Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournaments have distinct stages - early, middle and late. This is true whether you are playing a sit-n-go or multi-table tournament, and also applies to online and live casino games.

The early stage is the first orbit or two around the poker table. The blinds are at their lowest at this stage, and the minimum bet is only a very small percentage of your chip stack. For instance if you start an online tournament with 1500 chips, and the first round of blinds is 25, that only amounts to 1/60 of your chip stack or less than two percent.

Tournament poker players often start out tight. They want to get a feel for the table and are reluctant to bet many chips. This is an opportunity to play a little loose with calls because the blinds are so low. And because players tend to be tight for the first few hands, even a small raise may win the pot.

One word of caution - there are also players who sometimes use an all-in bet right at the start in hopes of doubling up early. If someone moves in big behind you, and your hand is only mediocre, then fold. You are giving up only a very small portion of chips. It is not worth putting your entire tournament life at risk so early.

The pots in early stage tournaments rarely justify risking a lot of chips. You probably won’t win a pot early that will make the difference in winning the whole tournament later. But an impulsive early all-in could end your tournament right away.

Take some risks on calls or small raises, but don’t risk it all early, unless you have a powerhouse hand.