Loose or tight at the beginning of tournaments

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sconnorsmmx

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Hello all,
Have 1 quick question about the beginning of a tournament. All of the books I have read have always said playing tight at the beginning of a tournament then loosen up as it goes on because of the low blinds. What I was wondering is because the blinds are low at the start it is cheaper to see more flops and if you hit big you can make some big money but if you don't hit then you can just fold and not have to worry about losing too much money. any ideas?
Thank you for your time.
Cheers
Shaun
 
nax

nax

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Hey mate,
the books say it right. Play tight! It is cheaper to see a flop, but also a good way to waste your chips and later to be so short that you have to wait for premium and flip...
I think playing tight is the way to go on the start of a tourney! You can also try some speculative hands here and there and if you hit.. well you hit :D
 
DrazaFFT

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You can see more flops if they are cheap, that is not a problem, the problem is what you will do after the flop with top pair and shitty kicker against a tight opponent who is still in and who is probably stronger, or with variety of troubled situation that you might put yourself into with speculative starting hands. If you can discipline yourself good enough after the flop you can see more flops but if that makes you to showdown with second best hand that i would advise you to tighten up...

Plus at the beginning of the tourney you have to survive the donk fest and if you limp from early position with speculative hand and someone later moves in you might get tempted to call because you might thing that you are strong enough because they'll shove almost anything... and then where you are, out most of the time.

so if you wanna see more flops that's fine but remain focus and don't hesitate to fold the hand that might not be the best, remember dont risk much at the beggining and dot make any toght decision too...

good luck at the tables
 
EvertonGirl

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What Draza said is true. Yea it is ok to see a cheap flop but make sure to keep that pot small so if you do lose, you wont be bleeding too many chips. Use the small ball poker in this situation. Loosen up in the later stages when you feel you have a decent size stack and you can scare people into folding.

GL @ the tables :)
 
Jostone6

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I like to use the small ball when the table is tight, but if instead prefer to play tight and wait for the right spots.
 
EvertonGirl

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I agree to that if the table is tight, but usually in the beginning stages of a tournament you don't tend to have a tight table, you always have an all-in donk in the early stages :D
 
steveiam

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Tight is right at the beginning, save your chips for later.
 
1ofTheFellas

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IMO each table you play at will dictate what style of play will benefit you more in the early stages.. By default, readless, I play TAG in the early stages, as there isn't as much in each pot worth fighting over. I play my strong hands fast, and try and splash around seeing flops for cheap, and play small ball poker...

Of course every table won't dictate that and will adjust accordingly... If the table is playing extremely passive/tight, I will loosen up a tad, and try and play more pots against the tight/passive players in position
 
Arjonius

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It's situational. In general, TAG is what I suggest. However, a number of factors and combinations thereof can produce situations where it's appropriate to play in a somewhat looser manner, or tighter, although the latter is less common since you're already playing tight.
 
MTCashman

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with the blinds low at the start its hard not to sneak in for a few flops, and then tighten up at the blinds progress
 
aa88wildbill

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I don't think you should play tight or lose, you should adjust your play, according to your opponents play, find their weaknesses and use them to your advantage, find their strengths and use them to your advantage. Players that play only one way, are like dinosaurs, and will go the way of the dinosaur!
 
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UnluckyDude

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Depends on the tournament. In a freeroll (or something where I have no investment to enter), my motto is "bust early or make it to the money". I hate playing for hours and walking away with nothing.
In most freerolls, any 2 face cards or pocket pairs and I'm all in preflop early on until I have a decent stack or have busted. Believe it or not, it works quite well (in freerolls) since people will call without premium hands.

In tourneys where I pay to enter, slow and steady works well.
 
_FISHFEET81_

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it varies I believe, I like to play tight in the beginning but what happens when you see a flop for cheap in the early stages against someone who is clearly tight or loose? you have to adjust. This part could get expensive so knowing if your top pair is good with x can be the difference and having some sort of knowledge against your opponent is key as well. I hate getting into flips early on in toruneys as well so if its cheap and villain puts out a huge bet I have no problem laying it down. No problem laying down top pair with x as well to aggressive players int eh early part of a tourney either.
 
Poker Orifice

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It's situational. In general, TAG is what I suggest. However, a number of factors and combinations thereof can produce situations where it's appropriate to play in a somewhat looser manner, or tighter, although the latter is less common since you're already playing tight.
pretty much this ^
OP, you need to adjust to the players on your table. It's situational. (some games I'm raising in LP often, knowing the players are weak/tight... in others I'm playing TAG pretty much til' antes are in play.. but.. 'it depends').
Poker isn't a black & white scenario.
 
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pierceisgod

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Whatever the starting stack is people tend to see lots of pots and they they fall short of the starting stack by a large margin and start getting desperate if you discpline than it is fine to see some pots
 
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jimmylytle2

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So many times everyone will fold to your premium hand at the start of a tourney, so most of the time, you will simply be winning small starting blinds from everyone folding. At least later in a tourney if you go into a hand you would be winning antes if everyone folds.
 
okeedokalee

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Check out thread by King Curtis, will give you the insight on early tournament tactics.:D
 
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pokerfreak56

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nothing wrong in playing loose at start of tour,but remember position is still god.no point limping early then having to fold if players raise and reraise behind you.
 
aCutAbove

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Op what's best for you may not be what's best for me or anyone else.

Try to experiment and see for yourself.
Try this, the next cheap tourney you play, try to win the first ten hands or fifteen if you move tables.
Think deep about it before the game. It's much harder without reliable history to guide any adjustments to your standard play but rest assured standard play will probably not be enough to win most of those hands...

Your results of those hands can be your guide. You will soon know what is best for you and your own style early in tourneys.
Good cards, good position and or good reads win pots, the lower the quality of these, the harder any hand is to win. You might have to construct a plan vs the given player pool as a whole as a start point? I guess?
 
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cleiton1988

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The best is to keep tight because of course the blinds are small but if you had a hand with no good kicker or a weakest hand than your oponnent then he will get you in trouble and you will loose a lot of chips and you put your tour life in danger.SO KEEP TIGHT
 
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solly cholly

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be greedy when others are fearful, be fearful when others are greedy
 
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Dan711

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Play tight early on. Playing weak hands cheap earl on will eventually get u in trouble. U may get involved in a big pot because u can't lay down your weak two pair while your opponent holds a set! A weak flush or other good yet beatable hands can get u in a lot of trouble early on when playing weak players who get lucky or better players who are play solid hands! Wait for the weak players to sink off their chips befor u play too loose, it's easier to bluff better players!!
 
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joefun10

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i thinks that we must to play tight at the beggening of the tournament
 
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