15 replies to this topic

[KidKanuck]

Hey everyone, I am gonna play in the PPM Semi satellite this weekend and I would like to hear any strategy theories on how to play it as it will be my first one...I am not a complete amateur so in-depth/advanced theories or strategies or snippets of info is what I am looking for. Since this is my first large online satellite I am wondering what to expect...opponent strength, opponent strategies, #of pros vs. rank amateurs etc.thanks in advance for any insight.take care all,KK

[Smasharoo]

How many entrants.What's the payout structure.What's the buy in.What's the starting chip stack size.What are the blind escelation rules.

[KidKanuck]

How many entrants.---probably will be between 750-1500...yet to close registrationWhat's the payout structure. --- 1 entry to the PPM finals(10,000 buy in) for every 60 entrants What's the buy in.--- 240$(including rake)What's the starting chip stack size.---1000 + bonus chips to a max of 2000 more...my starting stack will be the max of 3000What are the blind escelation rules.----I believe every 20 minutes starting at around 15/30 for the first ten levels and then every 30 minutes from then on.thanks,KK

[Smasharoo]

Ok, let's say it closes at 1200,1st-40th pays the same and 41st pays nothing.As an aside, 10,000 for every 12,000+ in entry fees seems sort of -EV to me to even bother playing it, you''d think it'd be every 50, but anyway.Unlike most tournaments where having a huge stack early gives you a better chance of winning, you're going to want to play this one to make the bubble. Tight stack accumulation in early rounds would seem to make the most sense. If there are 1,200,000 chips in play and 40 places pay out you're going to want to build towards 20k chips and try to maintain that untill the bubble passes. I'd play simmillarly to how you'd play any large MTT in the early rounds, don't get invovled in large pots PF, don't bluff too much, etc.If you find yourself in a position where you're relatively short stacked near the bubble there's probably more merit than ussual to trying to fold into the money. Keep carefull track of where you are relative to other stacks if you make it under 100 players left. That's going to be the most critical time in a deal like this and you're going to want your play to respond to how they're doing chipstack-wise.As for player mix I think you'll see a pretty typical mix in this sort of thing, some nutty players looking to build a stack to steamroll early, some rocks waiting for KK and AA to limp re-raise, and some people blinding off through the first half hour regardless of their hands.Stack theory will be much less importnat than ussual, and it's going to be correct to lay down some hands you'd normally call a smaller stack with because there is much less value to finishing 1st.Play the way you would if it was last $240 and you needed to pay rent, I guess.Edit: There'll be more chips in playwith bonuses, etc. Play accordingly. If you can run over some people early because you are the largest stack at the table to start, it's probably worth it. Getting to 10k in chips would be pretty signifigant in this thing.

[braminc]

and dont forget, its a LIMIT HOLDEM tourney....

[braminc]

hey smash.....i live in boston too, where you from?? - a comment about the -EV, the prize package for the cruise is indeed 12000, the entry to the tournament is 10 gs and there are other expenses that are paid for in the package cruise trip vacation tournament extravaganza

[KidKanuck]

Smasharoo said:

Ok, let's say it closes at 1200,1st-40th pays the same and 41st pays nothing.As an aside, 10,000 for every 12,000+ in entry fees seems sort of -EV to me to even bother playing it, you''d think it'd be every 50, but anyway.Unlike most tournaments where having a huge stack early gives you a better chance of winning, you're going to want to play this one to make the bubble.  Tight stack accumulation in early rounds would seem to make the most sense.  If there are 1,200,000 chips in play and 40 places pay out you're going to want to build towards 20k chips and try to maintain that untill the bubble passes.  I'd play simmillarly to how you'd play any large MTT in the early rounds, don't get invovled in large pots PF, don't bluff too much, etc.If you find yourself in a position where you're relatively short stacked near the bubble there's probably more merit than ussual to trying to fold into the money.  Keep carefull track of where you are relative to other stacks if you make it under 100 players left.  That's going to be the most critical time in a deal like this and you're going to want your play to respond to how they're doing chipstack-wise.As for player mix I think you'll see a pretty typical mix in this sort of thing,  some nutty players looking to build a stack to steamroll early, some rocks waiting for KK and AA to limp re-raise, and some people blinding off through the first half hour regardless of their hands.Stack theory will be much less importnat than ussual, and it's going to be correct to lay down some hands you'd normally call a smaller stack with because there is much less value to finishing 1st.Play the way you would if it was last $240 and you needed to pay rent, I guess.Edit:  There'll be more chips in playwith bonuses, etc.  Play accordingly.  If you can run over some people early because you are the largest stack at the table to start, it's probably worth it.  Getting to 10k in chips would be pretty signifigant in this thing.

thanks, I appreciate your comments and will keep them in mind...to clarify the entry icluding rake is 226...but I suspect your comments aren't affected by that.KK

[KidKanuck]

braminc said:

and dont forget,  its a LIMIT HOLDEM tourney....

to clarify...there are two limit semis and two NLH events...I am in the NLH event.take care,KK

[AUBrandon]

