Trying to improve my game (long) - Part I

A lot of more successful free roll players than myself, seem to want to obtain a large chip stack early in tourneys to give them more options later on. Cool. I think they may be on to something here, especially since they are usually telling me "gg" on my way out the door ... lol. But in order to do this, they have to gamble or make marginal decisions (flush draws, calling with crappy hands, etc.), then win, to get there. I can't get myself to make a decision which violates the odds (general, pot, any ..). Playing good poker, to me, is about making good decisions. How could taking chances which don't add up lead to such large chip stacks? Are there 3 good players who bomb out to every 1 that this strategy works for? Is there any way that I can more regularly grow my chip stack, without taking chances which violate the percentages, since I often find myself short-stacked by the middle of tourneys? Can anyone help with my confusion? Will John marry Helen even though she is pregnant with Oscar's baby? Oh. Forget that last one ... lost it there for a second. Thank you for your patience.

Some points that work (at least for me)

• Try taking down uncontested hands in position more often.
• Identify the LAG opponent and try to get heads up against him
• Let the agressive c-bettor pay off your made hands
• Don't bluff the calling station
• Stay away from marginal hands (even more OOP)
• Pay attention to betting patterns and try putting yourself into opponents shoes given his range
• Don't fear the coin flip.
• Play as if there was no bubble.

I do some of these things, but I DON'T do some of them or do them well also. Excellent advice! Thanks! The next coin flip I lose will be on your head though (haha).

grafkarow said:

Some points that work (at least for me)

• Try taking down uncontested hands in position more often.
• Identify the LAG opponent and try to get heads up against him
• Let the agressive c-bettor pay off your made hands
• Don't bluff the calling station
• Stay away from marginal hands (even more OOP)
• Pay attention to betting patterns and try putting yourself into opponents shoes given his range
• Don't fear the coin flip.
• Play as if there was no bubble.

Click to expand...

sometimes, in a freeroll and in any tournament actually you have to shove and you have to gamble, lets say you have 10 BB, this is the moment to shove any 2 pretty cards in position with no limpers or raisers and pick up the blinds, if you do get called, well, maybe you will double up.

i believe you play too tight and let other push you around, if your opponents play too loose you should open up a bit and start calling with worst hands, like second pair on the board, also, if you have a decent hand like AK make sure you raise 1 BB for every limper to reduce the field.

anyway, freerolls are often harder than $ tournaments because almost everyone if not everyone at your table has no idea what they are doing so bluffing becomes a big nono and bluffing is a huge part of the game we play.

Thank you kindly for that advice - I will use your suggestions. But if I lose, it's your fau..... oh. wait. I already used that joke. Never mind.