Fast structured live casino tournament strategy?

  • Thread starter whowantsahighfive
  • Start date
whowantsahighfive

whowantsahighfive

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Total posts
69
Chips
0
I play every Monday night with a group and occasionally we all go play a casino tournament together. I can't remember the structure off the top of my head but it's something like 3,000 in chips, starting blinds at 10/25 or something like that. The blinds go up every 20 minutes.

For the people that go and play these live casino tournaments and cash quite frequently, what is your strategy for these tournaments?

I own a book called "Tournament Hold 'Em: Hand by Hand" by Neil D. Myers and in a nutshell, he says to just raise every hand from the right of the cut off seat. Seriously.

So anyone have some opinions on this stuff?
 
OzExorcist

OzExorcist

Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Total posts
8,586
Awards
1
Chips
1
Serious answer: skip the entry fee and play cash games with the tilt monkeys that have busted out of the tournament.

Pretty much all other answers get filed under "it depends".
 
Poker Orifice

Poker Orifice

Fully Tilted
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 19, 2008
Total posts
25,599
Awards
6
CA
Chips
968
Arnold What's his face.. 'Poker Tournament Forumla' (he's got two books on this stuff... ie. fast-structure, lower buyin NLHE tourneys).

Take any +cEV play you can.. raise often to isolate in LP with a balanced/wider range (wanting to isolate the fish/limper(s)) while having position on them. From what I got from his books, he suggests raising pretty wide in position... and play uber aggressive.
I don't play that many fast-structure tourneys (some mind you...the ones we have here locally are privately held and have ~100 - 120 entrants.... I don't do well in them, lol).
 
whowantsahighfive

whowantsahighfive

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Total posts
69
Chips
0
Ah, yeah. I own that book, too. I had forgotten about that one. The stupid thing about that is I just checked out the PTF website the other day and it has a chart of tournaments in Vegas and even around here. Although, it's quite outdated since he states that the tournament I mentioned above allows you to be patient and wait for hands and that the blinds went up slower than they do now, so yeah.

Thanks, Orifice.
 
tpb221

tpb221

Chasing Gutshots
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Total posts
2,095
Awards
1
Chips
0
The ones I have played after the first hour the blinds increase fast and nasty. You have to collect as many chips as possible in that first hour to withstand the all-ins at the start of the second. Be very aggressive from the get go. I play these when I go to Vegas in between the bigger/deeper stacked tourneys. These are usually done(designed to be) in 2 and half to 3 hours. Most of the people don't have a clue of what there doing- use that to your advantage.


One more thing to add. With the way the blind sturture works in these touneys, they all most always end in a chop. So remember that your playing for the last couple of spots and not to "win" it all. In a 60 man field that's like the last 4 to 6 spots that will most likey pay you well. Sometimes it's a even chop and at worst the difference from 1st to 4th is not that great.
 
Last edited:
whowantsahighfive

whowantsahighfive

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Total posts
69
Chips
0
I heard that the MGM Grand has a decent tournament. I think you start out with 40 BBs. I want to play the cash tables over there. I'm going in a couple weeks. I'm stoked.

Aggression in live tournaments is not one of my strong points when it comes to the casino. I play a single table tournament with the same group every Monday and usually cash in that but of course we've been playing for more than a year together.
 
tpb221

tpb221

Chasing Gutshots
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Total posts
2,095
Awards
1
Chips
0
Good luck in Vegas. The MGM has two tourneys a day-one at 1100 am and 7pm. The blinds double every 20 minutes. Gets crazy near the end as the blinds go from 1500/3000 to 3000/6000(+ante)! When I go there I cash on a regular basis(1 out of 3/4). There tourneys have alot of 1st timers and tourist. The one at 11 am is like $65 and the one at night is $80. You get more chips at night to start and there are more people playing. These touneys take 2 to 4 hrs to play. There cash tables are some of the best in Vegas. Alot of people all the time.

If you want some better tourneys check out Caesar's or the Venetian. they both have deeper stacked tourneys with better structure. They run in the $120 dollar range. The both have big card rooms for cash also.

Here's a link you can check out if you want. Not sure how up to date it is though(Caesar's didn't seem 100% when I checked). Hit details and it will show you the tourney layout.

http://www.allvegaspoker.com/tournaments.php

If you go downtown check out Binion's.