I played in the semis in November and actually won a seat.. :-) ... Not sure how many entrants, the filled was maxed out at 2000 when I played, so it may be similar to that. It is set up to where there are four semis this month.... this Thursday through Sunday. Thurs and Sat are limit multis, while Fri and Sun are no limit. Buy in is I believe 200+15, allowing a package to be awarded for every 60 entrants. I think you start with 1000.... if not that then its 1500. However, if you play enough raked hands within a certain time frame on PartyPoker, you can earn extra starting chips up to ta maximum of 3000. I didn't play much on PartyPoker in the month before the tournament, so I started at I think 1700 chips. Blinds I believe are similar to a normal tournament structure....I played no limit because to me, it is less of a disadvantage to start with less than average chips in no limit versus limit because you can make big bets and hopefully double up early.To make everything short, I have 2 main recommendations...(only my opinion of course, others may disagree).1. Be Patient!! This is exremely important in a multi-table tourney with that many entrants. It took 9 hours to get to the last 33 people and win my seat, if that tells you anything. If you are lucky enough to make the last say 100 or so people, everything will slow down big time. People with big stacks will sometimes start stalling, hoping for others to get eliminated so they can play rock tight with their chips and hope they will last. This gets pretty rediculous when there are say 45 or 50 people left when the top 33 qualify. You have to be ready to sit there for a long time and fight your boredom..... It will pay off if you make it!2. Be aggressive.... at least I was. Especially if you are very short-stacked, which we all know, it is important to be aggressive. Another time that you CAN'T be a rock tight player is when you are a big stack. You have to be more of a bully in my opinion. Don't think that you are safe with alot of chips a few hours into the tournament.... If you get to relaxed you will let people push you around and chop your stack down. Make them afraid of you, make them think that you will put them all in at any minute. This, more times than not, will give you the image not to be messed with at the table and your stack will grow even more as people will fold alot of hands to you because they don't want to tangle with you. I was chip leader with maybe 400 to 600 people left, and I never went out of the top 15 the rest of the way because I was the bully at the table. Sitting back will do nothing but open the door for them. The only time to play really really tight is when there are 5 or maybe 10 people left (depending on your stack size) before the payout starts. If you have 150,000 in chips and there are 10 people below 30,000, it may be ok to fold more hands. This is just based on my thoughts and what I did.... Good luck and I hope to see you on the boat!peace,Brandon

[Smasharoo]

hey smash.....i live in boston too, where you from?? - a comment about the -EV, the prize package for the cruise is indeed 12000, the entry to the tournament is 10 gs and there are other expenses that are paid for in the package cruise trip vacation tournament extravaganzaOh, there you go. That's completely diffrent then.I live in Cambridge, actually, but if put "Cambridge" people think I live in the UK.

[Chip_and_a_Chair]

Are you a Harvard man, Smash?

[Smasharoo]

Are you a Harvard man, Smash?I am, sir.Scholarship, though. I'm not a spoiled rich kid who's a poker playing dillitante now.I'm a middle class kid from Southie who's a poker playing dillitante now.

[KidKanuck]

AUBrandon said:

I played in the semis in November and actually won a seat.. :-) ...  Not sure how many entrants, the filled was maxed out at 2000 when I played, so it may be similar to that. It is set up to where there are four semis this month.... this Thursday through Sunday. Thurs and Sat are limit multis, while Fri and Sun are no limit. Buy in is I believe 200+15, allowing a package to be awarded for every 60 entrants. I think you start with 1000.... if not that then its 1500. However, if you play enough raked hands within a certain time frame on PartyPoker, you can earn extra starting chips up to ta maximum of 3000. I didn't play much on PartyPoker in the month before the tournament, so I started at I think 1700 chips. Blinds I believe are similar to a normal tournament structure....I played no limit because to me, it is less of a disadvantage to start with less than average chips in no limit versus limit because you can make big bets and hopefully double up early.To make everything short, I have 2 main recommendations...(only my opinion of course, others may disagree).1. Be Patient!!           This is exremely important in a multi-table tourney with that many entrants. It took 9 hours to get to the last 33 people and win my seat, if that tells you anything. If you are lucky enough to make the last say 100 or so people, everything will slow down big time. People with big stacks will sometimes start stalling, hoping for others to get eliminated so they can play rock tight with their chips and hope they will last. This gets pretty rediculous when there are say 45 or 50 people left when the top 33 qualify. You have to be ready to sit there for a long time and fight your boredom..... It will pay off if you make it!2. Be aggressive.... at least I was.            Especially if you are very short-stacked, which we all know, it is important to be aggressive. Another time that you CAN'T be a rock tight player is when you are a big stack. You have to be more of a bully in my opinion. Don't think that you are safe with alot of chips a few hours into the tournament.... If you get to relaxed you will let people push you around and chop your stack down. Make them afraid of you, make them think that you will put them all in at any minute. This, more times than not, will give you the image not to be messed with at the table and your stack will grow even more as people will fold alot of hands to you because they don't want to tangle with you. I was chip leader with maybe 400 to 600 people left, and I never went out of the top 15 the rest of the way because I was the bully at the table. Sitting back will do nothing but open the door for them. The only time to play really really tight is when there are 5 or maybe 10 people left (depending on your stack size) before the payout starts. If you have 150,000 in chips and there are 10 people below 30,000, it may be ok to fold more hands.  This is just based on my thoughts and what I did.... Good luck and I hope to see you on the boat!peace,Brandon

Thanks Brandon...much appreciated. hope to see you on the boat too....I'll post if I make it.KK

[akishore]

hey all,i'm new to the forum but have been reading it for the past two or three months on a regular basis, and read daniel's journals regularly too.good luck kidkanuck, hope you get it. the tourney advice posted here is really excellent.and smash, i'm an MIT man myself (freshman) in cambridge. it would be interesting to meet sometime and maybe get in some games together.take care,aseem kishore

[KidKanuck]

akishore said:

good luck kidkanuck, hope you get it.

Thanks man, much appreciated.

[rivercardbandit]

Any updates on how you did or doing?