Are there early crazies in the higher buy in tourneys?

Hello all,

I have been playing low buy in tournys ($1, $2 and the occasional $5) for a while lately and I have found that there are a lot of crazies in the early stages. And I mean crazies!!! I have seen many multi way all ins with j10, k10 etc being the best hand. Also, people will hugely overvalue top pair low kicker. Can't tell you how many times I have seen a flop like k710 and have someone go all in and then someone else call, both players flipping something like k6 and k3. Top pair, top kicker is absolute gold for these guys and they will be all in every time.

As a result I have found it profitable in the very early stages to call all ins with pocket 9s, 8s and even 7s, and also play a loose/passive hoping to flop something and take these guys to the cleaners.

Was just wondering if this same behaviour is exhibited in the higher buy in tournys as I am about to up the stakes to $5, $10 and $20.

Simple answer, yes. But most have reasons behind their madness.
Second, I think you would be surprised at what most would consider 'higher end' buy ins. Anything above $500 may start to qualify for that, but the pros still consider that a donkfest. It's all a matter of what level you are to consider a play 'wild' or 'holy cow good'.

Chuck Lidell played in the main event in 2008. Watch him play and you'll see.

Yes, there is always going to be crazy ppl going all in, just remember as the stakes go up there will be less and less of them. Which is also why I'd advise not playing and mtt over 10% of ur poker bankroll=)

10%? You will be busto in about 15 tournaments if you do that.

Yeah, 10% seems alot for big tourneys. I use 0.5 - 1%. What do others use for tourneys with more than 180 players.

I only play crazy in freerolls(what have ya got to lose?) Poker styles change according to the other players.

That is the exact thing i take advantage of in freerolls. I've only played freerolls online for money. I have never deposited and i've earned around 40$.

That does not depends on the buy. Just watch the players at your table and you will know if they play loose or tight. Loose players are also playing high stakes poker....

I dont know what you consider high buy in. To me on line $24 and up is higher buyins. But I'm a small, small, small roller. lol. Anyhow I watched a large $24 KO on Full Tilt on night and 40 -50 people busted in the first 10 minutes

oh man, it took a while. My very first ITM for a freeroll was a Fulltilt 100$ freeroll. I ended up placing in 5th which gave me 6$. I took that and played 2$ heads up until i reached 10$. Which was quickly followed up by a 10$ head-up match which was a complete accident, However, i took it down and took my Bankroll to 20$. Then i played SNG's for 40$.

Yes, yes and yes. Hyper-aggressive players live at every buy in level. Even at a $10k buy-in live tourney, you will see lots of early (and some late) donk-play. Not everyone respects the value of an entry fee the way you do, and at the higher buy-ins, a lot of those people have satellited in.