Can't seem to get it right

Ok. I've taken steps to play a good range of hands from the right positions (I use a chart that tells me where to raise and call and from which positions). Not bad, but I'm running out of chips during tournaments. I make it past the first hour most of the time, but then after the break things go badly. It's like the blinds drive all the players nuts and I'm forced back to having to play a bunch of coin-flip poker. Shoves come from short stacks and big stacks, either trying to save their rear ends from elimination or trying to steal the blinds and antes.

When I played more loosely during the opening levels, I seemed to either bust out early or last much longer because I had accumulated a good amount of chips. Now I feel like I'm just average. And I don't know what's worse.

Last night I played two tournaments on GP that I was really looking forward to. I ended up just running out of chips in both because the blinds ate me alive. To say I was disappointed is an understatement...

So, where do I go from here? Do I need to loosen up again or what? Is it better to go out earlier in a fury of bullets and take the chance at getting a big stack or am I better off in the long run by sticking to my new ranges?

Here's my ranges by the way:

Raise always with AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs, AKo, AQs, AQo

Call from Early Position, otherwise raise with: AJs, KQs, KQo, AJo, KJs, ATs, TT, 99

Call always with: A9s - A2s, QJs, JTs, T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s, 65s, and 88 - 22

Call from late position sometimes (specualtive hands): KTo, QTo, Q9o, J9o, J8o, T8o, T7o, 97o, 86o, 75o, 64o, 53o, 54o, 43o

Following preflop opening ranges will definitely help you get a baseline for what you should be doing and help you add some structure to your game but they shouldn't be religiously adhered too. Most of the time in lower stakes games players have such large holes in their game you can stray fairly far away from standard ranges if you know the spots to do it.

I would argue that the way you had played before probably took advantage of some of the exploitative spots you were in and you're not able to see them now that you're adhering more strictly to the range charts. If I'm SB and BB has a 9% vpip I'm raising hand as low as like J7s.

Poker is only "Solved" when everyone you're playing with understands the same concepts to the same incredible high level, At lower stakes there's plenty of room for exploitation.

bellicoso said:

Here's my ranges by the way:

Raise always with AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs, AKo, AQs, AQo

Call from Early Position, otherwise raise with: AJs, KQs, KQo, AJo, KJs, ATs, TT, 99

Call always with: A9s - A2s, QJs, JTs, T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s, 65s, and 88 - 22

Call from late position sometimes (specualtive hands): KTo, QTo, Q9o, J9o, J8o, T8o, T7o, 97o, 86o, 75o, 64o, 53o, 54o, 43o

Click to expand...

This looks like solid ranges for a starting player.

From the looks of this you are calling too often. If I am determined to play those cards like KQs - I would consider 3-betting.

Your ranges are missing 3-betting. 3-betting with a c-bet on the flop should take down more and larger pots (not all the time).

And let's not forget a bluff here and there. Bluffs are especially important when your opponent shows weakness and the pot is big. If everyone checks the turn and the river - I will definitely bet the river pretty big even with weak holdings to try and take the pot.


Otherwise we are just putting chips in the pot and waiting to see who has the best hand by the river.

Don't forget to play position like you have AA every time!
You are off to a great start - adapt your game to win.

Good luck !

Thanks for the feedback. I am determined to get this right so all help is appreciated. I think you're both right with your points... I will try to tweak my play around this chart so it's more suitable for me. Thanks again.

bellicoso said:

Ok. I've taken steps to play a good range of hands from the right positions (I use a chart that tells me where to raise and call and from which positions). Not bad, but I'm running out of chips during tournaments. I make it past the first hour most of the time, but then after the break things go badly. It's like the blinds drive all the players nuts and I'm forced back to having to play a bunch of coin-flip poker. Shoves come from short stacks and big stacks, either trying to save their rear ends from elimination or trying to steal the blinds and antes.

When I played more loosely during the opening levels, I seemed to either bust out early or last much longer because I had accumulated a good amount of chips. Now I feel like I'm just average. And I don't know what's worse.

Last night I played two tournaments on GP that I was really looking forward to. I ended up just running out of chips in both because the blinds ate me alive. To say I was disappointed is an understatement...

