There is no doubt that poker contains an element of chance. Every once in a tournament that you risk something of value with an uncertain outcome, you are gambling. But poker is in some ways the exact opposite of gambling, because everything in poker is based in making intelligent decisions. Everything revolves around the "control".
In its purest form, gambling - then buy a lottery ticket or bet on a roulette number - it means literally and deliberately relinquish control of your money and let fate decide. If it's your day, if the gods wished it to be well, you're lucky. Unlike in poker, you struggle forever because nothing is left to chance.
So ... as you can gain control in tournament poker? Perhaps avoiding the risk? Playing only strong starting hands? Focusing on the points made, not bluffing ever, without seeking any straight draw or color? Certainly not.
If you sit all the time in a tournament to wait only good hands, act like the roulette player who puts all his hopes in his favorite number, or let the case to determine your results. The great paradox in poker tournaments is that, to continue to have the situation under control, you choose the above moments to take risks.
If you go to 140 km / h on the motorway and you are almost attached to the machine that is before us, even if you're the best driver in the world, you have no control over the situation, because if the front brakes suddenly, you can not do anything to avoid an accident. This is what happens when a stack is too small to prevent opponents from doing a re-raise. Every time an opponent will brake, your stack will be at risk of a collision - in times when they will decide - and you will only need luck to survive.
order to maintain control, you must strive to maintain a playable stack, which can mean pushing with the worst hand, when you have a good chance of making your opponent fold. I know you would not want to do it, but you have to recognize when the time is right to push your chips into the pot. If you do it too early rash is a risk that you take and certainly not necessary. If you do it too late, is too obvious and will not work. If you do it too often then you will have a credibility problem.
Sometimes your stack is so short that you already know that the next time you enter a pot you will be forced to a showdown. The only control that is left is to choose when to do it, but even in this situation you are running too much to try and fail to stop. Do not wait until you're at in the big blind. Instead, look for situations where you will be a showdown with the best possible ratio of chips against opponents and the cards that you have the chance of survival. Got a chance at the right time will give the shot just to make you win a playable stack.
Some very good tournament players deliberately seek to venture into large plates in the early stages, are happy to put all their chips on the first level with a flush draw against two pair, because it can then play and have a big stack of extra control they think that is this play. This is not my approach in a tournament that has a high initial stack, but I understand the reasoning behind this style of game.
In poker tournaments the balance between risk and control is constantly changing. Recognize where you are you and your opponents in this unstable scenario will help you make the right decisions and give you a vital edge.
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