Qualifying for the EPT – seven steps climbing

• 31.06.2025 2:52 pm
• Helen
• 1 Comment

From rope training in step A all through to step G is an interesting and long tournament to reach the EPT. The first stages involve playing with beginner players while learning and grasping all the best and necessary moves. Before you know it, you're in step G and are taking part in games involving the most experienced players worldwide.

In order to experience success throughout these steps, you need to make sure that you have registered a successful record in the SNGs. It is equally important to clearly understand the change in rhythm required, that is being a prudent player in the beginning and growing to an aggressive finisher.

Advancing in the steps

The main target in these tournaments is basically to advance in the steps upwards until you reach the peak. It is important to keep paying attention to the programme required in order to be able to advance to each consecutive step.

Once you have your ticket to go to step F, you need to pay special attention and take notes on the specialists play. You should learn to take your time; this is the best way to ensure that you qualify at the best moments.

Keep your ticket

One of the goals of this tournament, even as you strive to go up the steps, is to ensure that you do not lose the ticket to the current level you are at. It is important to finish in third or fourth place at least as this will compensate your level ticket, and thus you will not have to go back to the previous step.

You can always play a few more times in case you fail to win the first time by emerging third or fourth. You can only do this if you are confident enough to record a win eventually. Always remember that your main goal is to keep in the current step, this will eventually make it possible for you to win.

Stage 1 of the last four stages

When you are in any step of the tournament, you always need to make sure that you avoid flipping in the initial stages. Be slow to act when facing flops as well as maintaining bluffs at the minimal to win the pots.

The last thing you want, in such early steps is to put yourself in the line of fire because you are required to reach the last 4 places at least nine times out of the possible ten. Once you are a part of the last four, make sure you go hunting for chips to ensure that you are not the one with the short stack amongst all the players. This is because they are likely to merge, and you need to be prepared not to miss the chance.

It is impossible to learn all the basics from a few lines, but if you are faced with an opportunity to make it to three players, with only two possible winners, you need to learn how to ensure you are amongst the two winners.

Do a bit of poker math

With three players and the chance of only two qualifying will place your odds of wining at 2/3 and this translated to 66%. What you need to ensure here is that your chances increase further. Therefore, you need to ensure that you do not make any hasty moves that could put you at the risk of getting eliminated.

You need to avoid flipping with QQ when against AK as this will decrease your odds of winingal the way to 53% from 66%. You should also avoid the idea of trapping your opponent with your AK hand imagining that you can put it all in and trap them with their JT. This too will decrease your chances to 60%.

You should also avoid imagining that you can beat your opponent's A2 using your AK hand as you will still maintain your 2/3 odds but with this move, you stand an even better chance of losing immediately.

About the aces

In case you realize that you have AA hand, it is also likely that you may lose but you also increase your odds of winning from 66% to 80%. Remember that as much as you have increased your chances of winning, you still stand a 20% chance of losing with the very aces.

Do not play

With only 3 players left in the hand, you need to ensure that you get to the most favorable position where you will not play. This spot is where the other two opponents put an all-in as well as a call amongst them.

In case they share equal amounts of tacks, this could be the only time you have to increase your odds of winning to endless. Therefore, it is important to wait for as long as it takes and keep tabs on how aggressive your opponents become not forgetting your main purpose.

You need to make your goal of staying in the game as the other players play against each other your obsession.

By concentrating on your main purpose, you will watch your chances of winning multiply tenfold whilst the other two players go at each other.