Micro MTT - Bluffing Strategies

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ballers101

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Now I've noticed when playing a lot of MTTs that people can simply not fold their hands. Like yesterday I was playing late in a tournament, I was in the BB and the SB had about double my stack but still I had about 15-16 BB at least. Anyways SB raises to 2.5 BB and I have (6,7 off) and considering I was playing tight I thought I could take him off his hand and I re-raise to about 7 BB he ends up pushing and because of the money invested he shows AJ suited. Now if this was live, I don't see the man calling with AJ. But online guys will literally call or push with A high. I've noticed that bluffing will make you lose the majority of chips.

So in terms of bluffing, how often should bluffing be used against opponents online? Let's give a hypothetical, its a normal table with a range of different styles, a couple of nits, a couple of tags and lags as well as 1 big donk and some fish.
 
MediaBLITZ

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It's case by case, person by person. So if its a normal table with a range of different styles, a couple of nits, a couple of tags and lags as well as 1 big donk and some fish; well you do not want to bluff at donks or fish (they don't know any better than to call with 2nd pair) and probably not most Lags. That leaves nits and tags - but even at that you have make sure you have met criteria to be successful.
 
Arjonius

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. I've noticed that bluffing will make you lose the majority of chips.
This is kind of self-fulfilling if you focus on situations where you bluff in big pots. Every loss will be big.

But bluffing is about much more than throwing a lot of chips at pots. It includes types of plays that you may not even consider to be bluffs and/or that you don't remember because they're not big and dramatic.

A familiar example might be along the lines of iso-raising a limper whose range has a lot of Ax and small to mid-pairs and who plays fit or fold with them. You have T9s, so a playable hand, but one that's probably behind, and you're in position. When he checks the flop, you c-bet even though you missed, and he folds. Congratulations, you just won a smallish pot by betting when you pretty much knew you were behind. How else would you define a bluff?
 
MTTGOD57

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Bluffing is better done postflop. As a MTT specialist i look to make most of my plays postflop other than preflop because i have a huge postflop edge over most of my opponents. Any donk can learn to play a sound preflop game but post flop is what separates good players from the great.
 
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duggs

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firstly, fold pre if he has a nitty raising range (as most decent people will 15bb effective), but i dont hate a 3bet bvb if he is bad.
secondly, your bet sizing is terrible shove pre.
thirdly he should never be raise/folding AJ bvb 15bb effective so your argument is that people make terrible folds live??
 
Poker Orifice

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Bluffing is better done postflop. As a MTT specialist i look to make most of my plays postflop other than preflop because i have a huge postflop edge over most of my opponents. Any donk can learn to play a sound preflop game but post flop is what separates good players from the great.
So great players don't 3bet/4bet light preflop ever?
 
Poker Orifice

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Now I've noticed when playing a lot of MTTs that people can simply not fold their hands. Like yesterday I was playing late in a tournament, I was in the BB and the SB had about double my stack but still I had about 15-16 BB at least. Anyways SB raises to 2.5 BB and I have (6,7 off) and considering I was playing tight I thought I could take him off his hand and I re-raise to about 7 BB he ends up pushing and because of the money invested he shows AJ suited. Now if this was live, I don't see the man calling with AJ. But online guys will literally call or push with A high. I've noticed that bluffing will make you lose the majority of chips.

So in terms of bluffing, how often should bluffing be used against opponents online? Let's give a hypothetical, its a normal table with a range of different styles, a couple of nits, a couple of tags and lags as well as 1 big donk and some fish.
Late levels, large-field MTT, CO raises 2.2x sitting on 40bb stack. With ~25bb's I look down at KTs in SB & decide to 3bet allin (villain had been stealing OFTEN in late pos.). He snapcalls with A9o & it holds.
At the time (this was awhile ago) I thought he'd called off a bit wide (as I figured I had a fairly tight image.... it was the first time I'd 3bai all tourney). Did the math, turned out it was close. Looked him up, discovered he was an MTT coach for one of the more popular training sites.

That ^ is my answer.

OP, in the example you provided, if villain folds there EVER he is terrible! (& the raise 7x over his open was pretty freak'n odd:confused: ).
With 16bb's, I'd expect villain to have upper part of his range there & never be folding ever. With a stack of that size they'll no doubt be open-shoving majority of range they're going with there in that hand.
 
Loonbat

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So in terms of bluffing, how often should bluffing be used against opponents online?

This question has a different answer depending on what you are playing. When you asked originally, you were referring to micro MTTs. Realize that the majority of players in these events never make it beyond level 1 thinking ... they focus on what they have.

If they have a draw (of most any sort), they will call to the river, and odds rarely seem to matter. If they have a piece and they are determined not to be bluffed, they will call you down to the river with 2nd or 3rd pair (or worse). Rarely is it profitable to bluff in micro MTTs.

Now, if you change the buyin, you change the rules. I've played from the freeroll level to the $2,600 buyin level online and I would say that you can effectively make bluffing a staple in your arsenal at the $5 and up level. This is not to say that it doesn't work at lower stakes (even freerolls) or that you will be successful with bluffs even at higher stakes (donkeys exist throughout all buyin levels). However, if your realm of existence is merely micro MTTs, don't consider the bluff something you rely on frequently.
 
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absolutebeginner

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Anyone have 'Online Poker Tournament Strategies for Low-Limit Players' pdf?

Hi I'm new to cardschat so I can't pm anyone. Came across the thread with the pdf for online poker tournament strategies for low limit players, but this link doesn't work anymore. I would be very grateful if anyone could send it to me

Thanks
 
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