Final Tables

shanebob123

shanebob123

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I have been practicing and practicing my no limit holdem skills. I have found that I make it to more final tables and even win free roll and micro tournys alot more in the past few weeks..I made second in a 908 player tourney. Am I on a good luck roll or do people really play their full skill set in these tournaments?
 
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lukeellul92

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Micro Tournies are full of people who play any 2 cards because the prize is appealing and the entry fee is small. Best way to win is play super tight and play your very best. IF you do that, you'll have an edge. Just don't be surprised when the trash hand wins, because sometimes it does and it hurts.

Also with pokerstars, the variance is so high that I doubt its just "good luck", I think you're doing the right thing.!
 
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ilostmysoul

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Micro Tournies are full of people who play any 2 cards because the prize is appealing and the entry fee is small. Best way to win is play super tight and play your very best. IF you do that, you'll have an edge. Just don't be surprised when the trash hand wins, because sometimes it does and it hurts.

Also with Pokerstars, the variance is so high that I doubt its just "good luck", I think you're doing the right thing.!

The variance on PokerStars is the same as live play and every other online game. I've also lost live to 2 and 3 outs several times, it's just that online you play more hands.

I do agree with your first point. Micros (.02 and .11 tourneys) are very luck-dependant. Your job is to put all chips in the middle as a favourite. You will get called by all draws and by all overcards, and they will hit. These tournaments have more to it than just playing tight, you need to avoid being unlucky. I usually bust out quickly as a 70% favourite when someone calls a 7T2 with AQ versus my AA and gets KJ on the next streets. Sometimes my chance to win looks like this: 65%-> 95.5% -> 3% -> 100%. Very strange, but you get used to it. So yea, my experience says that finishing ITM in these tournaments is 60% luck or more.

The only micro tournaments that I think employ more skill than luck are the daily freerolls in stars, where only 108 or 48 players out of 2000+ win a ticket. These freerolls are luck-only tournaments (skill only comes into play when there are 1000 left) but if you get the ticket you enter a tourney that is mostly skilled. Other than that I find that good tournaments come from $.25 (55% luck 45% skill) and over.
Just my opinion though.
 
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lukeellul92

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The variance on PokerStars is the same as live play and every other online game. I've also lost live to 2 and 3 outs several times, it's just that online you play more hands.
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If its turbo or Hyper Turbo, the swings are brutal. The variance is higher because you see more hands... It can go both ways though.

Just play your best poker and pick the right moments to get your chips in and see how you go, thats all you can do. The bigger the buy in, the more poker and the less bingo you'll play, as a general rule.
 
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ilostmysoul

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If its turbo or Hyper Turbo, the swings are brutal. The variance is higher because you see more hands... It can go both ways though.

Just play your best poker and pick the right moments to get your chips in and see how you go, thats all you can do. The bigger the buy in, the more poker and the less bingo you'll play, as a general rule.

Yea but what I was saying is that it makes no difference if you are playing Hyper on Stars or Titan, or if you are playing Hyper live, I thought you were making a "Stars is rigged" kind of comment :p

But I agree with you, that's what I was trying to say :)
 
shanebob123

shanebob123

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I've noticed that players are very predictable in the freerolls. So much that I can see a bluff before the person knows they are going to bluff. This type of play is not what I need to base my learning and skill improvements on because if I enter a 50-100 dollar tournament im sure the play will totally diffrent and throw me off..any suggestions?
 
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Fussy

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It's true, in freerolls, some times people want to go all in to get lucky and double up quick to be ahead quickly and have the uper hand, or lose and not bother to spend alot on that game which might be a challenge to win otherwise, specially with the many donks
 
Sil3ntness

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When I play freerolls I honestly don't care much. i will spazz out and randomly shove post flop to try "fancy play syndrome" only to find out that the other guy has trips. 588 flop and other guy has T8 off suit.

Freerolls is almost at the same level as play money until you make it to the final table. At least at the final table, each position is a money jump so you have some ICM consideration to think about.

Also bluffing in tournaments is a lot easier when you're a big stack bully because your tournament life is not at risk. While all the smaller stacks are worrying about making correct ICM plays, the chip leader can just keep stealing blinds and antes if he or she is at a table full of nits with any two cards.
 
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lukeellul92

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Yea but what I was saying is that it makes no difference if you are playing Hyper on Stars or Titan, or if you are playing Hyper live, I thought you were making a "Stars is rigged" kind of comment :p

But I agree with you, that's what I was trying to say :)

It is rigged. Illuminati confirmed, *tinfoilhat*
ahah nah miscommunication!
 
shanebob123

shanebob123

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I play very tight in free rolls. Have done good in most but I need more variety. Im not ready to put up my real money bank roll but I guess you gotta get wet to learn how to swim.. any sites recomend?
 
bossbran

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first time finish at #4

.02 buy in sit and go in pokerstars! at this day, haha i just finish 4th place.. i am proud bec. my skill in poker is growing strong..
But i loose all my winning price after 2hours in cash games because off too much excitement and confident, not thingking that tournament and cash games is not the same.. well atleast i learned again.. night guys..
 
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