Tournament Strategy question.

[ChipFish]

I won't tell you exactly how I play, but I'll offer some advice...
(remember, it's free advice so you get what you pay for)

#1. Play very tight in the first 3 levels.
Even if you win a big pot in level one, you may only be winning 3-400 chips.
This is a very insignificant amount of chips in the grand scheme of things.

#2. Tourney play is about survival.
Do not allow your chips to be put at risk unless you want them to be.
Lay down big hands if need be (within reason).

#3. Do not waste chips seeing flops.
If you have 2 suited connectors, and there are 3 or more in the pot, why bother? The only way you will be in a good spot is if you hit a nut straight.
Especially with low connectors.
Your flush is usually no good if you are playing low to mid connectors.
Pairs are useless for you unless you hit trips or 2 pair. (Even then you are at risk).
You will find that for every pot you drag in with your low to mid suited connectors, you will have bled away the same to more in missed flops.

#4. Get a tight table image.
Stronger players will be taking notes, and/or remember how you play at their table. Use this later on. Which leads to:

#5. Be prepared to Switch gears...
Usually after the first hour it is safe to loosen up. (Especially against smaller stacks.)

#6. Don't steal blinds until....
Don't steal worthless blinds...
Why steal blinds at the 25-50 range?
Pro--- You win 75 worth of chips.
Con--- You get sucked into a hand you shouldn't be playing.
The con outweighs the pro in this case. wait until the 50-100 or higher.

#7. Switch gears again.
After playing weak hands and showing down (hopefully winners )
you will immediately lose your tight image.
Before the bubble tighten up again.

#8. Bubble time....
Attack mid-to low stacks with a vengence.
They only see the money now, they just want to cash and will basically post their blinds right into your stack if you ask them nicely.

#9. "A Chip and a Chair"
DO NOT QUIT
If you have chips in front of you, make others earn them from you.

#10. Be aggressive.
Always be aggressive with whatever hand you play.



Hope these help to get you started.

[Chutups]

Thanks Jimmy and Fish, I will to imput these strategy in the next tournament I play. I guess I am just playing to on the defensive side and not being to accumalte chips. I will give an update on my progress. Thanks again.

[badblood44]

One strategy that seems to work pretty well is the following:

Near the bubble, DO NOT attack the short stack. The short stack is your friend. You'll find that those just above the shortest stack and near the bubble themselves are just waiting for the short stack to bust out. Attack them. They will more easily fold to a blind steal or bluff raise since they'd just assume sit and wait until the short stack busts out.

[jdiana86]

I like to use the play supertight first three levels strategy, but it seems that once you get into the money there is really no point in trying to working your way up the prizepool....Once I'm in the money it's practically like final table or bust.

[GeoffM]

You will likely have to win a couple of coin flip hands as well to get to the final table. If you have a decent and someone puts you all in, don't be scared to enter into a race. If you lose, you lose, but at least you took your shot. I also agree though that stealing blinds is almost entirely pointless, and the only time I'll do it is with a border-line hand and normally only if I'm on the button only. Plus, it makes no difference how big the blinds are that you're stealing, because they are only minimum bets at that point.

[badblood44]

I disagree about the importance of stealing blinds.

If you can successfully do it, it buys you at least another free orbit around the table. Also, while the blinds are only 1.5 bets, it may get to the point that those 1.5 bets represent a healthy chunk of your stack.

Stealing blinds is an art and if mastered can keep you in the tournament longer and gives you the chance to make your move with premium hands.

[GeoffM]

This is my 400th post, where are the balloons and sirens .

I really don't like stealing blinds except when I am button or sometimes SB just taking the BB bet. Stealing blinds can get you into all sorts of trouble, especially when you try to do it with rags and you get caught by someone who has a good hand. Can cost you a lot of money just to take 1.5 bets in your stack, and those can often cost you the risk of a few bets to try and steal.

[Aequitas58]

Likely? In a MTT, you will definitely need to win your fair share of coin flips. This is exactly the "luck" people talk about.

[jimmytheg]

I don't necessarily agree with that. I think that the luck factor has to do more with having your dominating hands hold up. I.E. having your QQ hold up to JJ....or your AK stick against AQ.

Personally I try to avoid coinflips at all costs unless I am a short stack and have no choice. But that just goes along with my style of playing more after the flop, and grinding out pots here and there.