In Stud tournaments, stealing antes later in a tournament becomes a necessity. Many players tend to play their hands very tight, waiting for pairs or strong drawing cards. Recognizing spots where you can steal antes will help you build chips or at least stay ahead of the antes in stud tournaments.

First, you need to identify the targets at the table that will give up their hand to raises. Early in a Stud tournament, I tend to be one of these targets. There is little sense in playing poor hands or weak starting hands to raises early in the event. The antes and betting levels are just too low to put chips at risk. The catch with this type of thinking is that some players do not know how to change gears later in tournaments. They continue to wait, and these players are ones you can make raises into.

Pay attention to your position relative to the bring-in. Many hands later in a tournament will be heads-up and if you are in later position, you can make a raise into the bring-in. It is very hard for a 2,3, or 4 to make a call unless they have something strong in the hole.

Play your big cards strong late in a tournament. If you have the high card on the board, feel free to complete the bet a little more often. There are many instances where you will take the pot down right there. When someone calls, pay close attention to their play, and if they raise back, you must then make a decision whether you want to chase with a bluff or give it up.

Beware the rocks! If a rock is still in the tournament late, chances are they are getting low on chips unless they have gotten very good cards. They will likely only commit their chips with strong starting hands. Unless you have the chips to gamble with, I would only follow a rock into the pot with another strong hand.

If you are a short stack, pick a spot to be aggressive in. This past July, I was in a Stud 8 tournament approaching the money as the 2nd or 3rd shortest stack in the room and the shortest stack at my table. I was showing a King up against the rest of the table and in around middle position. I completed the bet and everyone folded to me. I won the antes and the bring-in of another player. This would allow me to sit back and try and find another hand. I actually chopped a couple of pots later on and made the money of the event. That one spot where I was able to steal a pot allowed me to pick up enough chips until I could find a better spot. Sometimes one pot in the right spot can make all the difference.

Next time you are getting deep in a stud tournament, remember some of the above examples. Stealing more blinds will help keep your stack ahead of the curve and hopefully help you reach the final table.