mtt strategies

I normaly make the money in mtt about 75%-80% of the time if i try (i do enter some free rolls an let some steam out playing insane).But it seems like i only have 15bb or less when i make it most of the time.Like when the blinds go up an it comes to a push fest preflop before the bubble i go card dead. I know i'm doing something wrong need a little help.

Don't be scared to bust out

I am no expert by any means, but I used to have the same prob. I have found that playin to make the money is not a winning strategy, even if you make it a very high % of the time. All the money is at the top of the placings so play for the win. Play tight in the first stages and then use that image to start stealing blinds and pots when they are big enough to be worth it.

Also, you will have to take a few coin flips throughout the course of a tourny if you want to do well, unless you get the cards at the start and manage to build a very large stack (then you will only want to take coin flips against the short stackers).

Don't be afraid to bust out just before the money. The few high placings you get will more than make up for all those times you don't make it. But remeber, to play this way you can't risk much of your bankroll on any one tourny. I risk 0.5-2%.

Hope this helps

I have a completely different way of thinking than AGRO.

I have 3 goals when I enter a trny. In order.
1. MAKE THE MONEY. While I understand the thinking of the go for the win, I'm too damn tight to invest in something and then take a risk on a draw or medium strength hand before ITM.

2. MAKE A DEEP RUN. I Do what ever it takes to make it as far as I can. (no brainer I know)
If I have to sit and not play a hand for a whole blind level I'll do it.( of course don't blind yourself out) Same goes for pushing or stealing alot at a tight table.

3. FINAL TABLE. The reason I don't put win here is because once you're at the FT, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. I'll take a 1 in 9 shot at the big prize any day of the week.

SIDE NOTE. Most of the time, like you I hit the money with a below ave. stack. BIG DEAL. ITM is when I feel it IS right to take the go for broke mentality and take some chances that you wouldn't normally take before ITM.

JOEBOB69 said:

I normaly make the money in mtt about 75%-80% of the time if i try (i do enter some free rolls an let some steam out playing insane).But it seems like i only have 15bb or less when i make it most of the time.Like when the blinds go up an it comes to a push fest preflop before the bubble i go card dead. I know i'm doing something wrong need a little help.

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im pretty sure u dont cash in 75% of ur mtts, if ur going to lie say 20% or something. but with regards to this question, u need to get more aggro in the middle and late stages of the tourny. widen ur raising and opening range

Aggression is key to winning a tourements. No way can you sit tight and just wait. Position and aggression later in the tournaments is pretty all i can say!

pantin007 said:

im pretty sure u dont cash in 75% of ur mtts, if ur going to lie say 20% or something. but with regards to this question, u need to get more aggro in the middle and late stages of the tourny. widen ur raising and opening range

Click to expand...

If it is not it's very close to 75% an i don't like being called a lier,as i'm sure you wouldn't.I didn't make this up for the pure joy of writting ty sir.

It's simply a fact that nobody has anywhere close to a 75% ITM. You may have selective memory or be on a hot streak. It's very possible that you cash in much more than 10%, but anything over 25% is basically not possible.

(this all assumes standard 10% payout structure of course)

I think pantin is just used to keeping very good track of stats and so when others don't it's not easy to relate to that. Do you use a poker tracking program? If so, there may be a function that will tell you how often you cashed, went deep, etc. over a more significant sample size.

I tend to agree. 75% ITM just sounds unreasonable. Even the very best players on line won't break 25% with any consistency. I suggest using either software, or even online databases (such as officialpokerrankings.com) to figure out the exact percentage. All you have to do is type in your screenname and it'll give you your ROI%, your ITM%, profit, and many other useful stats that will help you keep track of when and where you do well.

You can also input other player's screennames while playing to see how well they do overall and whether they are donks or sharks. I don't think anyone means to call you a liar, its just that those numbers seem like the product of selective memory. Having a real picture of how well you're doing will help you to be a better player. It doesn't help anyone to exaggerate, least of all yourself.

Best of luck to you,

T.

75% is almost impossible.. but my guess is you are just trying to make the money. Your sight needs to be focused on the final table from the start. But if you are short stacked the majority of the time as you hit the money. Your starting range is still to tight, open up your starting hands, even play a cheap pot from out of position to see if you can pick up an extra pot.

I also don't agree with the tournament style which focuses only on the win. Its good to break it down like crow did. I think the biggest mistakes that the players make around the money bubble are: Playing too tight before the bubble and gambling too much after the bubble.

Also 15BB is not that bad after the money if the blind strucure allows you to wait till the play tightens up after the bubble bursts (or get premiums) and then use selective aggression to up your stack. Most likely your stack is only 15 BB or less cause you're not using the bubble to your advantage.

I have to question your ITM success rate. I dont think even the best pro's are achieving that rate. Are you counting this over a long period or have you just been on a recent winning streak?

I think the best advice is to be aggressive. Most of the guys who have commented already have given this advice.

you can track your mtt stats for pokerstars and full tilt at pokerprolabs.com


i use this site all the time to track my stats...u can filter for buyin and time periods and types of games etc

Taking everything originally said at face value, if you are getting ITM with 15 BB's in 75% of your tourneys, you are gold.

I consider myself to be pretty damn good at tourney play, but 75% seems a major stretch.

In holdem games, without looking at my stats, I might, (on a blusterous day) claim 10% ITM. In non Holdem Tourneys and SnG's I have no problem (this is a blusterous day) claiming 20%.

The important thing is the money. My BR continues to grow, slowly but surely. Any time I pass the bubble with 15 BB's I figure I got a shot at the top prize. It has happened to me, and I've seen it so many times that as far as ITM goes, the chip leader going in is seldom the winner, and the bottom guy very often can beat that chip leader. Every now and then yeah, you find the freight train that can not be stopped, but more often I find players who have played savvy and now are ready to begin the actual game.

15 BB and ITM, is a fine place to be.

maybe i do have bad memory i just looked at bluff magg tourney stats it said i had 20 something % itm.But i know it's wrong info it's higher than that i KNOW plus it said i have only played 200 an something mtt's.And that is utter bull shit for a fact.But since everyone says so i quess i could be wrong about the 75%.

sry for sounding rude or agg.

I don't see how you can make a distinction really. You pretty much have to do the best with the cards that you are dealt. Unless you have a large enough stack eventually you're gonna have to make some tough decisions that could end up costing you your tourney.