Early MTT strategy

[BlibbityBlabbity]

Against a player (s) who you have seen are playing strategy #1, strategy #2 can work better if you can get in multi-way for BB (or a small raise that appears to be getting called by 2-3 players). If you hit the flop (better than a pair or good draw) continue, if not get away from it.

"When you do play, you have a big hand, you play it aggressively".... this is the part of your description for #1 that makes #2 worthwhile in this situation. You will likely be up against players who are looking to make a pair and a good kicker, while you are going to have them drawing almost dead if you are playing after the flop. You just have to get away from the bad draws and low pairs you will flop

[Aequitas58]

Assuming there are no rebuys...

Off the top of my head, here are some pointers...

1. See cheap flops in position w/ cards that work well in multiway pots, but generally, play tight. What I don't like (when you suggested #2 was the "high unsuited connectors," which I guess we can label as unsuited broadway cards. These are nothing but trouble and should be mucked.

2. Don't do anything stupid (yet) including fancy plays and elaborate bluffs. The point is: most "moves" in the beginning are -EV b/c (1) random n00bs wouldn't understand the move, and you're likely to get called, and (2) there is generally no need to start risking more chips than you're going to make.

3. In the beginning, establish a weak-tight table image so that in the second hour, so you can steal blinds. (Don't even start stealing before 100/200. Others have suggested to wait until the ante kicks in.)

I have a headache.

[Gordogg]

Without reading responses here's my two cents.

I used to employ the loose see flops cheaply plan. I thought this was the best way to gain a big stack early when blinds are miniscule. It's not a bad strategy either. But the thing is, if you use this strategy and your hands keep missing the flop, it starts to add up. Or you have 67 sooted, flop top pair and end up losing to a nimrod that can't fold AK. You have tougher decisions to make using this style. I don't think it's worth it to risk that when you could easily wait for a hand and get paid off.

It also depends on the level of talent in the tourney field. I'd play looser against a better field and tighter against a weenie field, because weenies never fold. Of course you don't know the playing ability of all the players in a tourney field, but obviously a $50 MTT will have a higher ratio of sharks than a $10 MTT. At the beginning of a tourney the fish aren't weeded out yet so wait for a hand and get paid. But, if you get a bad run of cards to start, you have to start loosening up to stay comfortably ahead of the blinds.

Edit: After reading the responses, I failed to mention how important tourney structure is. If you are in the WSOP, like some lucky bastard by the name of TP is going to be, with 2hr blind levels and 200xBB you can afford to play liberally for a longer period of time unlike if you are in an online mtt with 15 min. levels gotta make moves earlier etc...