UNDERSTANDING SPECULATIVE HANDS IN TOURNAMENT POKER

Small pairs, Broadway cards, and suited connectors are some of the most exciting hands to play in tournament poker. While these hands can become monsters in the right situations, they can also create expensive mistakes when played incorrectly. The key to maximizing profit with these hands is understanding stack depth, position, and the number of players involved in the pot before deciding to continue.

Many players fall into the trap of overplaying these “pretty” hands simply because they look strong preflop. In reality, successful tournament poker players know that these hands are highly situation dependent and should be approached carefully.