struggle with early levels of tourney, then kick but

[mavthrill 0]

Hey guys, I posted earlier, took some of your tips and have been playing better.This is what I have noticed with my "TOURNAMENT PLAY"I have been finishing consistnently in the top 3 but I have really had to battle to get there.I am always fighting being one of the short stacks. Once the blinds start creeping up my play seems to increase dramatically and I quickly start accumulating chips.**What are some techniques to build your stack when the blinds are low compared to chip stacks?????***i have not even been playing that tight. Waiting for quailyt hands and playing all my pairs hoping to flop a set.Thanks a lot, this forum has really helped me get my play back on track.

[wrto4556 0]

Don't draw and don't play drawing hands.

[mavthrill 0]

Dont play drawing hands????I thought that would be the opposite. If you were to play drawing hands woulndt you want to play them early and cheap??I have not really played that many hands early in the tourney.Isnt that where Daniel makes a lot of his "hay" is early in teh tourney.

[wrto4556 0]

Let me rephrase.See alot of cheap flops, and hope to get lucky. Don't draw to anything that is going to cost you alot of chips. The pots just aren't big enough at this stage of the tournament

[Smasharoo 0]

Don't worry about it.You'd rather be stronger later in a tournament, that's where the money is.When you start getting blinded off out of the money, then worry about it.If you want an answer as to why you're doing better later it's almost certainly agression. You're forced to play more agressively as the blind to stack ratio increases. Playing agressivley early can build a big chips stack, it can also lead to an early exit.

[mavthrill 0]

So for example in a Sit and Go. When players begin to amass large chip stacks is it going to be more from lucky cards, great flops, and poor players early as opposed to good strategy.Thanks everyone.

[Eskimo 0]

I think your strategy is fine. Its exactly what I do too.I usually get blinded down, then steal the blinds, then get blinded down again... and so on. I guess you could say im the "all-in or fold" type. It has worked very well for me in the past few months. You said its a battle to get there. Of course it is! And it will always be a battle. Now when you start getting premium hands early, then it becomes alot easier. But thats not gonna happen very often. Stick with the way you're doing it.What are some techniques to build your stack? Blind stealing. If you are on the button or SB and everyone folds to you, then make a big raise.

[mavthrill 0]

To start building up my stack I will usually try to take a few blinds. Become more aggresive with my hands, on ragged flops I will usually play them pretty strong.I am glad to know that my strategy is not that bad. I felt a little upset becuase in a 10 person SnG with 5 people left I would be around 1000 (where I started) and was forced to start making some "moves"