Winner Takes All?

[PShabi]

Any of you guys ever play a "winner takes all" style tournament or poker game? Do you like it?

At my home game, we play a NLHE and if there are only 5 of us, winner takes all. If there are 6, 7, or 8 we only refund 2nd place their buy-in so it's basically winner takes all.

How does/would your personal strategy or approach differ from the strategy you with a typical payout structure? Does it change at all? Do you see your opponents play differently?

[junYUN]

thats pretty much exactly how we do it

[BrianSwa]

if its winner take all they take alot more chances they wouldnt normally take. Like Daniel said in the torney of champions, he said something along the line of taking alot of chances because there is no prize for 2nd. I see alot more people going all in on draws and TPTK.

[lightfungus]

In my experience, in which I usually know most of the guys, we like the pride and so we are a bit more reckless. Go for the throat and all. I dont think we would play any different if it was for the win or for the money finish.

Online though, I am all about making money and if I think I can make the money playing the fold game I do it. I wont risk it all for the top if I can make it to the money and put some in my pocket.

[Aequitas58]

It's less about simply surviving, and it's more about building a bigger stack as early as possible. The bigger stack allows you to lean on the smaller stacks putting you in a much better spot to take first.

It's easy to "survive" to third, but when you're in third place w/ 10 BBs, you're fucked.

[Zybomb]

It forces people to play for the win rather than to place.

In my home games we always do 1st gets everything 2nd gets money back if its 10 people (or less) or so...... and 3rd gets money back, 2nd gets double his money 1st gets the rest if its closer to 20 people