Daniel Negreanu: Early Stages of Poker Tournaments

Holding true to his recently announced schedule of providing regular tips to players via his YouTube channel, Daniel Negreanu's advice for this week focuses on how to play during the beginning stages of tournaments.

KidPoker dishes out three select nuggets of wisdom in this video that, if followed, will likely go a long way in permitting players to progress deeper in tournaments. In a nutshell, the three tips are: you can't win the event on Day 1, small pairs and suited connectors have more value early on while big pairs have less, be keen on the table image that you're projecting to others.

Can Lose on Day 1, but Can't Win

How many WSOP gold bracelets are won on Day 1 of multi-day tournaments and how many players get eliminated on the first day? The answer, of course, is 'none' to the first part of the question and 'many' to the latter part.

In other words, the idea is to think more about staying alive rather than accumulating mega chips early in the tournament, DNegs points out. Chips have less value early on and become more valuable later when blinds have increased.

Is it Time to Shove?

Let's imagine its level two and you see a pair of bullets in the hole. Should you be thinking, 'who knows when I'll see AA again and I better get as many chips as I can now?' Nope, that's not the correct train of thought, as per the Poker Hall of Famer.

"Aces is a much better hand later in a tournament," Negreanu stated. "Early in a tournament, if you play a big pot with Aces, you're probably losing."

How Do Players See Me?

Everything that you say and do is being analyzed by your opponents as they aim to get a read on your style, habits, and skills. Your words, your cards, your body language - all of it.

Be aware of that, KidPoker advises, and adjust your game accordingly.