The Normal Raise Column
Your stack is in the normal range when your chip count is high low poker than the chip counts in the trouble stack and move-in stack columns. This is in relation to the blinds and antes in effect during that particular round.
Your normal raise should be three to four times the size of the big blind. Hands that we suggest making a normal raise with include A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K, J-J, and A-Q during any round of the tournament from any position of the table if we are first to come into the pot.
If you are in late position you can make the normal raise with smaller pairs, A-J, K-Q, or even J-10 when there are poker players in the blinds that you think might fold against your raise.
The Trouble Stack Column
When your stack of chips has dropped to the amount listed in the Trouble Zone-but it has not fallen into the move-In Zone-you have the option of making "normal" raises (three to four times the big blind ) all the way up to all-in moves.
The higher play holdem the blinds and antes, the more we lean toward moving all in because just winning the blinds and antes will help you chip position. However, if you have a hand that you want action with a pair of aces or kings, for example-you might want to raise three times the bigs blinds rather than moving all-in. You are hoping to get callers and win a big pot. Being able to online play poker a short stack effectively will help your chances tremendously.
The move-In Stack Column
When your chips have sunk into the move-In Zone, you are in big trouble-you're in jeopardy of bombing out of the tournament. You must make a move to try get more chips or you will go broke. When you fall into the move-In Zone, you have to try to pick up the blinds at least once a round.
Whenever you come into the pot limit holdem poker, you are moving all in. If you don't catch one of the better hands, you may have to simply attack any player in the big blind that you think will fold. When you move in with a weak hand trying to pick up the pot, you are betting that no one has a hand that they can call with. This is when reading your opponents, knowing who is most likely to fold, is very important introduction.
When your chips have dipped into the move-In Zone, it is much better to fire and take a chance with a weaker hand than to just sit back and let the blinds and antes destroy your stack. Your opponents know that just going through poker the blinds will demolish your stack; therefore they tend to call you with mediocre hands if they think that you're making a move at the pot. If you go broke firing in your stack just trying to stay alive, don't feel embarrassed-at least you tried to change your miserable chip position.
Hands that Tom and I like to play when we move in include the premium hands, of course, plus suited connectors such as 6 ? , 5 ?, 7 ? , 6 ?, 8 ? , 7 ? , 9 ? , 8 ?, 10 ? , 9 ? , or J ? , 10 ?. You can also move in with any pair, any two face card glossary, and any hand that contains an ace. As long as you don't run into an overpair or someone holding one of your cards, you are not that big of a dog with your hand if you do get called. Remember that you want to be the first one in the pot with these marginal poker hands, not a caller. You can call, of course, if you have a premium hand.