Turbo booster

By Ben Blaschke
10 March 2009

IN a recent article we looked at the ins and outs of satellite tournaments, which provide a tremendous opportunity to win entry into a big-money event without having to outlay the full buy-in.
This time we are going to look at turbo events, which often – although not always – go hand in hand with satellites.
A turbo event is one in which the blind levels rise much faster than in a standard tournament.
For example, whereas many major events have blinds rising every two hours, a turbo could well see them heading north every 30 minutes instead.
They are often seen as the domain of gamblers or players with no fear, yet there are some simple rules you can follow to boost your success rate in these exciting, fast-paced gatherings.
Let’s start from the early levels.
One of the common mistakes players can make in turbos is to take too many risks early on.
Despite the rapidly rising blind levels, there is still plenty of time to build your stack in the early levels and take advantage of the multitude of players seemingly determined to eliminate themselves within the first hour.
This can be an extremely lucrative time for those willing to bide their time – look for hands that can flop big, well disguised hands when in position (pocket pairs and suited connectors) because many of your opponents won’t be able to lay down top pair.
It is also far more likely that you will be paid off for your big starting hands – you would be surprised how many players are willing to shove with just K-Q!
Once the blinds start to rise it’s time to reassess and it is here that your chip stack will determine how you proceed.
If you are relatively short-stacked – and the majority of players will be much of the time – then eventually you will have to gamble in position.
If this is the case, you can’t afford to sit back and wait for Aces or Kings before making your move. Pick your moment and steal at every opportunity.
BUT, if you have built up a bigger than average stack, don’t throw it away with an ill-timed push holding a hand as weak as K-7.
Although you may be able to afford a slight hit from a short-stack shove, why risk the chips you worked so hard for early on when you don’t have to?
The biggest mistake players with a medium stack make in turbo tournaments is believing they must bully their way to a big stack.
Of course, once the antes kick in, stealing becomes a far more profitable play because of the increased risk: reward ratio and it can pay to pick on the short stacks at this time even without premium holdings.
It’s important to remember that most short-stacks will be forced to play a hand sooner rather than later and chances are they won’t be holding the huge hand they were hoping for.
That K-7, for example, doesn’t look too good with only $300 on offer as your reward, but thrown in the antes and your opponents’ rapidly dwindling chip stack and it could be a perfect time to take advantage of the situation.
Just don’t get too crazy.
The fast-paced nature of turbos means that things can change quickly so even if you’re well behind the chip leaders, patience when it’s required and some well-timed moves can see your stack shoot upwards in a flash.
Pick your moments carefully and that turbo tournament could be yours for the taking!