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Online Poker Tournament Strategy - The Absent Opponent
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It's a common sight at your favorite online poker site: You're in the middle of an online poker tournament and come across an opponent who is "Away" from the table. Perhaps he's been disconnected, maybe he never sat down in the first place, but winning those defenseless chips is your job.
I see this all the time in online poker tournaments. A player has the full quota of chips but never takes his seat. Those chips are yours for the taking. Because another sight I see with strange regularity is the unwillingness of players to raise pre-flop and scoop up the unprotected blind.
If I know that a player's big blind is left untended I will try to be the first raiser into the pot every time. Let's say blinds are 100/200 and the big blind in your online tournament has been disconnected. You should raise to 400 with almost any two cards, and their playability is not an issue. Your out of position raise will scare off the majority of players, and you could easily take down a substantial pot with nothing. Online this will happen as much as 25% in late stages of tournaments.
Let's say you get a caller, probably in the small blind. He would call with almost anything if he was paying attention to the free big blind, and unless he hits his flop hard you have momentum to move him off his hand.
If you repeatedly do this you also build up the potential of your best case scenario: raising to steal an absent blind with a monster hand, and getting action from another opponent who is sick and tired of your antics.
The main point to keep in mind is that a lot of opponents will never catch on to the fact that someone isn't there, or even if they do they lack the heart to take those chips. When they do give you action you're already getting good value because of the extra chips from the blind, and you still have the chance to win with the best cards (always your final option in tournament poker).
If a player is all-in and there are two of you fighting over the pot you should never bet into a dead pot unless you have a real hand. It makes no sense since the object is to eliminate opposition so you want to make sure that one of you takes out the all-in, who if he is an absent player would be all-in with any two cards.
It's a small piece of advice that won't always be applicable in online tournament poker, but it can really pay off if you notice it and exploit the situation. You should also note that there are players who have connections that are unstable. They disappear for hands then come back, and then get disconnected again in the middle of a pot. These players will be forced to make a major betting move, usually by pushing all-in when they have a playable hand. It may well be less than the nuts, and if you pay attention to circumstances you can call and knock that player out.
Related Poker Articles And News Items:
> Calling All Ins With Small Pairs - The Folly!
> Evaluating Starting Hands In Tournament Poker
> Poker Tournament Bankrolls
> The Three Stage Theory Of Online Tournament Play - Part 3
> The Three Stage Theory Of Online Tournament Play - Part 2
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