Playing poker for high stakes is undoubtedly one of the biggest adrenaline rushes you can experience at an online casino.
Most players start out life in poker at the lower end of the buy-in scale, before gradually climbing the ranks to find a level they are comfortable at.
However, the most skilled players are able to rise above the competition to become a regular fixture in high-stakes poker tournaments.
Competing at this level requires players to adopt a more refined approach, so let’s look at some of the strategies that will help you succeed when playing for high stakes.
Stealing Blinds
The ability to steal blinds is a skill every successful poker player needs in their arsenal, but high-stakes games require you to take a more nuanced approach.
Generally speaking, players consider stealing blinds a pointless exercise in lower-stakes tournaments as they are too small to provide any value.
However, high-stakes players are more willing to raise in early and middle positions, with bluffing much more commonplace at this level.
Being more aggressive to bluffs against opponents with less fold equity is a strategy that should serve you extremely well in high-stakes tournaments.
MTT Tracking Software
While stealing blinds is a sensible tactic to adopt, you will find that high-stakes players are more likely to put you to the test by pushing back.
Given that you will be facing a smaller pool of players at the top level, it makes sense to keep notes on your opponents to build a record of their style of play.
Studying other players with MTT tracking software can also be extremely useful, as this will enhance your positional play and blind stealing decisions.
Make sure that you check whether your chosen poker site allows you to use third-party software to ensure you are not breaching their terms and conditions.
Slow Playing
Extracting value from premium hands can be a difficult task at all buy-in levels, but this element is accentuated when playing for high stakes.
Slow playing and waiting for aggressive players to bluff is an excellent strategy to adopt if you are fortunate enough to hit a monster hand on the flop.
You should always slow play when flopping quads or better in poker, as anything else will scare off other players given what they are likely to have in their hands.
Make sure that you also slow play against aggressive or loose players to take full advantage of their willingness to take unnecessary risks during high-stakes tournaments.