So, where do I go from here? Do I need to loosen up again or what? Is it better to go out earlier in a fury of bullets and take the chance at getting a big stack or am I better off in the long run by sticking to my new ranges?

Click to expand...

only ONE way to fix this


that is flat out ACUMULATION of hands

when you play enough you will know when you have to GO TIME plain and simple for someone like me millions of hands I simply know when i have to make moves its natural....

until you get to that level you should honestly be doing what your doing and going over your strategies and be open to trying different things at different times


i would say YOU ARE WELL on your way and i love that you have takent this time to play this way.... now you just got to play enough so its instinct

I like the information that Bellicoso gave up there. Must try that out the next time I play a tournament.

To be honest, when this stuff tends to happen to me, I try to take a break. Whether it's for a day, week, or month, it helps release the negative and bring back the positive.

Just to update... the speculative hands should all be suited, not off-suit. I made a mistake and can't edit it since it's been quoted. However, this might be a good accident. A lot of those off-suit hands are playable in my opinion from late position. Probably not as low as a 43o, but the initial ones for sure... anyway, just want to correct that. Thanks for all the replies! I love how helpful everyone is on CC!

Feeling,too

Whether If feeling does somehow.

It's made the standard of the judgement.

bellicoso said:

Here's my ranges by the way:

Raise always with AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs, AKo, AQs, AQo

Call from Early Position, otherwise raise with: AJs, KQs, KQo, AJo, KJs, ATs, TT, 99

Call always with: A9s - A2s, QJs, JTs, T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s, 65s, and 88 - 22

Call from late position sometimes (specualtive hands): KTo, QTo, Q9o, J9o, J8o, T8o, T7o, 97o, 86o, 75o, 64o, 53o, 54o, 43o

Click to expand...

Table play awareness. Sorry quoting you on this post, but that applies more to your original. One thing I see and can predict is a player who just lost a big stack and going all-in the next hand. So that Call always chart, call from late position you have to be aware on that probably about to play out. You mentioned the short stack craziness and that may be some of what you missed out on. You call the BB and that player shoves in later position being on tilt. It sounds to me like now you're folding. You can save some chips by folding the call hands if you look at that players chip stack and say to yourself you wouldn't call their all in. Or recognize that he's on tilt(probably from a suck out) and now in return wants to suck out, and you call that allin if heads up with the higher ranges of all those scenarios.

That's just one example of table awareness to help you out. Maybe watch for that kind of play while playing as you do and get a better awareness on that to predict better. Some times I will call on one of your raising hands expecting the Allin and then playing the table from there if I need to raise and isolate or simply just call.

Depending on the stakes.
freerolls. Stay loose vs tight. What I mean here is calling bigger bets early that you're not normally going to do. Get in more flips. Freerolls last a long time. I wait for a spot and jump at it. Triple or better up my chip stack in Level 1 or 2 or bust out. Kinda determines how I'll play the rest of way. You bust out in 10-15mins no big loss.

Micro: Depends on how your bankroll is to that stake.

Larger: Just play as solid as you can.

Keep playing with both ways til you find your niche.

You have AQ as raise always. and I personally go on table size and position. I'll just about never raise with that hand from first or two to act if on a larger table. But when the table is like 6 or less it becomes more valuable to do so for me. On the larger table I'm thinking someone else will raise for me and I can call if I'm okay with the amount and see a flop. I try to avoid the raise so early that a 3bet and allin after type of play makes that hand a folding hand(table awareness notwithstanding) and I invested at least an extra BB that I'm now just laying down.

GL on your poker play. Hope the advice is worthwhile. Or wait for much more experienced responses from members to tell you I can go kick dirt with such advice.

Why are you running out of chips?
Are you playing too many hands that you lose? Are you not getting enough hands that are playable by your chart?
If you are playing a tight game and often fold then maybe stealing more is an option. When you have a tight table image you can often steal pots in which a player in early position has made a small raise... When you play a re-raise they will often fold to a very tight player. if they call you get a chance to buy a good pot with a c-bet on the flop...

With the ever increasing blinds in MTTs you have to win some chips without having the best hand from time to time to maintain your stack.
Maybe you are just not stealing and bluffing anymore because the chart doesn't include these options...