Tournaments - Accumulating Chips

Often in tournaments I find myself getting shortstacked after about an hour or I will be down to like 10 big blinds. What are some ways that I can accumulate chips without taking too much risk of going out. Some people have told me to play small ball poker. The question I have is should I start to play small ball poker right away or wait until the blinds get a little higher?

It depends - if you table is very passive then steal away. If you table it very aggressive you have to be more selective but play very aggresively when you do get involved.

Mostly is depends on adapting to your table conditions. There is no one magical formula for success, and your opponents will if they are smart be adjusting to the table the same as you.

Open a lot of pots in position with 3xbb raise. Cbet will often take it down, and all of a sudden, you have a good stack.

I wish I knew the answer to your question as I have the same problem. While go with the flow is the correct answer it just doesn't help me.

jolubman said:

While go with the flow is the correct answer it just doesn't help me.

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Don't go with the flow, play against the flow. if they are loose play tight, if they are loose play tight, for the most part opposite is where you want to be. That is why Tight is usually the default strategy as beginners are way to loose.

Tight play is what makes you short stacked, waiting for KK or AA can be a long wait. I first starting playing tournaments very tight and found I put to much on my AK suited or QQ and basicly put the whole tournament in one hand. Fine if they hold up not so good if they dont. I started seeing as many cheap flops as possible with moderatly playable hands. 3x raises and im out. In position with 78 suited and I get to limp then if the flop hits your in good shape or if checked to you sometimes this is a good spot for a bluff. The couple of small pots won this way can help build up your chipstack to at least get to the bubble. I find a loose prefloop and real tight postflop strategy works best for me. Still working on getting past small cashes and bubble eliminations though. One step at a time.

my problem isnt gettting them early its getting them late.. lol

GrantGreen said:

Open a lot of pots in position with 3xbb raise. Cbet will often take it down, and all of a sudden, you have a good stack.

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This often does't work in the early stages as most idiots have no idea or just don't care about position and relative stack sizes.

hornellfred said:

Tight play is what makes you short stacked, waiting for KK or AA can be a long wait. I first starting playing tournaments very tight and found I put to much on my AK suited or QQ and basicly put the whole tournament in one hand. Fine if they hold up not so good if they dont. I started seeing as many cheap flops as possible with moderatly playable hands. 3x raises and im out. In position with 78 suited and I get to limp then if the flop hits your in good shape or if checked to you sometimes this is a good spot for a bluff. The couple of small pots won this way can help build up your chipstack to at least get to the bubble. I find a loose prefloop and real tight postflop strategy works best for me. Still working on getting past small cashes and bubble eliminations though. One step at a time.

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This is similar to how I play and happen to achieve a good stack size early on.
I have also played a tight game which at times may have had me a little below average at times, playing tight is not a totally hopeless strategy.
TBH, I have on a couple of occasions, had been the short stack just to make a great comeback and make it quite deep and even final tabled on one of those occasions due to tight play.

Steveg1976 said:

Don't go with the flow, play against the flow. if they are loose play tight, if they are tight play loose, for the most part opposite is where you want to be. That is why Tight is usually the default strategy as beginners are way to loose.

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FYP.
This is one of the most beneficial peices of advice for early tourney play you could use.

Paranormal said:

my problem isnt gettting them early its getting them late.. lol

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Why not share how you accumulate chips early on as that is the question OP is asking, your insight would be greatly appreciated.

unstoppable4 said:

Some people have told me to play small ball poker. The question I have is should I start to play small ball poker right away or wait until the blinds get a little higher?

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You can't really play small ball poker later in the tournaments. Small ball involves seeing a lot of flops cheap, and as the blinds cost a greater and greater percentage of your stack playing hands becomes less and less cheap.

I had the same trouble you had and started playing more hands while the blinds were cheap. Suited one-gappers, small pairs, etc. Blinds are cheap early on and the not-so-good players are still around so they can pay you off when you hit your straight or flush or set or two pair, when they only have top pair or an overpair.

I work on the theory that as long as I can double up every 3 blind raises then you should make the money.

Therefore I look at playing small pocket pairs, even raising with them.

I also dont waste chips on every hand that contains an Ace.

