Posted Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:14 pm GMT by ohiogary
This is mainly for the " successful " online players,but anyone feel free to answer.I consider myself to be a decent player,but recently i cant get over the hump when it's down to 100 players left in a certain tournament.Ever since switching over to PS i've had ONE final table which was in a $4 180 man sng along with several cashes.I've done fairly well running my account up to $70 by my standards atleast.
I'm really lost now.Why? Because i study my hand history religously along with other hands from different people.I watch some of the top players play and the only thing i see them doing differently is having no fear to play a hand which i wouldn't even think of playing.I get hesitant and scared to play against people whom have larger stacks than i do fearing they'll knock me out.
Is that my problem? I'm sure even the best players weren't naturally as good as they are now when they first started to play.I've been playing online since January and have to just three final tables two of which were at Seven Sultans.
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Posted Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:51 pm GMT by Ryan231
The thing I've found with MTT play is that if you want to make money be prepared to put down a decent amount of money for a buy in and be prepared to play for a long time. I've played 3 or 4 of those Stars 180man 4$ MTTs, I won one, and placed 3rd or 4th in another. If you want practice in MTT playing those things aren't really great for it. If you want to learn to beat those things then just basically play super tight and push all-in when you think you are ahead early in the tournament. Some moron will usually call with TP No kicker or some crazy draw and pay you off. With those things the good play doesn't really start until about the final 15 or 16, at that point people start to realize they have a shot at some kind of decent payout.
If you want to learn to play MTTs on stars I'd highly recommend the Deepstacks tournaments, they seem to have a nice slow blind structure which allows for lots of play, just leave yourself like 9-10 hours if your serious about winning one of these things. I don't really know how to explain how to play, I guess I'd describe my personal play as super tight aggressive. I basically only play the best hands or limp in with good position with hands like KQ and low - mid pairs. I've had good success with playing with a very tight image and slowly building my stack waiting for my monster pots.
As for being scared of the big stacks, I really dont sweat playing the bigger stacks personally because I know I likely have the best hand preflop and I'm not the type that cannot let my hand go after the flop goes sour. I can't count the amount of times I've tossed AK and AQ away on the flop when I didn't hit my pair, I think its really important to learn when your beat on a flop and minimize your loses. It sounds to me like about halfway through the tournament you get scared and start playing badly, I used to do this whe I first started playing MTTs. I can't really explain how to change your own mental blocks, you just have to be confident with your ability to play and ability to make solid calls.
Personally big stacks are my favorite to butt heads with midway through the tournament because they will often be trying to play their big stack against you so when you go against them have a monster and double up or take down a nice pot.
On a final note, buy harrington on holdem volume #1 and #2, these books helped me a TON, easily the best books I've read on the subject of tournament style holdem.
Posted Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:47 am GMT by jimmer
First of all, for the amount of time you've been playing, it sounds like you're doing really well. Don't beat yourself up!
Without knowing specific information about your game and knowledge it's hard to know how to expand on the following points. However in my experience these are common mistakes players encounter.
1.Stealing blinds
2.Raising near the bubble
3.Raising in relation to how much the other players are willing to bet, and NOT how much is seen as the norm.
I'll quite happily expand on any of these points, if you're still unsure. (I'm sure someone else will ask even if you don't!)
This is by no means a complete list.
Posted Wed Jun 21, 2006 1:06 pm GMT by crack
Maybe I didn't understand your post, but tournament pro's will be leagues above all of us.
Tournaments are funny things. It's a bit like women I suppose, can't live with them, can't live without them.
And by the way that is the most stupid phrase ever, but it seems to fit into this post quite well.
Anyway, tournaments are pretty sick. You can make the right move and still be f*ck over. It's not like cash where you can reload. One suckout and you're out.
That to me is pretty sick. I just happened to catch a bit of WSOP 2005 and there was a guy playing the ME. He was in tears when he lost a big pot. He said "3 days I have played perfect, then this happens"
I think that sums up tournament poker. You can play absolutely fine, then one mistake can cost you.
What I am getting at is this, especially low buyin MTT's, you can't expect to final table or cash consistently. Obviously thats what you aim for, but it ain't always going to happen.
Like wenchy said, we can't judge your game, but maybe you need to hone some other non poker skills, like patience, the sense of when a player is weak?
I cannot deal with Hold'em MTT's anymore. I don't think they are profitable for me, but if you post a few hands in the hand section of the site then we can go over them and see if you are missing any mistakes.
And whatever you do, be patient.
Posted Thu Jun 22, 2006 11:07 pm GMT by Cheech3398
| Ryan231 wrote: |
On a final note, buy harrington on holdem volume #1 and #2, these books helped me a TON, easily the best books I've read on the subject of tournament style holdem. |
I second that, these books will significantly help your game.
| crack wrote: | | ...I just happened to catch a bit of WSOP 2005 and there was a guy playing the ME. He was in tears when he lost a big pot. He said "3 days I have played perfect, then this happens" |
Mike the mouth, I believe.
Posted Thu Jun 22, 2006 11:10 pm GMT by crack
No it wasn't him. Think he was called cunningham.
Posted Thu Jun 22, 2006 11:12 pm GMT by LeafsFan1122
I saw it too. What a freakin crybaby. He was ACTUALLY crying. It's just a game. I can understand frustration/anger/sadness etc, etc.. But a grown man crying over a game of poker is silly.
Posted Fri Jun 23, 2006 8:12 am GMT by UrAteUp
Mike the Mouth did have a crying moment but it was not televised. It was after it got down to less then 100 players and Mike they say started crying tears of joy.
There was another guy who broke down crying because one of the other players took too long going to the bathroom. The dudes name was Andrew (can't remember the last name).
Black was another player who started crying after he went from chip leader to busting out. Although it wasn't a big crying fit you could see him start shedding tears.
Then there was the redhead kid who was playing K7s and ran into Axs. They both hit the flush but when he called with his K7 and seen that he was beat, he just broke down and started crying. Talking about how he played good poker for 3 days only to be knocked out this way....  .
Jesus, if you don't want to be knocked out that way then don't play hands that can lead to the near nut hand...  .
Posted Fri Jun 23, 2006 8:28 am GMT by zinn0
| crack wrote: | | No it wasn't him. Think he was called cunningham. |
This guy was the tall skinny bespectacled redheaded dude. Not sure if his name was cunningham or not. He lives not to far from me, and I actually used to work in his hometown.
*edit*
And now that I've gone back and read the entire post, UrAteUp is right. It was the guy that had the 2nd nut flush against the nut flush.
| UAU wrote: | There was another guy who broke down crying because one of the other players took too long going to the bathroom. The dudes name was Andrew (can't remember the last name).
Black was another player who started crying after he went from chip leader to busting out. Although it wasn't a big crying fit you could see him start shedding tears. |
Same guy.
Posted Fri Jun 23, 2006 11:12 am GMT by Johny
Andrew Friedman I think his name was.
Posted Fri Jun 23, 2006 11:41 am GMT by Nihil75
edit: nm
Posted Fri Jun 23, 2006 12:46 pm GMT by UrAteUp
| zinn0 wrote: | | UrAteUp is right. |
And there is doubt I am always right when?....
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