Early MTT strategy

[fluxer]

Players like Phil Hellmuth use strategy #1.

Players like Daniel Negreanu invariable end up using strategy #2.

I'm not a tournament player, but if I try I can do very well in tournaments (I get impatient sometimes, which is my downfall in those things). I've used both strategies and have experienced limited success with both, albiet a small sample size.

Like JD says, you have to adapt to your table and the tournament that you're playing, but I usually find that if I'm at a table full of weak players, it's best to see a lot of cheap flops and crack someone who wont fold top pair; play it more like a cash game, minus the aggression unless you have a big hand.

I think the first strategy fails to exploit the weakness of some of the horrible players, but both are viable obviously.

[Talking Poker]

Remembr though - we're talking EARLY in a tourney. Exploiting weaknesses usually isn't even worth it for 75 chips (as in my example above). I think you might be surprised how tight even the loose guys are EARLY on in big tourneys. There are guys who will play EVERY flop with ANY two, but Negreanu is not one of them.