Early game strategy

L

LuisBoaC

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
May 17, 2017
Total posts
234
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Chips
44
Early in tournament play I'd advocate a tight, conservative style for two related reasons.
First is an equity consideration. Cash games theoretically carry on forever, the blinds stay the same and each chip is worth exactly what was paid for it for the whole duration. Anyone can leave with the exact bankroll they started with. In tournaments the blinds increase and the game ends when one person has all the chips. A percentage of players win money and a percentage have to leave with nothing. All this means the value of each chip is constantly changing during a tournament (see chip equity vs $ equity and the independent chip model for more detail on this). Each chip is worth more later in the tournament so it's not worth risking a lot of yours early on when the tournament equity you gain will be relatively small.
This is linked to the second reason - many players don't seem to know about the changing value of their chips and take risks early to try to build a stack so they're in a more comfortable position when the blinds increase. Their loose style makes their range difficult to narrow down and you may end up losing a big pot with your good pocket hands when they hit their trash on the flop.
So in conclusion I play tight and keep pots small at the beginning of a tourney, saving my stack for when the wild players are mostly gone and the $ equity I gain when I win pots is greater.
 
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