BIG STACK...EARLY IN THE TOURNAMENT

I was wondering if somehow I get a a win a few really big hands really early in the tournament and build up a pretty big stack, what should my strategy be. Would it be better to bully people in the table, and play marginal hands and bluff with big raises or is it better to hold on to the stack and play he good hands only and wai for the other players to fight it out and then go in for the kill much later.

You can't win the tournament in the first round. Play sound poker, figure out the players and adjust accordingly. You may bully a bit more the passive tight players, but don't try to bluff out a loose aggressive player. Pay attention, use your chips for the weapons they are and pick your spots.

you need to play the table.

if people are weak you can bluff more, if people dont raise much you can play more speculative hands and take more cards off.

I like building a stack early, but you want to play a +EV game. chip value is closest to $ value early, so you can play more like a cash game early on.

skoldpadda said:

You can't win the tournament in the first round. Play sound poker, figure out the players and adjust accordingly. You may bully a bit more the passive tight players, but don't try to bluff out a loose aggressive player. Pay attention, use your chips for the weapons they are and pick your spots.

Click to expand...

Nothing much that I can add, b/c ^^^this^^^ is sound advice.

I think that you must continue playing table because if others are weak you can bluff them easily and may win the game.

Why go after players when blinds are so low, and winning the blinds (or even a couple of additional limps etc) represents a tiny increase to your stack? People won't be worried about playing back at you just because you're a chip leader when the blinds are 15/30 either.

I tend to just sit back for a bit. Create a tight image for anyone who is actually paying attention and pick up chips where possible, but without going out of my way to do so. As soon as the blinds get meaningful, then it's time to start going to town with a big stack.

As long as blinds are low keep playing like you were at start.

Sometimes you get too caught up with trying to use your big stack to bully that you end up losing it.

You end up calling people with lesser hands because they have a tiny stack, they double up and your stack erodes away.

If playing aggressive isnt your style in first place, dont try to force it.

i will keep these in mind next time i am in a similar situation...mainly the fact that when the blinds are small they are not really adding too much with respect to the large stack already accumulated...

I think beavis is on mark when says you need to play the table. You should go in with a preset strategy in every tourney that takes account of several variables (like this one, having a big stack early), but its critical to adjust to the table. Take what they give you, I know it sounds cliche` but its the way to go early on in tourneys.

Another thing to try to do is to avoid all ins with other big stacks unless you have a really good edge.

When you triple up early you have good equity in the tournament and a safety cushin

All is very sound advice if I catch an early chip lead I use my chips only when I belive I can take the hand down or I have the nuts