Live "Freeroll" Tournament

B

byrnsiey330

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 17, 2014
Total posts
88
Chips
0
I played at a local bar for my first ever live tournament. If you win, you get entry into the regional tournament. I came in with the idea of playing super tight, then loosening up.

Tournament Details:
1500 starting
25-50 blinds
15 minutes blinds
20 people

The people I were playing with were super aggressive, limping with hands like T3o, K3o, ect.

There were back to back tournaments and the first tournament I finished 6th, but I played a total of 4 hands over the course of 1 hour 40 minutes. I only got two suited connectors, and played one of them in late position. I didn't get two face cards the whole time, and I was tossing hands like K8, Q7, ect. away. And watching people pull down hands with 34s. I kept playing tight, and only won one hand which was 34s that I got to play for free from the big blind, and hit my flush on the river. I finished 6th, losing to a K9, with an AQ. I had to try and double up at that point because I had been blinded down so far.

So the second tournament I decided that I would try and play looser, this was even worse. I played 4 hands, and I lost taking 10th. I lost to a KQ, with KJ. It was frustrating but I felt like I played well, with no results.

I definitely felt that I was the best poker player at the table, but couldn't find myself playing hands like K8, and K9 offsuit.

How do I play at people like this, according to Harrington in his book, if the table is super aggressive I need to play more conservative, but playing conservative didn't pay off because I didn't get any hands.

Just give me your opinions.

Thanks
 
knileh

knileh

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 18, 2014
Total posts
89
Chips
0
I think taking it slow was the right move. freerolls provide valueable experience you'll use for tournaments down the road. Stick to your game, I think variance just wasn't on your side. Maybe you could have stolen some bets? How did you play your AQ?
 
B

byrnsiey330

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 17, 2014
Total posts
88
Chips
0
These guys are too loose to steal pots, it was never once folded to me on the button. Or even in late position. I played AQ, when I was the big blind, everyone had limped in and I only had 600 chips, the blinds were 200/400, so I decided this was my best opportunity to either steal or double up. I pushed all in, got one caller, and lost to K9.
 
Jblocher1

Jblocher1

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 20, 2012
Total posts
2,645
Chips
0
If everyone else is super loose and aggressive... Widen your range of hands you play. If people are playing total crap then hands like K8/K9 are good enough to be in a pot with. These are freerolls, people might not care too much
 
B

byrnsiey330

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 17, 2014
Total posts
88
Chips
0
If everyone else is super loose and aggressive... Widen your range of hands you play. If people are playing total crap then hands like K8/K9 are good enough to be in a pot with. These are freerolls, people might not care too much

So you're saying that if people are playing super loose then I should widen my range instead of playing tighter?
 
Jblocher1

Jblocher1

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 20, 2012
Total posts
2,645
Chips
0
So you're saying that if people are playing super loose then I should widen my range instead of playing tighter?

Well it's definitely not good to sit and wait for premiums and blind down
 
duggs

duggs

Killing me softly
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 28, 2011
Total posts
9,512
Awards
2
Chips
0
they weren't aggressive, they were all playing uber passive.
 
duggs

duggs

Killing me softly
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 28, 2011
Total posts
9,512
Awards
2
Chips
0
limping, isn't an aggressive trait. its a passive one
 
Arjonius

Arjonius

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Total posts
3,167
Chips
0
I suspect you may not have fully considered the tournament structure. 15 minute blinds live is like 5 online, and 25/50 blinds with 1500 chips means the starting stack is only 30bb. This suggests you should look to play it like a (super-) turbo, not a regular speed tournament; i.e. more aggressively than usual right from the start.
 
Jacki Burkhart

Jacki Burkhart

long winded rambler...
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 12, 2013
Total posts
2,960
Awards
6
Chips
0
you should play it aggressively because of the crappy blind structure...not necessarily because of the other players.

the way the players were playing, I would generally call them loose passive (aka donkeys, aka calling stations). and the way to play against them is start with a better hand and value bet them to death when you think you're ahead.

problem is, in a structure like that you'll blind out too fast if you wait for premiums, so you just have to play reasonable starting hands, connect with the flop and then get it in.
 
Organize a Home Poker Game
Top