I wont play anything less than A 10,

Likewise I tend to avoid playing suited connectors unless they are pictures or at worst 10 j. Anything like that goes in the muck.

Basically I play as few a chips as I can get away with. I dont defend my blinds unless I have a very good hand.

That way when I need to start being more aggressive I have more to back myself up with. Its amazing how you can build up your stack if you've managed to save yourself even 200 of a 3000 starting stack just by avoiding loose calls. Especially around the blinds..

The early stages seem to be my strength for some reason.

What works for me is playing position poker. It's rudimentary, I know, but the importance of position cannot be overstated (imho).

A weak A in early position is folded, but playable on the button. Same thing with small pairs and suited connectors.

This has worked well for me, but you have to consciously monitor your play and adapt to the table.

If you have not done so already, read up on Sklansky Groups.

One other change I made that helped, is that I no longer click "check/fold" when holding a weak hand in the BB. I found that I was folding to a lot of min raises, when pot odds proved beneficial to call. You get three limpers and one min raise from the button, your getting probably 10-1 odds for the flop, and better implied odds if you hit & the raiser makes a continuation bet.

This has been effective for me, in the first hour of tourneys, but after that, your unlikely to see many 5 player flops and at that point, min raises represent a greater portion of your stack.

I hope that helps.

Read up on the game, try various strategies and never be afraid to change gears; The last thing you want is to be predicable.

And of course, right after I post the above, I get this in my inbox.

14

How To Win At Tournament Poker, Part 1

Chris Ferguson

June 20, 2005

People often ask very specific questions about how to be a winning tournament player:

• How many chips am I supposed to have after the first two levels?
• Should I play a lot of hands early while the blinds are small, then tighten up later as the blinds increase?
• I seem to always finish on the bubble. Should I tighten up more as I get close to the money, or try to accumulate more chips early on?

Surprisingly, all three questions have the same answer:
Stop trying to force things to happen. Just concentrate on playing solid poker, and let the chips fall where they may.
In fact, that's the best answer for almost any specific tournament question. Here is a more useful question:
How much of a difference is there between ring game strategy and tournament strategy?
The answer: Not as much as you think.
Before you worry about adjusting for tournaments, concentrate on adjusting for the other players. The most important skill in poker is the ability to react to a wide range of opponents playing a wide range of styles. Players who can do this will thrive in both ring games and tournaments alike.
Many of the most costly tournament mistakes are the result of players over-adjusting for tournament play. Let's look at these questions again:
How many chips am I supposed to have after the first two levels?
The short answer is: As many as you can get.
Play your cards. Play your opponents. Do not try to force action simply because you think you "need" to have a certain number of chips to have a chance of winning. You should be thinking about accumulating more chips, while trying to conserve the chips you already have. The more chips you have, the better your chances of winning. The fewer chips you have, the worse your chances.
Forget about reaching some magical number. There is no amount below which you have no shot, nor is there any amount above which you can be guaranteed a victory. A chip and a chair is enough to win, and enough to beat you. Getting fixated on a specific number is a good way to ensure failure. Next question:
Should I play a lot of hands early while the blinds are small, and then tighten up later as the blinds increase?
Your play shouldn't change much as the tournament progresses. Gear your play to take maximum advantage of your opponents, irrespective of how far along the tournament is. Most players are too loose in the early stages of a tournament. Rather than become one of these players, adjust for their play instead:

• Attempt to steal the blinds less often
• Call more raises
• Re-raise more frequently

Likewise, when opponents typically tighten up later on, you should steal more often and be less inclined to get involved in opened pots. Again, this should be a reaction to the way your opponents are playing, not an action based on any particular stage of the tournament.
Last question: I seem to always finish on the bubble. Should I tighten up more as I get close to the money to avoid this, or try to accumulate more chips early on?
Usually the people asking this question are already tightening up too soon before reaching the money. In other words, they are over-adjusting to tournament play. Not only is it incorrect to tighten up considerably before you are two or three players from the money, doing so is the surest way to finish on or near the bubble. Just play your best, most aggressive game, and try not to let your stack dwindle to a point where you can't protect your hand with a pre-flop all-in raise. If you do, your opponents will be getting the right pot odds to call, even with weak hands. Look for opportunities to make a move before you let this happen, even if it means raising with less than desirable holdings.
Next week, I will address the two situations where adjusting your game will help.

