[Advise] Play Loose Early In Tournaments

[misterwilliams]

Greetings Fellow CardsChat Members,

We all know the basic strategy of playing Texas Hold'em hands in the Tight and Aggressive method. Tight and Aggressive is generally a good rule of thumb, particularly in cash games. The fast and aggressive methods function differently in tournament play...

When I initially started playing in tournaments, I was excited and had the attitude, "I am going to play tight and aggressive; nothing will stop me." After several tournaments not placing, I realized I needed to adjust my game. The solution is to play loose and aggressive early in tournaments and get tighter as the blinds go up (according to position and players).

Early in tournaments, you can play more hands because they are cheap. This is the time to build up your stack for the middle game. Blinds will continue to increase and building up your stack during the mid-game will cost more per hand.

 

[blueskies]

Yes of course. Early is when you try to be a luckbox and hit some flop hard to double up. When the blinds climb that's when it's push/fold mode. I see people limping with like 6 bbs left with ok hands then either have to fold when raised or call and usually get dominated... foolish.

 

[infonazar]

It all depends on the structure of the tournament. Of course, it is unrealistic to play equally well in all tournaments. And that's why, for example, I prefer regular MTT tournaments and avoid turbo or hyper tournaments so as not to make any changes.

 

[BIGAUS]

Definitely good to remember that in the early stages of a tournament that you have more blinds and can take more stabs at finding opportunities to flop big hands/draws to accrue a larger stack early on. No point playing too tight early on if your losses are likely smaller and can earn that back in good spots when the blinds are low.

 

[alien666dj]

Also, at the beginning of the tournament, you need to keep an eye on your opponents and not get involved in unnecessary banks. After all, many players at the beginning of the tournament push wide enough, which can lead to an unreasonable loss of the stack.

 

[Negan92222]

But do call a shove even with ace queen? What do you think? Early on

 

[rabman50]

I think it would be foolish to call an all-in with 100bbs with AQo. There is no need to gamble when you are this deep. Your starting range of hands will be wider the more big blinds the effective stack has. I will generally play a simple pre-flop game with not a lot of 2-betting or 3-betting. It is post-flop where the money is won. If you have a marginal hand that hits the board well you can extract extra chips from a player who gets sticky with top pair. That is how I prefer to build a stack early in a tournament.

 

[nutself]

Play loose early is a double edges sword, you can easily double your stack if you are lucky, but on the other hand, you might get trapped by someone and lose your entire stack. I think there are no perfect strategies in poker, no matter what good strategy you have, there are always some faults in it.

 

[Luvepoker]

Playing lose is one thing but there is playing lose and playing lose dumb. Calling a 3 or 4 bet with 72o hoping to hit is very different than playing 65s. As long as you can play smart and logically and be very good post, many of the lose player's dont do well.

 

[manIk5]

I mostly play tight aggressive from 1st hand . Ofc if I have good odds I'll make a call with suited connectors or smaller pair in earlier stages , or something alike . But mainly , tight & agressive whole way . Showed up to be profiable for me .

GL

 

[Joselmb31]

That is not a strategy that I use, I always follow my way of playing narrow until I know a little about the players at the table, whom to take advantage of and with whom to be careful. Then the same game will lead you to continue being narrow or loosen up a bit.

 

[flattershay]

Playing lose on early stages won't hurt you if you play smart and be selective with your hands. Call in a good position with decent hands and you should be good to go deep in MTT

 

[Jkj19886]

All depends on tournament as well and when you register. If you late reg last min u could only have a blind or 2 to make a move, and if u have a reentry or multiple entry's and buy in is cheap with your bankroll then u might take a couple chances hoping to luck up and double up. Could be a freezout tourney etc. What hands ur more likely to play or not is like an equation. Bankroll+buyin+starting stack+blinds+your table= how your gonna approach the this tournament.

 

[Recreationalplayer]

I think aggression is a must at all times except on Bubble or tough ICM spots.

At early stage game, one should play more speculative hands with robust equity. At later stages when the blinds are up, it's more about playing High Cards with Raw equity.

 

[fundiver199]

I am not so sure about this advice. The best time to turn up the aggression is, when other players become risk averse near the bubble and then again on the final table bubble and the final table. This is the time, when you can open up your range, if you have a big stack, and be that "chip bully", which everyone loves to hate.

In the early stages of a tournament on the other hand you are going to get called a lot, and if you are constantly raising it up with hands like QJo or 76s from early position "to be loose and aggressive", that will get you into a lot of sticky and unprofitable spots. You can setmine more with deeper stacks though and maybe also call more on BTN to get involved in postflop play in position. But these are passive actions not aggressive.

 

[AKQ]

each player sitting at your table has a different vpip and pfr,
and as you say some will be more open to raising wider and more calling(vpip)

Each player is different and identifying which is which allows you navigate that situation better.
Seeing the bet from the lagtard and calling with qj is fine
but when you confuse the lagtard for the tag , bad things happen

We play these 2 people in 2 opposite ways and if we confuse them we are -EV
paying off both sides,
focusing on valuing the lagtard and giving him ROPE when needed and lightly bluffing the Tag.

 

[razarach_xD]

There is no other way than that.... I mean, blinds are eating you cause time is going like a formula 1. You can't wait for a card... any non junk hard will go all in to double or triple yourself.. and if you manage to do it 3 times, you can start playing tournament.
Pure luck.. my wife would play this way...

 

[razarach_xD]

I am not so sure about this advice. The best time to turn up the aggression is, when other players become risk averse near the bubble and then again on the final table bubble and the final table. This is the time, when you can open up your range, if you have a big stack, and be that "chip bully", which everyone loves to hate.

In the early stages of a tournament on the other hand you are going to get called a lot, and if you are constantly raising it up with hands like QJo or 76s from early position "to be loose and aggressive", that will get you into a lot of sticky and unprofitable spots. You can setmine more with deeper stacks though and maybe also call more on BTN to get involved in postflop play in position. But these are passive actions not aggressive.

Couldn't agree more ...

 

[Zapahlohotrona]

You do the opposite. At the beginning of the tournament you need to play tight and appreciate the chips, and then looser. More Steal, push your opponents. If, of course, you are playing for the first place, and not just to sit to the prize zone.

 

[Memphis legend]

to mister williams, play fast in early stages in early position, and you won't see level 2. playing loose in cutoff, and button, ok. depends on the tourney structure. play like you suggest in the main even of the wsop, and you will be an afterthought.