Posted Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:05 am GMT by LED
I've been playing in tourneys for about 3 weeks now, but I'm having trouble elevating my game to the next level. I can usually crack the top 200 in a tourney, but I just can't move any further down the list. I'm a tight/aggressive player, I hardly ever play loose and bluff, which usually means I'm always short stacked at the table. I believe that if I'm going to elevate my game, I'm going to have to take some chances, play a little looser and bluff some. My question is, at what point in a tourney should I start loosening up my game and bluff some?
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Posted Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:26 am GMT by mackkie
Whenever...But its more profitable to make stabs at pots when the blinds are higher later on in the tourney, but that also means risking more chips on your part.
I like to take stabs at pots, especially when I am the initial raiser. More often than not people will fold them to you. You do not have to give people credit for hitting their flop just because they called a pre-flop raise. If you lead out and bet and get called or re-raised, then u get a little more info about what a person has.
Also, when reaching later stages in the tourney, it is very important to steal blinds and keep boosting ur chip stack. Am i saying to raise with 106o? No, but when u see an opportunity with some decent cards take a shot and steal their blinds.
It seems like u need to change up ur play because from the way u made it sound, ur that guy who only shows down primo hands.
With that being said, because of this table image, use it to your advantage and raise with something less than optimal to steal blinds, and people will automatically assume u have something real good...
Posted Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:33 am GMT by MasterShake
First of all, the biggest weakness in your game is probably that you've only been playing for three weeks. Your natural strategy is going to be good until the blinds kick in. Once you are forced to put money in every pot and the size of the pot becomes larger than the amount of the bet you have to put in, then you need to loosen up juuuuuuust a bit. Pick your spots and try to beat up on players that will give you more play. Go out and pick up the Harrington on Hold 'em books. Read Vol 1 and 2 and then reread them again. Then read Vol 3.
Play lots of tournies but stay within your means. If you put $50 online, stay with the $1-5 SnGs and the baby buy in MTTs. As your bankroll increases (and you may go broke before it does.) you can take stabs at slightly larger games. Be prepared that you will most likely go broke at least once before you start making money and it may be a loooooooooooong time before you start consistantly making money.
Posted Sat Sep 23, 2006 9:25 am GMT by LED
In general, would the time to bluff with 1 or 2 high hole cards be when your short stacked and you didn't pair any of them after the flop? Or in other words, take a stab at the pot with nothing?
Posted Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:44 am GMT by MasterShake
| LED wrote: | | In general, would the time to bluff with 1 or 2 high hole cards be when your short stacked and you didn't pair any of them after the flop? Or in other words, take a stab at the pot with nothing? |
The time to bluff you're in late position and nobody has shown strength OR when you're up against a single opponent and you're close to positive he's weak or afraid of the flop.
Try not to let yourself get too short. If you have 10x the BB or less, you're in trouble. If you have 5x the BB or less, pretty much push with anything that looks good if nobody has raised in front of you.
Posted Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:15 am GMT by LED
Yea but wouldn't you scare more players off with 10x the BB than with 5x the BB in late position?
Posted Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:14 pm GMT by MasterShake
| LED wrote: | | Yea but wouldn't you scare more players off with 10x the BB than with 5x the BB in late position? |
Probably, but when you're down to 5xBB, it's not just about bluffing. You NEED those blinds and antes or to get lucky and double up. If you let yourself get lower than 5x and you double up, you're still very shortstacked.
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