Best of luck to you.
 
whowantsahighfive

whowantsahighfive

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Total posts
69
Chips
0
Good luck in Vegas. The MGM has two tourneys a day-one at 1100 am and 7pm. The blinds double every 20 minutes. Gets crazy near the end as the blinds go from 1500/3000 to 3000/6000(+ante)! When I go there I cash on a regular basis(1 out of 3/4). There tourneys have alot of 1st timers and tourist. The one at 11 am is like $65 and the one at night is $80. You get more chips at night to start and there are more people playing. These touneys take 2 to 4 hrs to play. There cash tables are some of the best in Vegas. Alot of people all the time.

If you want some better tourneys check out Caesar's or the Venetian. they both have deeper stacked tourneys with better structure. They run in the $120 dollar range. The both have big card rooms for cash also.

Here's a link you can check out if you want. Not sure how up to date it is though(Caesar's didn't seem 100% when I checked). Hit details and it will show you the tourney layout.

http://www.allvegaspoker.com/tournaments.php

If you go downtown check out Binion's.

Best of luck to you.

Haha. You have basically laid out my entire thought process while looking for tournaments! Yeah, I'd love to play one of the $150(?) tournaments where you seemingly get to actually play cards a good portion of the time but I'm only bringing about 500-600 to gamble with and with a $500 max at the cash table, that's where I think it'll go. The money I'm taking is just sitting in an account so it's not affecting my income and I hope to just play my best. The guy I know in Vegas said that they have shark teams down there and that usually there's always that one guy who will take advantage of tight players so I should keep with aggressive play. I'm going to do my best and try to not be results oriented. I just want to be one of those people who say that they played in Vegas ha.
 
Poker Orifice

Poker Orifice

Fully Tilted
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 19, 2008
Total posts
25,599
Awards
6
CA
Chips
968
There was an article in bluff Magazine the other month that outlined some ways in which to decipher who were the 'regs.' on the tables (ones trying to disguise themselves as tourists and grinding it out there). There was some interesting points in it (I didn't pay too much attention because I'm not heading off to Vegas until I win a satellite to the wsop ME.... might have to wait for some inheritance money as I'm a micro grinder on disablity with chronic illnes...... sigh.... LOL).

Have fun when you go! (I think I'd be all over the daily deepstack tournaments myself).
 
whowantsahighfive

whowantsahighfive

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Total posts
69
Chips
0
Sounds like something interesting to read. I'll try searching for it. Thanks, Orifice.

Something funny happened at work tonight. I just discovered Wednesday night that a guy I work with goes to the casino like all the time and he actually adjusted his schedule just so he can go to the casino... I had absolutely no idea he played poker. He said he was thinking about moving to Vegas for the summer and found a place for $700 a month, fully furnished and he has a sublet for his place here. Just odd that I never noticed considering I go in and read poker books while I'm bored waiting for customers.
 
tpb221

tpb221

Chasing Gutshots
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Total posts
2,095
Awards
1
Chips
0
(ones trying to disguise themselves as tourists and grinding it out there). LOL).

Just a story. I been out there like twice a yr for the past 3. There was a guy(+/-50ish) playing poker that I seen my last three times out. He's dressed as a manager/businsess guy. Slacks/shirt, tie. Acts like he just got off work and playing a little poker before he goes home. Find out last time out that's his 'outfit' he plays poker in. Nothing but a act.

Best of luck to you in vegas.

P.S. Unless it's a new table or something, there is always 1 or 2 regs at your table. These regs know the card rooms well and any table with all tourist won't last long without a reg.
 
Kasanova King

Kasanova King

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Total posts
798
Chips
0
I actually played in about 7 of them when I was out in San Diego. I placed 1st twice (both times a 3 way chop, I was chip leader once and 2nd chip leader the other time) I also placed 3rd. So I cashed 3 out of the 7 times, not too bad. All of the tournaments had between 100 - 120 people with a similar blind structure as you described.

I played extremely tight out of position, waited for high overs, AK, AQ and pp. On the blinds & button I would loosen up a little, play suited connectors, etc. I would take advantage of the weaker opponents and dodge the stronger ones whenever possible. If I would see an over aggressive donk going all in more than once a round, I would make sure I had him covered and as soon as I would get any pp I would call him. I must have knocked out 20 people doing that, lol.
 
Last edited:
Organize a Home Poker Game Casino Reviews - Mobile Casinos - Real Money Casinos - iPhone Casinos - Android Casinos - Online Casinos - Canada Casinos - UK Casinos - href="https://www.cardschat.com/new-zealand/casinos/">NZ Casinos - href="https://www.cardschat.com/in/casinos/">India Casinos
Top