Whats your tournament strategy?

[Penguinfan]

Just got to thinking that I really only have a poker strategy and not a tournament strategy. Some of you may laugh, but I am starting to think that some of these bad beats could be avoided by not being in pots I don't need to be in.

Some questions I was just thinking about while playing a tournement:

Do you limp into pots to see cheap flops early or ALWAYS come in for a raise?

When do you adjust from limping to raising when you enter a pot?

When is AK worth all your chips and when do you much it pre-flop?

At what point are you really short stacked? I mean we all know your last 1000 chips with 300-600 blinds is short, but your getting called with that all-in bet. There has to be a point where you need to play like your short stacked when it really doesn't appear that you are. You gotta be willing to bust out with enough chips to steal blinds with or you up to the mercy of the cards, right?

Tons of other questions, but this is worth some thought and replies I would think.

[Aequitas58]

Keep this all in mind, I consider myself a DECENT MTT player. At best.

[Penguinfan]

OK Lou (good to see you again by the way) maybe you can help with this one, I NEVER find myself in a big stack situation after the second hour, never. I understand you need to play tight and let the morons (the ones you can't bluff) bust out, but I am alway in survival mode when it get with 10% of the money spots. This is the problem with my tournament play I am always in a spot where I have to have a hand and just can't risk everything on KJ, which may be the best hand of the last 40 you see.

Gotta find a way to get more chips earlier in the tournament. I have recently thought it might be better to gamble and bust our early than to just bleed to death after 2 and half hours.

[Aequitas58]

Good to see you.

Keep in mind that there are different strategies for MTTs. Gus Hansen (loose) v. Dan Harrington (tight). Etc.

The problem is ... there is alot of play during a MTT. You also start off with a good amount of chips (compared to the starting blinds) and you are able to wait for good hands while others play reckless. (Yes, reckless - look at how quick they drop.) If you go deep, it'll take a while to finish, so you will get to see many hands.

Sometimes, you just don't get good cards. This happens. It would also explain a short stack nearing the second break. Pick a spot, double up, etc. When you find yourself comfortable, you can steal blinds, bluff, and see more flops.

[ChipFish]

You are playing it alot better then you give yourself credit for.

[Kurn]

Tournament strategy really depends on the type of tournament. I'll assume that we're talking a multi, since I play a much tighter game in a SNG.

Strategy also differs for the type of game. NLHE strategy differs from limit HE tournament strategy. In NL, limping from late position in the early rounds is a good idea because of implied odds. In a limit HE tourney, I treat every preflop decision as raise/fold. Limit split-pot game tourneys are different as well, as in the early rounds a raise usually won't limit the field (here I'll freely admit I have much more success in Stud/8 multis than in O/8 multis).

Back to NLHE which is what most people think of when they ask about tourney strategy. I try to use the first level to get an idea what the players are like at my table. I play very few hands up front. I won't limp with 88-22 and will fold all unsuited aces preflop except AK. If by the latter part of the first level I'm convinced I'm at a generally passive table, I may begin limping with middle pairs and Axs from as early as 3 off the button.

After the first break it's time to start playing situational poker. When on the button, if the blinds aren't LAGs, I will usually throw in a very big raise if there are any limpers in the pot. At this point I'm not entering many pots by calling, it's raise/fold in all but some obvious exceptions (88-22 I'll limp, maybe a medium suited ace). In the BB, if anyone just doubles the blind, I'll call with any 2 that can make a straight or flush, especially if it's heads-up and the raiser almost never min-raises (I'm looking to flop a big hand to crack his AA).

Approaching the money, I like to get even more aggressive to prey on those who are worried about just making the money (this works for any type tourney - NL, Limit, regardless of the game).

The last point is crucial. As you get to the point where you're about one or two tables away from the money, you have to stop caring about making the money. The worst attitude you can have is "I've played this long, I don't want to go away empty-handed." The real money is in the top 5 places. If you're in the hunt you get to the big money by stealing from the rest of the players who are worried about busting out on the bubble.

As to what constitutes being short-stacked, I've always held to the 10x BB theory, but lately I've begun to start playing more aggressively at 15x BB.

In a limit tourney, where you don't have the same preflop fold equity and more multiway pots, 4 big bets is shortstacked, but you can usually hold off until 3. In split-pot games, you can actually go to 2.5 big bets because of the higher probability of tripling up or better by scooping in a multiway pot.