in late position becomes a workable weapon whereas a premium hand in early position still requires caution. Play premium hands (AA, KK, QQ, AKs) aggressively from any seat, but widen your range only from cutoff and button — that’s where the profit is. If you’re unsure, use a rule-of-thumb chart: early position open only premiums, middle position add suited broadways and mid pocket pairs, late position add suited connectors and one-gappers for steal attempts. These guidelines reduce guesswork at the table, so the next section explains how to size bets and shoves based on stack depth.
Bet sizing and shove decisions: converting math into action
My gut says many beginners overcomplicate shove thresholds — don’t. Use a simple math approach: with <15 BBs, shove most reasonable hands; with 15–25 BBs, prefer shove and fold dependent on fold equity; with >25 BBs, opt for open-raise sizing and postflop play. Example: if blinds are 1k/2k and you have 24k (12 BBs), a shove from late position with A8s is fine because players often fold medium pairs and weaker broadways. Remember to account for antes and ICM pressure near payout bubbles — that nuance affects shove profitability and is worth reviewing in real tournament spots which I’ll show below.
Simple case: middle stage shove spot
Quick example — you’re on the button with 18 BBs and hold KJo, blinds 2k/4k with 500 ante. Folded to you, an open to 10k (2.5x) looks standard; but a shove to ~18k puts serious pressure on the blinds and steals antes, and often folds out hands of similar or slightly stronger value. That shove math is a blend of fold equity and stack preservation; practice the mental arithmetic and you’ll make better decisions under time pressure. After that, let’s cover the dealer tipping etiquette you’ll encounter in live tournaments, because getting this wrong annoys people and can affect your table image.
Dealer tipping guide: when, how much, and why it matters
Here’s the thing — tipping dealers in live poker is part etiquette and part practical: it buys you goodwill, smoother hands, and sometimes a friend in the room when you have a query. Typical tipping amounts vary by buy-in, but a good baseline is: 1% of the buy-in across your session as an aggregate, with minuscule spot tips of $1–$5 for a memorable call or dealer help. In larger tournaments, drop $10–$20 on a cash tip at the end if you had a long session and the buy-in was significant. Good tipping practices keep the floor happy and create a positive table atmosphere, which loops back to better focus for your game in the next rounds.
How to tip: chip vs cash vs digital
Most dealers prefer chips for convenience — it’s neat, quick, and it stays in the game; cash is okay but can be awkward when you’ve got a stack to manage; some rooms offer digital tips via app which is a newer option. If you tip with chips, use low-denomination chips clearly separated so there’s no confusion about value; a $5 chip in the tray is universally understood and keeps the tip visible. Using chips ties tip visibility to table culture and often prevents awkward handling, and next we’ll compare tipping approaches so you can choose what suits your events.
Comparison table: tipping approaches at a glance
| Method | Pros | Cons | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip Tipping | Visible, easy, immediate | Requires right denominations | Most live tournaments |
| Cash Tipping | Flexible amount | Can be awkward to handle | Small sessions or casual games |
| Digital Tipping | Traceable, modern | Not always supported | High buy-ins or tech-forward rooms |
That table gives you quick clarity on which method to adopt at different events, and once you’ve picked a method you’ll want to think about where to practise and find reliable game info, which brings me to a resource that many Aussie players use.
To find well-reviewed offshore rooms for practice and game variety, you can explore resources like emucasino which list tournaments and payment options — use such resources to compare structures before you buy in. Checking those listings helps you match event formats to your skill level, and after you pick events you should plan bankroll and session strategy which I’ll cover next.
Bankroll management and session planning
Hold on — tournaments eat short-term variance alive; bankroll rules must be conservative: for beginners, keep at least 50–100 buy-ins for your chosen tournament type to handle variance. Don’t play up because of a hot streak; instead, move up only after consistent results and emotional control. Plan sessions: set a stop-loss (time or buy-in limit) and a cool-off rule if you lose two buy-ins in a day; these blunt tilt and protect your long-term ROI. With bankroll rules in place, now we’ll list the quick checklist you can print and keep in your phone for instant reference.
Quick Checklist (print or save)
- Arrival: register early, check seat, confirm blind structure — then breathe; this gets you settled before play.
- Stack: count your chips, set an initial plan for BB ranges — this lets you act quickly when decisions come.
- Position: tighten early, widen late — this simple rule reduces marginal mistakes.
- Tipping: have small chips/cash ready for dealer tips — it prevents awkward moments mid-tournament.
- Session cap: set buy-in/time limits and stick to them — discipline beats short-term emotion.
That list is your immediate pre-game and in-game routine; if you follow it you’ll reduce basic errors and be primed for the next section where I unpack common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
My gut says everyone has a horror story about a bad call — here are the usual culprits and fixes: chasing draws with short stacks (fix: fold unless pot odds are concrete), overplaying medium pairs in early position (fix: tighten), and forgetting ICM near bubble (fix: consult ICM push-fold charts). Another repeated mistake is neglecting dealer tipping etiquette which can subtly affect your table image (fix: small visible tips throughout long sessions). These corrections are simple but require discipline; next, a mini-FAQ answers typical beginner questions.
Mini-FAQ
Q: How much should I tip the dealer per hour?
A: There’s no strict hourly rate, but a practical approach is to drop a small chip ($1–$5 or equivalent) at natural breaks or after a particularly long hand, with a larger tip at session end if you stayed multiple hours — this keeps things simple and fair.
Q: Should I tip when I bust early?
A: If you had a short session (less than an hour) tipping isn’t required, but a token chip on your way out is a nice gesture and maintains good etiquette; it’s the same idea as leaving a sensible tip at a café — small, appreciated, optional.
Q: Do online tournaments require tipping?
A: No — online rooms don’t use dealer tipping in the classical sense, though you might see tournament staff tip pools in production events; focus on practice and bankroll there instead.
18+ only. Gambling involves risk — never play with money you cannot afford to lose, and use set session and deposit limits. If you have concerns about your gambling, seek help through local resources and self-exclusion tools. Now that you’ve got the practical tips, remember to practice them in low-stakes fields before taking them to big buy-ins, which leads directly into final confidence-building tips.
Final confidence tips before you play
Alright, check this out — start small, focus on position and shove thresholds, and tip politely when live because it smooths your experience; those three pillars will keep you calm under pressure. Review hands after each session: one key hand per session is all you need to study — don’t drown in analysis, pick the most costly error and fix it. If you want tournament lists and payment options to practise with, revisit resources such as emucasino for structure comparisons and timing, then sign up for a low buy-in and apply the checklist. Good luck at the felt — steady play and disciplined habits make more difference than flashy bluffs.
Sources
Recommended reading and tools: basic ICM charts, push-fold calculators, and live tournament structures from reputable room guides and coaching sites; consult room-specific rules and responsible gaming pages when registering for events. These sources will help you refine the numerical thresholds referenced earlier and align your tipping etiquette to local norms.
About the Author
Experienced tournament player and coach based in AU, with years of live and online tournament play across various buy-in levels; I focus on practical, minimalistic strategies for beginners that reduce variance and build sustainable improvement. If you want specific hand reviews or a short coaching checklist tailored to your play level, start with the Quick Checklist above and track one metric per week to measure progress.