Turbo MTT Poker
Many poker players have found it difficult in adopting a Turbo MTT strategy. Turbo MTT is a bit similar to the normal MTT but at this point playing an aggressive style of play throughout the game cannot be profitable at times. However, during the early stages of the game, playing TAG (Tight-Aggressive) is very profitable but should be done swiftly and tactile. During Turbo MTT, your strategies should be adjusted during each stage – Early stage, Mid Stage and Late stage to Heads UP.
Early Stage
Before you commence game play, you should make use of a poker tool such as poker edge or holdem indicator at your advantage. Playing TAG poker at early stages can be very much profitable in the sense that most of your opponents at this stage are loose, as they will be going all-in with weak hands. At this stage, you should be able to monitor each of your opponent’s style of play and the only way to combat loose players is to play very aggressively whenever a good hand comes along your way.
Analyzing your opponent’s style of play will help you to adjust your calling range for players who raise light in position. Another important factor you can use at you advantage during the early stage is your position. Being the last player to act has so much advantage at which you are able to observe each action made by your opponent. If you are at late position, you are able to easily adjust your calling range but you should always make it a point that you should never bluff on a weak hand. Bluffing during the early stages can effectively increase your chips but stealing away a pot with a weaker hand seems to be very difficult because most players usually go all-in with weaker hands such as the presto (5/5), deuce (A/2), hammer (2/7), and many others. Therefore, with a good hand such as (K/K), (T/T) (A/K) should be the norm. During the early stages, playing TAG is the best strategy.
Mid Stage
During this stage, the blinds are high and the stakes increase gradually. This is the very moment when bluffing plays a pivotal role. However, the points in driving to success in stealing, 3-betting and TAG. Many poker players tend to think that winning a Turbo MTT is all about luck. To my opinion, skill and tactic plays a pivotal role and you certainly have to know how to adjust your style of play during each stage in order for you to make it to the top charts.
It is important to maintain your aggressive style of play and stealing a pot can become easy but should not be consistent as players will begin to 3-bet on you and your chips decrease gradually. Now the best game style top adopt is to shit your game mode to a LAG (Loose Aggressive) and TAG (Tight Aggressive). Your image remains tight but at the same time, you get to deceive and confuse your opponents. You main mission is to keep track of players who raise more often and the players who raise 3% of the time. These stats are very important during game play.
Late stage to Heads UP
All your opponents are now playing an advanced game style and facing loose players is no longer the norm. During this stage, each opponent knows what s/he is doing and you have to act fast and maintain your TAG game style. Aim to take huge pots or double up by 3-betting preflop. Many players during this stage have huge stakes and you certainly have to punish each opponent by playing a unique style of play.
With TAG game play, you should now adjust your calling range to a higher raising range. Re-raising preflop with suited cards can be very profitable if the tables are getting shorthanded. Your game style should orbit from passive – Loose aggressive – tight aggressive.
During this stage, you should not be frightened to re-raise on a good hand at which most of your opponents will fold their weak hands.
Overall, being aggressive throughout Turbo MTT is very important.