MTT Strategy early game (First Hour)

Ok since has been set in my mind since I've played a few rebuy tournies but since have adapted it to all MTTs (fields of 1000+)

Say its early levels, you are playing tight, only playing select a few hands, pockets, strong aces, and maybe perhaps sc and others depending on situations.

Anyways so is it wrong that if someone raises and you have AK just shove relentlessly, you are more than likely earlier on since its micros. racing against a lower ace and if you arn't more than likely pockets jj of course this all read dependant. but are you relentlessly pushing on this stuff hoping to be called?

Yes even if you are racing against PP having a double up or even a triple up early on makes the rest of tourney so much smoother, .. normally you will always be racing again something like 88+ and if your lucky and a fish is in the hand if he has kq or the like he will call alot of the time to.. so you are flipping for a triple up.. I think its good no?

Yes its early tourney no need to start flipping right? Having a stack to combat against the fishy big stacks (the ones that get 30k+ on fishy bullshit) if you are stuck being in tight mode early on if you are still on starting stack on there abouts and a fishy big stack comes.. it really is a nightmare.

Is it wrong to have this mentality? or should I apply this in more later stages i.e if blinds are 50/100 and I'm still on starting then do the flip situations? i never use to relentless shove AK pre only because when its rebuys hey who cares? 50/50 situation to get ahead, if you fail just start over early on people are pushing wide on lots of crap

27 views? and nothing??? :S:?:|

feedback people

I think it's good to be aggressive in the early stages.

Think about a freeroll that you don't have any fondness to. In contrast, think about a $100 buy-in that you've been thinking about for a while.

Chances are that you'll call 100-200 with that gut-feeling and play with that q-9os in the freeroll than in the $100 buy-in tounrney.

It's like relying on the dealer/suit clause over the opponent/number clause. If you rely on the dealer to give you a royal flush rather (playing 1/20 hands) than playing 5/10 hands and hitting a normal str8, then your not playing the game to it's full potential.

Play for domination like you said with AK and hope that 7/10 you'll x2 or x3 up early in the tourney where you'll able to cut the dealer clause out of the other plrs minds.

Hope that helps.

Much depends on your level of expertise. Conventionally, tight is right in the early stages of an MTT. However, if you feel that your post-flop skills are strong and that you have an edge in that department over the opponents at your table, there is much to be said for seeing as many cheap flops as possible in position, in order to exploit your edge and build a stack.

I look for spots to pick up chips period. I could care less if some fishcake has a huge stack (except that it'll make it easier to double thru them). If blinds hit 50/100 & I am still on 'starting' (< I'm assuming this means 'starting stack'? 3,000?), then I will play according to my stack size... in other words (to answer your question), 'no.. I'm not necessarily looking for desperations spots"
Early levels of an MTT & if we're sitting 60-100bb's deep, doubt I'm ever 3bet shoving allin with AK (would AA, KK, QQ ship it in this spot.. 'typically'.. doubt it.. would some with AK? yup... do they wonder why they get snapcalled by 88-99?.. they shouldn't). If It's a rebuy, by all means I'm getting it in.
If I were you, I'd try reading up on 'playing different stack sizes in MTTs'. My guess why there's been 27views with no replies is because your post isn't overly clear in what you're asking (it 'sort of is'). Sounds you want to know if it's a good idea to reraise allin pre in early levels with AK in an MTT. My answer: 'no'

My post flop skills are decent for micros I think. but what are post flop skills if you can't make any moves? but I dunno for micro mtts I reckon a big stack or a double up at least early on.. which generally happens.. give you room to breathe cause you could do the standard raise anything strong 4-5 bb early on only to get called by fish and if they hit a piece, they ain';t going anywhere., some do the whole call preflop, shove on the flop. could they have air? yes but generally they have 'something' even if you have ak its a strong hand but if you have air can it beat their bottom pair of twos?

Post flop skills are nothing if a person cant be bluffed calls ya down on whatever weak holding.

I guess what I'm saying is it good to shove AK preflop in the hopes to double or triple up early to compensate for the times when you generally do raise 4+bb early on and still miss and you get fish not letting go of bottom pair and pushing/shoving into you, you may call one street, only to lose more chips but if the price is right you have to call..

I never use to have this strat I guess rebuys has made my strategy for MTTs flawed and now reverting back to how it was unless its rebuys when yes shove ak all day,

why are you folding AK early in an MTT?

you play super tag when your M is more than 5 and switch to play super lag when your M is less than 5, and you switch back and force between tag and lag accordind to your M5 zone, is this a winning strategy,jake

Your strategy during the first hour should be to get one, preferably two, double ups, period. Doesn't really matter how it happens, if you ask me.

I for one like playing aggressively early in tournaments as i feel you can steal pots easier when people feel comfortable with their starting stacks. I have heard this called get em while they are still napping. While the blinds arent worth stealing, raising in position and taking the pot when checked around seems very profitable. In a normal structured tournament i probably wouldnt jam the ak here unless the raiser had been ultra aggressive so far. The reason being that i dont want to race unneccesarily because i feel like there will be plenty of opportunities to get chips later. However in a micro rebuy i say stick it on in there and rebuy if u lose because of the fact that alot of people are gambling so much at the beggining of these things that you could get called with a worse ace or a suited connector where you arent flipping but a favorite.

I think generally eclipse that the mentality to have in a rebuy. I would focus on the mentality of the opponents at your table. If they have a similar mentality, they will be willing to call off WAY lighter than AK, so AK should be an insta ship in a rebuy tourny. The goal obviously in a rebuy tourny is to accumulate as many chips as possible during the rebuy period. That being said, if you double and triple up quickly, don't be so eager to shove in those spots as to reraise.

If there's a fish with a big stack and I have position on him I'm playing as many pots with him as possible.