In this month's column, I want to look at one very specific idea that comes from the typical UBT tournament rules. UBT rounds start each player with $25,000 in chips, and betting is from $500 to $25,000 in $500 increments. Surrender is allowed as well. At the final table, the bankrolls and betting limits change, with players starting with $100,000 in chips and betting $1000 to $100,000 in $1000 increments. I'm going to focus for now on the $25K bankroll game, though all the ideas are relevant in the final table situation as well.

With the addition of the secret bet to the UBT format, button position is often a problem, even if you physically are betting behind an opponent. Even with good button position, as long as your opponent has a secret bet available, you must size your bet without having their bet information available. This fact means that we really need to focus some extra attention on how best to position ourselves for the critical last hand.

If your grasp of tournament strategy has advanced beyond the very basics, you're well aware that not all leads are the same...

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