How to survive in a multi talble tourney?

Hi,

I am fairly new to the game and I am playing freerolls to get my feet wet. I am doing pretty decent considering, most of the time making it at least to the best 10%. So what is there to learn in getting to the final table, or even to the last 2? I am still loosing a good hand by the end of the second hour to some lucky draw a lot.

Play your strong hand with big raises, fold the rubbish hands and the half decent hands.

Be selective about your bluffs and dont be afraid to give up your blinds

When the number of people at the tables gets smaller, remember the value of your hand increases. Dont be afraid to play Q 7 os or 7 7 etc, often big raises with these hands will either a) win you the blinds or b) give your a fair chance in a showdown

Good luck

in the end of the tournament, play tight and aggresive, very aggresive. Be the first one to raise

its not like playing your drunk buddies at a party...only play the top dozen or so hands...when it winds down close to the winnings tables, be more aggressive with the bubble players, while there minds are set on 39th or 40th place...they will fold at the slightest hint of a raise...

You want to steal blinds in order to build your stack. You must be careful and selective where you do attempt to steal though and you have to know what type of hands your opponents would play especially if you get re-raised.

In order to build a big stack and make it to the final table you have to win coinflips and build your stack at a consistent rate. Don't expect to wait until you get AA or KK and raise and get 5 callers and win. If you are playing super-tight, your opponents will fold when you raise so you won't be gaining much in the stack size department.

It sounds like you're getting the hang of it pretty well if you're cracking the top ten percentile on a regular basis. To get over the hump and onto the final table, it's important to be able to become progressively more aggressive as the tournament wears on. Not reckless. Aggressive. Continue to play tight, avoid drawing hands, and when you get a strong hand, play it strong. All the pros will tell you that the most dangerous type of player is the "tight aggressive" guy. He doesn't play a lot of hands, but when he does, he gets his money in the pot and keeps the heat on. You know any time you tangle with him you're in danger of being set all in.

My biggest suggestion is to stay focused. It is so easy to play consistently and play well and then in one hand make a huge mistake that costs you a lot. I usually find myself thinking "Why did that happen?" The answer is usually that I didn't think it through and played against the grain that got me where I was. Maybe I could call it "getting a big head" or getting overconfident. I think that is my biggest weakness in big tourneys.

The focusing is where I fall. I can focus for a while and then get tired and lose it. I have to try not to do that.

I agree with what an earlier poster said about focus. I find that sometimes when I am playing online, my mind wanders, especially in the second hour...So, make sure you keep focused. In fact, as I write this, I just busted out of a tournament, going all in with AK and losing to a 95. What the heck goes on onlines sometimes drives me crazy!

If you get a bigger stack early don't get too agressive with it. People will tend to go allin more with their smaller stacks and more times then not they will get lucky and take a piece of your stack. Tournies are more about survival than domination.

Absolutely right.

But you reach a point in every tournament where it is equally important to amass chips. It's not going to do you any good to survive if you reach the final two or three tables with so few bullets in your gun that you can no longer fight. That's why I advise a slow, cautious start and try to build momentum as you rise through the ranks. If you're still playing as tight in the top 30 as you were during the first hour, you're dead.

How do u play ak when ur short stacked and the flop comes 10 9 7 after u raised and 2 people called... Pot is pretty decent...

Is tight and aggressive call for an all in here?

FANTASTIC question...i have been reading the replys and this is just what the doctor ordered for me. i am soooo glad i found you folks today. i do make a few final tables, but have never won, some of the replys to this may "push" me over the edge...good luck to you!! ps= if its just you and i left,,be careful, LOL. hagd

Chances are these people are calling in the hope of hitting the run on the turn/river. The problem here is even a low pair beats you at the moment. If you are brave and in a strong position chips wise, go all-in. They wont risk their entire chip stack in the hope of htting nuts on the turn/river. And if they have a low pair, why would they risk it?

And even if they do, who is to say the turn/river wont be KK AA etc..

I wouldnt lay down a good hand late tourney unless I knew these guys were going to call through to the river...good players will fold

The first hour or so - only play premium hands. The blinds are low and it doesn't cost you much to wait for a big hand. It's not worth to steal. Then when the blinds increases, play more hands and very agressive. When there are only about 10 more unpaid places, loose up and steal alot. Many are to afraid to go out, and the blinds are high. Your stack is going to grow and you need it because of the blinds. When youre in the money, play very tight and agressive if you have a stack - if you don't, push your money on the first best hand. You have made it to the money anyway.

Thanks for the replies guys. I do take some of this with me to the tables and every time I lost my entire stack I take something with me. Always learn something from a loss. And I think the biggest hurdle really is to stay focused. I find myself going on tilt some after a few good hands and have to remind myself to slow down again. This doesn't cost too much but then there are the times when my mind wanders or I get distracted, this is when I put myself up to being forced out. Again thanks a lot and good luck to you all at the tables.

