Updated December 30, 2025
MTTs are the most popular tournament format in poker, and for good reason. They offer massive prize pools for relatively small buy-ins.
This definitive MTT poker guide has everything you need to beat them - early game, bubble play, final table, and the mindset that separates winners from the rest.
Here’s how to become one of those players with a positive win rate.
Why MTTs Are So Popular
Multi-table tournaments work for everyone, whether you're grinding $10 tournaments or taking shots at high rollers. The structure means you're not going broke on one bad beat - you've got time to build a stack and make moves.
And the potential upside? A $10 buy-in can turn into five figures if you run deep enough.
Plus, poker festivals have gotten way more accessible. You're not stuck flying to Vegas anymore because there are affordable events in places like Barcelona and London where you'd actually want to spend a week anyway.
The WSOP Main Event tells the story: after years of shrinking fields, 7,221 players showed up in 2017. Since then?
The record keeps getting smashed, and the 2025 WSOP Main Event saw 9,735 entries. Live poker is bigger than ever!
Meet the MTT Champions
- Dominik Nitsche won his first WSOP bracelet in 2012 at just 21, and two years later, he became the youngest player ever to win three bracelets, breaking Phil Ivey's record. In 2017, he scored €3.5 million, taking down the €111,111 High Roller for One Drop at WSOPE, his fourth bracelet and probably his sweetest win.
- Martin Jacobson won the 2014 WSOP Main Event. He beat 6,628 other players and took home $10 million. That put him at the top of Sweden's all-time tournament money list, where he still sits today.
- Chris Moorman is an online Texas Holdem All-time tournament earnings record and 26 triple crowns. His first WSOP bracelet came in 2017 when he won the $3K 6-max against 959 players for close to $500K. He's added a second bracelet since then.
We asked players like these what actually works in MTTs. But first, let's look at how the game has changed in recent years.
2025 MTT Trends: What's Changed
Tournament poker continues evolving. Streaming platforms like PokerGO have made high-level play accessible to everyone, raising the baseline skill level.
More players study using poker solvers (software that calculates optimal plays) and GTO poker ranges (Game Theory Optimal - a mathematically balanced, unexploitable strategy), making lower stakes more competitive.
However, live festivals still attract softer fields than their online equivalents.
The combination of travel costs and recreational players who prefer the live experience means MTTs at poker festivals remain excellent value for skilled players.
AI tools for poker hand analysis have become mainstream. Smart players are using solvers and AI hand reviewers between sessions to find leaks and adjust their ranges. It's basically an arms race at this point.
15 Expert MTT Poker Strategy Tips
Want to know how to win MTTs? Here are fifteen of the top multi-table tournament tips the best poker players of all time swear by:
General Tips
1. Play more hands early. Suited connectors are worth more versus off-suit broadway cards. There's more value in making straights and flushes when stacks are deep.
2. Show up on time. Weak players haemorrhage chips early when blinds are low. Don't miss your chance to collect. Additionally, some tournaments award extra chips to players who arrive in the first few levels. Make sure you read the structure, and you could up your poker chips value from the get-go.
3. See flops with pocket pairs. Small pairs have massive, implied odds for hitting sets when stacks are deep. For example, calling a raise with 55 when both you and the raiser have 100bb+ is profitable. With a 30bb stack, it's often a fold.
Rule of thumb for set mining: if you can win 20x the open raise size when you hit, the call is profitable. Later in tournaments, they're often standard folds.
Tells and Reads
4. Adjust to opponents correctly. Balance is key. Don't over-adjust or under-adjust. Just because an unknown opponent takes a strong line doesn't mean you should fold the second nuts. Save hero folds for when you have solid reads.
Example: a great way to attack opponents who raise wide is to flat call in position and mess with them post-flop. This works particularly well if you're deep-stacked.
5. Watch hands even when you're not involved. Try to determine if opponents are weak or strong, then check your read at showdown. People give away tons of information if you pay attention. Skip the headphones even if/when you’re not in the current poker hand.
6. They talk; they want a call. If someone starts chatting while you're thinking, they usually want you to call.
7. Learn the classic live tells. "Strong means weak, weak means strong." On the river, if a villain checks after reaching for chips or glancing at their stack, they're always weak. It's one of the oldest tells in the book, and it prints money against recreational players.
8. Gather information through conversation. Players voluntarily reveal useful info. Exclamations like, "This is my first tournament," are gold! Now you know they're inexperienced.
9. Reads are often polarised. Most tells indicate either very strong or very weak hands. Don't call someone just because their hands were shaking (usually a sign of strength) unless you're confident after multiple showdowns.
GTO Poker and Strategy Tips
10. Master push-fold charts. Knowing optimal shove ranges is underrated. You'll often play for hours short-stacked, so making zero mistakes at shallow depths is a massive edge over less-experienced players. Adjust based on opponents' calling frequencies.
11. Map the final table dynamics and switch gears. Look at stack sizes and where big stacks are seated before you sit down. Big stacks on your left? Open-fold marginal hands because they'll 3-bet relentlessly with ICM pressure.
If one player is much shorter than the rest, you can pressure everyone else, because they'll wait for the short stack to bust rather than play back at you. Folding ATo facing a chip leader's open on the final table is correct more often than you think.
Once that player is out, slow down. Your image is loose at that point, and opponents will be more willing to gamble.
12. Defend your big blind tighter late. Against big stacks in late stages, defend slightly tighter than in mid-tournament. Big stacks can apply more post-flop pressure, making it harder to realise your equity.
13. Ladder up on the bubble. Be incredibly careful not to bust before the short stack at final tables. You're literally throwing money away. Marginal hands become much trickier, so fold them and ladder up at least one spot.
14. Don't deal until three-handed. Unless you're playing above your bankroll, wait until you're three-handed to discuss deals. The pay jumps are worth playing for.
15. Counter-exploit the table. If everyone's playing tight, open up and play aggressively. If your opponents are loose, tighten up – especially when executing a poker bluff. Always play the opposite of the table dynamic.
MTT Winning Mindset
Try not to obsess over the payouts. It clouds your judgment. Always play for the win and trust your instincts. Sometimes you'll look silly, but if you're never making big moves, other players will find you easy and predictable to play against.
The best MTT players can switch gears effortlessly.
Final Thoughts: Applying Pro Poker Tips
Solid poker tournament strategy involves reading the table, adjusting constantly, and staying patient when necessary.
- Don't try to memorise every tip on this list.
- Pick a few that make sense for your game and practice them.
- Pay attention to what's happening at your table, and you'll see results in no time.
MTT Poker Strategy FAQ
What is the best poker tournament strategy?
Your strategy needs to shift constantly. Early on, play hands that can make big combinations, like suited connectors and small pairs.
As stacks get shorter near the bubble, tighten up. ICM means every chip you lose hurts more than every chip you win.
How do I adjust to ICM pressure at the final table?
If big stacks are on your left, fold marginal hands you'd normally open - they can 3-bet you relentlessly.
Avoid busting before short stacks because each ladder-up is significant money. With a medium stack, prioritise survival until shorter stacks bust.
What's the difference between MTTs and Sit & Go tournaments?
MTTs have scheduled start times, large fields, and can run for several hours. Sit & Go’s start when enough players register (usually 6-9), finish much faster, and have smaller but more consistent prizes.
MTTs offer bigger scores; Sit & Go’s offer more volume.
