Need your pro advice?!?!?
 

I'm in a NL tournament tomorrow. $20 buy in with no rebuys. This normally isn't a big deal for me but there will be over 150 people and the blinds are doubling every 10-15 mins.........this seems like a very fast rate to increase the blinds.

Generally I play really tight but I don't think this will be an option with this type of format. By the time the puck gets around a couple of times I'll pretty much be blinded out.........so....at an 8 player table should I call questionable hands like A-rag and low pockets? Or continue to play top hands?? How important is position in this type of speed game????

Any info is greatly appreciated guys!! This tournament goes down in less than 24 hours and pays out over $1100!!!


Thanks

its doesnt go up as fast as you think its online poker everythign moves alot faster. play tight and youll do fine NO ACE RAGS though. gl

I think he's talking about a live game.

NO ACES RAGS and limp with low pkts in the begining but dont call anyhting greater athan 2x the bb with them preflop. `5 min blinds arent bad but 10 is marginal .gl in it

oops maybe so lol

raise rather than limp

play aggressively and try to accumulate chips early (this does't mean play rags, but it means take control of hands)

take chances early if neccessary to build a big stack.

play hands that can be hidden and do well multiway (such as low pairs suited connectors/one gappers for example) Ace Rag offsuit is trash, dont call with it

dont get under 10 BBs, if you do, remember your only move preflop is all in if u dont fold

I'm with Zybomb on this one. With horrible structures like that you can't play a tight strategy unless you get very lucky. It's either aggressive, or hyper-aggressive. I think hyper-aggro is the best style in these tournies early on, players do not like busting out right away and you should be able to accumulate. Raise and re-raise until they cry, then you might just find yourself with a stack big enough to see some flops later on instead of all-in or fold. You can't be afraid of busting out in the first 30 min as it's a defenite possibility with this style.

Exactly... and in these crap shoot type structures, your goal with this strategy is either to bust out in the early levels, otherwise build a big chip stack and be in good position to go very deep

Remember this doesnt involve playing trash! It involves, seeing cheap flops with good mutliway hands, playing hands aggressively, and taking gambles for a large chip stack (raising all in on a flush draw, taking the 99 vs AQ coin flip, etc)

thanks guys for all of the good tips....

It is a live game by the way!!!!

Any other last minute pointers???

In this situation I try and get a read on the other players quickly, my advice is a little different than some, play tight early but when you do bet make it a strong 1.
Dont be afraid to fold if you KNOW you have a weeker hand than your opponent, you can always fight back.
As the field dwindles dont start playing tight if anything more aggresive play is needed.
And if you near the payouts by no means tighten up, if your tbl is tight you turn into the agressor, but nothing to mad so you lose everything with nothing.
Try and enjoy yourself and dont think about the money until you have too.

Have a good game and gl.

i agree dont stress out about it just play smart tight and enjoy yourself. gl. NO ACES RAGS and no low pkts unlees its cheap to see the flop

Well it was a quick night for me......started with 3000 in chips blinds at 25/50. Blinds doubled every 20mins.......

The cards were real cold for me for the first hour. Finally I got deal pkt 9's on the button. Everyone folded around to me and I raised it 800 (blinds were 100-200) and both blinds called. Three over cards on the turn and BB bet hard so I folded...........
Anyways, couple hands later I'm SB (150-300 blinds) and get dealt AKos. Everyone folds to me and I go all in or a 1200 raise. BB calls which if he loses he's left with about 200 in chips, not even enough for the blinds. So he calls and shows Q9os and I'm howling!!!

Until the flop comes down:
Jh 8s 4c

Turn:
10c

River:

doesn't matter, it wasn't a queen......

And I'm out of the tournament. Although the BB was nice enough to tell me that he "had" to call that hand.......

Wow,

Anyways thanks for the tips, but I think the real problem is staying away from such low limit tournaments where any schmuck can get in!!!!!!

ouch, that sucks. You played it right, just got unlucky with the call. Did you place anywhere near the money?

nope, out of 128 I'm guessing I finished somewhere around the 75 mark or so? They paid the top 10...........

Funny, after all the advice in this thread, I think you actually had the best advice. Schmucks are fine, but you need to have a tournie structured well so you can use your skill against them, not some bingo game.