I had the same problem as you. I read the books and the forums to get myself out of that doldrums. Until I went to see Barry Tanenbaum, noted author, Card Player columnist, pro player, and coach. He helped me see the light that others had articulated previously. Only he related it to me personally. Not just to the game but how I saw it.

Remember this; The consistent players that you see at the final table are not getting better cards than those that never do. They are playing better POKER.

You can start playing tight in the beginning. Why risk your stack for $75 (25/50 blinds)? Also to set a tight image to use later on. Play the "situations" not just the hands. Use postion and momentum. Do not be afraid to raise or reraise if you feel you can overcome your opponent. Learn to read weakness and indecisiveness. Trust your instincts.

If you play the way you are playing now you are "Doomed to a short stack waiting for good cards.". You must get out there particularly when the antes kick in. Medium average stacks are vulnerable midway through the tournaments. Small stacks are desperate. Big stacks have no fear. Attack and retreat accordingly. You must steal or raise or shove when you are in the opportunal moment.

I learned these things and it freed a lot of my hesitancies. I win or lose knowing that I made the proper choice. Yesterday I went over to Caesers and entered into the midnite event and ended up chopping it with 3 others.

I know the books all start off by saying beginners play too many hands. Only play premium hands. I say yes that is true for the beginners. But to win a tournament you need to do much more.

baby kahuna said:

I had the same problem as you. I read the books and the forums to get myself out of that doldrums. Until I went to see Barry Tanenbaum, noted author, Card Player columnist, pro player, and coach. He helped me see the light that others had articulated previously. Only he related it to me personally. Not just to the game but how I saw it.

Remember this; The consistent players that you see at the final table are not getting better cards than those that never do. They are playing better POKER.

You can start playing tight in the beginning. Why risk your stack for $75 (25/50 blinds)? Also to set a tight image to use later on. Play the "situations" not just the hands. Use postion and momentum. Do not be afraid to raise or reraise if you feel you can overcome your opponent. Learn to read weakness and indecisiveness. Trust your instincts.

If you play the way you are playing now you are "Doomed to a short stack waiting for good cards.". You must get out there particularly when the antes kick in. Medium average stacks are vulnerable midway through the tournaments. Small stacks are desperate. Big stacks have no fear. Attack and retreat accordingly. You must steal or raise or shove when you are in the opportunal moment.

I learned these things and it freed a lot of my hesitancies. I win or lose knowing that I made the proper choice. Yesterday I went over to Caesers and entered into the midnite event and ended up chopping it with 3 others.

I know the books all start off by saying beginners play too many hands. Only play premium hands. I say yes that is true for the beginners. But to win a tournament you need to do much more.

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I agree with what your saying but doesn't this game plan relate more to a higher buyin type of game, or atleast a more advanced level in play? I say this because not many ppl at 4.40 up to 11 dollar mtts will really think about your cards but more or less think only about there's, there-fore, resulting in you going broke because you thought that maybe, your oppent would be smart enough to realize how tight your playing or how many hands you've been involved in. Now I mean your theory might work in a bigger level but at the penny level and up to even 20 dollars I don't think this theory holds to be true, (buyin wise), in a cash game that's totally different, but for tourneys and mtts I don't think this theory would hold to be true, maybe I'm wrong, If I am plz except my apology

Hi NM! I always enjoy your posts. Knowing your posts a bit, I know you have won some nice tourneys. I think even more so in the micro limits you can employ tactics that confuse and hurt your opponents. If you utilize their weaknessess against them. For example uninformed players will often make betting mistakes and commit to pots they never should commit to. They will overbet and end up losing most of their stacks over it. Or tell you that it is not worth calling and save you a lot of chips.
Or in a lower level tournament most will live and die with Top Pair.
When playing a higher stakes level there will always be a good percentage of players who are skilled and know when you are stealing or making a move. More traps will be set and more of yours get read.
Whatever the case in every MTT you have to beat 90% of the field to get into the money and 96% to make some decent change. At least 10% of that on whatever stakes level will be good players so might as well come in strong and play a good aggressive game.
You need never apologize to me for any question or idea.