Reader: Should I Adjust Strategy for Bounty Tournaments? by Russ Scott on Creators.com

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Reader: Should I Adjust Strategy for Bounty Tournaments?

This week, an Illinois reader asks about the correct strategy for bounty tournaments, and a player in Wyoming shares two exciting hands that had everyone buzzing.

Q: Hey, LuckyDog, does the added incentive of bounties in a tournament change the way people play? How should I adjust my strategy to improve my chances of coming out on top? — Aaron in Moline, Ill.

A: Great question, Aaron. Yes, a tournament that awards a cash "bounty" for each player knocked out can change how people play.

That's understandable. In the $60 tournament you described, a player can recoup the full buy-in by eliminating four opponents, earning four $15 bounty chips from the prize pool. That cash is secure regardless of where the player finishes in the tournament.

The lure of those $15 chips will entice some players to aggressively go for knockouts, even in the event's early stages. Players who succeed a couple of times will build a large chip stack and be in strong position to bully others holding fewer chips.

The downside? A player could run into opponents playing the same way, putting his tournament life at risk with perhaps a less-than-premium hand. Just one big lost pot could be a killer.

I don't recommend that playing style for normal tournaments, and I don't think it's the best approach for bounty tournaments, either. Why risk your chance for a final-table payout worth hundreds just to win a $15 bounty chip?

So, how should you adjust your strategy?

Well, it depends mainly on your playing style. If you typically play aggressively, then it's OK to keep that style and try to gather some bounty chips. You'd be in your comfort zone, and if successful, you'd build a nice stack heading toward the final table.

However, if you follow my recommended strategy — playing conservatively early, looking for good spots to build your stack in the mid-levels, playing smart when close to cashing and opening up your game for a big finish — then I think only a marginal strategy change is correct.

That is, you can go after bounty chips in perfect situations:

— Your chip stack is significantly larger than your opponent's, but don't risk more than 20 percent of your chips on this play.

— No other players are in the hand pre-flop.

(This is very important — you want to play the hand heads-up.)

— You have decent cards: any pocket pair, any two cards 10 or higher, suited connectors down to 8-7 or any ace-x.

Otherwise, just play normally and let bounty chips come your way as a natural result of winning pots. Keep the main goal — winning the tournament — uppermost in your mind.

Good luck!

Q: In a recent tournament, I wasn't getting any cards I felt I could play, so I took my time and was patient. Boy did it pay off! I knocked out two players in one hand with K-J and made the final table, but then learned a lesson about playing pocket aces. — Jamie in Rock Springs, Wyo.

A: The K-J hand worked out perfectly — you had plenty of chips to call the two short-stacked players who moved all-in pre-flop. It was OK to gamble in that spot.

When the hole cards were exposed, you saw their hands: pocket aces and pocket queens. The A-Q-10 flop was dramatic, giving both of your opponents trips but making your straight. All the players erupted in disbelief.

Your straight held up, but just remember that K-J often is a "trouble hand" because it is easily dominated by opponents holding big pairs, A-K, A-J or even K-Q.

On the third deal of the final table, you got pocket aces. Your standard raise knocked out everyone except a player who moved all-in holding pocket fives. You made the easy call, then watched, amazed, as the board came A-5-J-4-5. His quads took out your aces-full. Ouch!

You wrote: "The lesson I learned is to go all-in first with pocket aces or at least raise a lot more than I did."

You actually played the hand fine, Jamie. You want to get paid off with such a monster hand, and you raised an amount that yielded just one caller — a perfect result. You just got a very unlucky river card.

The most important lesson: learning the benefit of patience to wait for hands worth playing. That ability will make a big positive difference in your long-term results.

E-mail your poker questions and comments to russ@luckydogpoker.com for use in future columns. To find out more about Russ Scott and read previous LuckyDog Poker columns, visit www.creators.com or www.luckydogpoker.com.

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