The Art of the Deal in Tournament Poker
When you make it to the final stages of a poker tournament, things get very volatile. Short-handed poker requires skilled play and lots of luck. If you have a chip lead, you can use your stack to dominate your opponents. If you're short stacked, you have to find ways to make your final table appearances more profitable. If the end of the tourney is starting to lag, you should consider making a deal.
All Players Must Agree to the Deal
After you've made it to the final table and there are only a few players left, deal making becomes an option. An important thing to remember is that for a deal to go down, every remaining player has to agree to end the action. There is no majority vote at work here. The deal has to be agreed upon unanimously. If there are only three players left, and two players are willing to make a deal, nothing is going to happen until the third player agrees to end the action as well.
If You're Playing Well, Don't Be Pressured Into Making a Deal
Don't ever feel pressured into making a final table deal. If you've had a great tournament, and you're playing well in the final short-handed stages of the tourney, then by all means keep playing. If there are four players left, and three of these players want to call it quits, you still have the right to say no to a deal. If you're extremely short-stacked, a deal might be in your favor. If you find yourself being the only player that wants to keep playing, you can use this to your advantage. Ask for a greater cut from the group. Let them know that you want to keep playing, but also let it be known that you are willing to end the action for a higher cut.
When You Should Take the Deal
If you are severely short-stacked, extremely tired or if you just need to stop playing poker and get on with your life, take the deal. Don't take a deal with more than five players left. Wait until you're down to four players, three heads or take the deal when you're going heads-up. The way that tournament structures work, the distribution of winnings is very top-heavy. The last few players will take home a large portion of the prize pool. If there are four players left, and a deal will give you more than fourth place money, you should certainly consider taking it.
If you have a commanding chip lead, just keep on playing. If your chip advantage is small, then suggesting a deal can be a solid move. By suggesting a deal when you're in first place, you can negotiate terms from a position of strength. If the blinds are getting ridiculously large, you should really consider a deal. This will let you educe the role of luck at the finish line and help you secure a solid portion of the prize pool.
- Date posted Apr 28, 2008
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Clark Jensen
Strategy
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