Kanufi

I would play slow make your money after the flop. You have to trap them let them think they are winning. If you have AA and play it slow and someone pairs a king their money is as good as yours.

ARGH!!!!! You have granite stones my friend if you slow play pocket rockets!

You all rule and have such a good concept on the game all very good suggestions. Think this so good of all to get their input on the game,I've learned so much here and know I'm going to learn more. I like to play like it's my own money but you get a lot of these that I'd like to ring there neck's. I ask them,do you want to play poker or play who's got the most gut's. I mean first hand and all in,and it goes on and on,I've run into that alot here lately. Anyone else,have these problems? OK,thanks for the good advise. Good Luck and Good Cards. Hope to see you around at the tables.

i tell you that you have to stay focous to the other players and raise them when you have a good hand

I find i play better by myself with no TV or radio on so i can focus on my game. I have won the most money in the early hours of the morning. I lose it when i am with other people like my bro as he convinces me to do the wrong thing.

im sure all this was said already, but i didnt have time to read all the posts so:

- Play tight, and only really strong hands early like the AKs, high pocket pairs, etc ( I play down to AJs ) early on in the tourney. I never play any pockets less than 5s and rarely anything less than 10s
- Don't risk an all-in unless you're nearly %100 sure you will win. If you are serious about placing high, or even winning, then lay hands down if you have to early.
- I used to almost always end up losing when I would make a bad call - think with your head: what does your opponent have? If you think he has you beat then fold by all means
- Don't be afraid to fold anything less than what you would normally play if someone raises you when you're BB or SB; but later in the tourneys, try to protect your blind as they get bigger and bigger
- Nearing the end of the tourney, start to play looser and play less valuable hands; K10s, smaller connectors, smaller pocket pairs, and smaller suited cards. Play looser, but play more aggresive ( if that makes any sense ) - play lesser hands but play them like they're monster hands - as most people are playing hands like yours - K7 Q10 etc. then they wont want to be anywhere near what they think is an AK or QQ.

anyways im really just a rookie so this info isnt the best of the best but its what i've found works for me
good luck at the tables

yea.

Just be smart when the cards are dealt and win??

Well here is what I would do considering the num of people in the tourney


100- 400 play normal just like it is a normal sit n go, playing good hands only though to build a stack off the less experienced players who will play A 6 in middle position, after there were already a raiser in first position. And say you have AK in early position, all you are up against is A 6 come up, if an ace comes up and still about 200-400 ppl left just push in all your chips, the less experienced player will call thinking his aces are good.

500-Infinity This is how i would do it, and it is very successful to me.

Early position AK, AQ, AJ, AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT I go ALL in no matter what
Middle Position AT, AQ, AK, AJ, A9, A8,A7, or any pocket pair ALL IN
Late Position any pocket pair, anything with an ace ALL IN

Please take my advice because it works good for me. And I tell you, that you will become a freeroll expert like me, the one and only BUFFCLEMINS

yea thatll work

Play strong and aggressive during early rounds. Play 20% or less of hands. Most important thing to remember is patience though. Goal is to survive.

my biggest problem is after the first break. I tend to make it past the break with at least the average many times above it but after the break my hands just dessert me
and i stall out....any advice

If youre not getting good hands, try calling into cheap flops with marginal hands in late positions, and when you do hit, be aggresive. Or you can be patient and wait for better hands. Sometimes it will happen then u get very little or almost no good hands in a tourney, in such a case its tough luck, you have to improvise, read your opponents, call with the best of your bad hands, u cant rely on luck all the time. In such cases your skill will be put to the test. Remember anyone can win with good hands, it takes a good player to win without one.

Thanks i'll give it shot.

in free rolls in beginning alot of people will call down almost anything my experience play tight in beginning then i lossen up towards the end cuz near the end is mostly decent players

(johnboy)

1- Be patient - let the "All-iners" bust them selves out, or build up massive chip stacks. You only need to win 3 or 4 hands an hour, so don't go chasing pots.

2- Don't be intimidated - The early chip leaders are where they are because they've been lucky. Class will tell when you come down to the last 50 or so people.

3- Concentrate - It's going to take a while and one mistake might blow it, so keep concentrating (not easy).

4- Don't panic - if u do lose a big pot. Can quickly get it back on the right hand, so wait for the right moment.

5- Be lucky - You'll need a bit!

6- Don't overdo bully tactics - if in the lead, cos someone will make u pay eventually.

7 and finally - make sure you want to win it - a 1000+ tournet will take over 4 hours, so make sure you'll still be awake / available then, and make sure prize is worth effort.

A lot of good tips here, thanks everyone for posting for us newbies.

Great post. All points should be remembered when playing. Wish I could influence #5 in some way.