2 replies to this topic

[DCGreenie]

I am new to this website. I have been playing holdem for about a year and a half now. When I am playing normal stakes play I have done pretty well. I play a lot online. Really a lot of sit-n=g0- tourneys. I have had a lot of success there as well. But I am struggling with big tournaments. My play is always pretty tight and pretty aggressive. But beyond that in big tourneys I don't have anymore of a strategy.I've read in Daniel's blog that in Tunica he worked his game plan, just the way he wanted to and he just got unlucky and came in third. Obviously players at Daniel's level have a major gameplan at work or they wouldn't find themselves at the final table and winning as often as they do. But I don't have any clue what these plans are.My basic strategy is play tight early and let the lunatics take care of themselves. As the tournament progresses I begin to open up my play some. Especially when I get close to the bubble. After I make it in the money I tighten up again so that the people who barely made the money can get themselves out of the way. Then open up again when I feel the time warrants it. That is the extent of a major tournament strategy for me. I know there must be more, so I am asking for help.Thank you.DCGreenie

[Alcatraz]

I break the tourney into parts... the early rounds are for surviving the idots, the middle rounds are for gathering chips. As we approach the bubble, I'm either stealing blinds from players afraid to risk their stacks, or if I'm low stacked I'm looking for a spot to take a stand and double up. I'm not interested in going to the money rounds short stacked.

[jogsxyz]

Alcatraz said:

I break the tourney into parts... the early rounds are for surviving the idots, the middle rounds are for gathering chips. As we approach the bubble, I'm either stealing blinds from players afraid to risk their stacks, or if I'm low stacked I'm looking for a spot to take a stand and double up. I'm not interested in going to the money rounds short stacked.

Doesn't that strategy guarantee that you have little chance of getting past the bubble. In the early rounds you avoid playing against the worst players. Then in the middle rounds you try to build your chip stack against the better players. I rather try to win chips off the bad players.In a MTT if your chip stack isn't growing you are falling behind. By the second break over 75% of the players are eliminated. Average chip stack is over 4K in chips(assumes 1K initial chip stack). Now with only 2K you are going to try to survive to the bubble. The math doesn't add up. Also the lower in the money places dont pay much. 4 to 5 hours of play to get your entry back. You need to get chances. You can't get lucky by folding every hand.