Poker tournament articles
This concept is an absolute key if you want to understand tournament poker. It was introduced by David Sklansky, prominent poker player and writer, and has had a great impact on the way the game is played. Essentially, the concept is very simple: in tournament poker you need a better hand to play against an opponent that has opened the betting than what you need to open with yourself. The difference between the two is called the gap.
The size of the gap is not always the same - it will vary during a game and between different games. The most important factor is the playing style of your opponents. If you're facing loose players the gap will be smaller and if you're facing tight players the gap will be bigger. Loose players call most raises and might raise themselves with an average hand. Tight players generally enter the pot with really strong cards and they will think twice before calling your raises. Note that the concept doesn't apply if a playing acting before you calls instead of raises.
How do you adapt "The Gap Concept" to your tournament game? Actually it underlines the importance of taking initiative of the hand. If you're first to act in the pot you should make a raise even if your cards aren't that great. Hands like A-x, K9s and 22 are certainly playable in these cases. But of course you should very rarely call raises with this type of hand.
