How to stay active without loosing chips?

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garnerwj

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I struggle with staying active in tournaments and cash games. I dont want to play too tight because it leads to exploitation and being blinded out. However, even when active with a tight range, I get caught in akward spots where I have to fold. I slowly end up loosing chips to where it takes a massive pot for me to get back into things.

Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks!
 
ninjareal

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Hi, not sure if my advice is good, but here goes , I'm gonna split into tournament & cash game,
Tournament - i don't think being tight is so bad especially early on, however having said that it's always nice to try get some chips every now and then, maybe bluffing/semi when in position/close to/button/blinds and whether your bluff succeeds or not is irrelevant, more about "advertising" and showing opponents that you're "upto something " , once they play back at you then you can change it around and 4bet when you have better hands, your range has a lot to do with what other players are doing, so varying it accordingly is nice, I hate folding medium hands and then seeing 2 pair on the flop for cheap, so early on may be the time for experiments, who knows, just don't get carried away.
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Cash game - here being too tight might be more exploited, isolating ranges, some will call you just hoping to see a low flop then 3 betting you when no big cards hit the flop, of course they may even "have it" on a low flop deliberately calling with small cards to combat your AK/Q/J tight range . Same traps using connectors etc, to combat this then you could perhaps get caught bluffing a few times (cheaply) and also show stubbornness at other times with an open range hand, just to show them your "new range" , even though deep down you're still a tight player...
 
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Queenlimp

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Is being active so important?

A few loose calls with 1 or 2 callers and playing tight on the flop may help activity.


- Expanding range when in position
- Don't be discouraged from playing good tight poker
- Premium opening hands (especially when in position), pre-flop raised is not a bad thing but makes the most logical sense.
- Maybe your folding to much when having the best hand?
- Sizable bets on flops when in the lead may help.
- Reducing continuation bets may more cheaply keep you in a hand and may turn or river you to a better hand


All relative, but just a few ideas
 
pancho_1954

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maybe you should take risks from time to time but trying to be careful not to make such a serious mistake, try to use the readings you have of the players as best as possible
 
TheGiantAsian

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don't be afraid to check after raising preflop. Vary your opening sizes to fit your stack, and the stacks around you, to fit your strategy
 
Luvepoker

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The problem is there is no right amount of hands to play. You could play to tight or loose but nothing is perfect. What you need to do if find a comfort range that you can play that will allow you to be active. One thing you can do is play more hands in late position when nobody has entered the pot. This will help you be more active.

Another thing you can do is work on your post flop play. I understand what you mean by being in awkward spots but that is really a part of the game. Lets be honest, any hand you play can become awkward on the flop. pocket kings but the flop has an ace, pocket aces and the flop is JT9 all the same suite, both become awkward. As you become better they may not feel as awkward as the look to you now. Take a hand like pocket tens. You raise and the BB calls and the flop is Ks 7d 4d. You are now in the 2nd pair awkward spot but if you cbet and get called are you really in trouble as you think? Yes he could have the k but what else could he have? he could have pocket 8's and 9's and want to see if you bet again before folding on this flop. He could have a 7 or a straight draw, or even a flush draw. Think of all these hand he could call with you are beating. You also have position and if he check again you can check behind or bet again. Once you become more comfortable playing on the flop you can play more hands to be active.
 
Nathan Smith

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If you are only getting trash hands 3-bet bluff one of the suited ones every now and then. You can invest 6 BB and if you get played back at or miss the flop - you can give up - but you are still being active and aggressive. Plus every now and then you will make a hand - they will realise you have a 3-bet bluffing range and you will then get value from your value 3-bets.
 
thatguy6793

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You need to add more bluffs to your range to stay active. Just because you got dealt trash doesn't mean everyone else knows you have trash. Play position, other players and the board rather than just your own cards. If in LP and the blinds are folding way to high to steals, steal way more often with any cards. If you play really tight in EP loosen up every few cycles with ATo or something you wouldn't be playing with to steal a pot. Bluffing will get you a lot of extra pots if you can implement it right and it keeps you active in the table and makes others guess your range.
 
xbronk

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you have to take a game stylo do not double slowly to see if it does not bend hard to run the opponent or to win more chips patience is my recommendation not only to play strong hands but to wait for the letter that you lack many times we retire in more hands we could win and then lose with a premium hand that does not become strong if not lose value in subsequent streets:bandit:
 
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andrewj50050

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in general once the tourney has passed the 2 hour mark u may need to be active for at least one hand per orbit, its ok to spew a little/try n make something happen which can give you a more loose image especially if your raising folding, this will help you so can get paid off more with your monsters.. better to try make something happen in extremes cases of having a cold deck than blinding out
 
Nelson1712

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depends the way you play friend, you have to have patience, is the key to the game, do not despair when there are few chips left that the winning hand that will allow you to go climbing will come at any time
 
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Alpha325

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Being patient I found in my game is the hardest thing to learn
 
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Zikasamaster

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I struggle with staying active in tournaments and cash games. I dont want to play too tight because it leads to exploitation and being blinded out. However, even when active with a tight range, I get caught in akward spots where I have to fold. I slowly end up loosing chips to where it takes a massive pot for me to get back into things.

Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks!

On beginning of tournament you can be a little tight,but not too much tight,tight player is always a bad players,so be tight aggresiv,must play in pozition and must know your opponents very good,different play is against a donk and fish and pro so play agressive in pozition and against regs.....
 
mariale_1990

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the best way to stay active is to have a good reading of the players at the table, so you can steal a bit, you can press your opponents
 
smknginmaine

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Maybe trying different game types. I've found that playing tight works well when doing Zoom games on ignition. It anonymous and you can fold anytime and just zip to another hand/table. it really changes the dynamic and maybe worth a try for you.
 
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garnerwj

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Thanks for advice some clarification.

I notice many people are saying be patient, play more in late position, read players more, increase range. Here are my questions to each of these and experience.
1. Being patient is what causes me to miss opportunities, or to slowly become short-medium stacked in tourneys once a couple levels have passed. This puts me in positions to be exploited for value by larger stacks. For example someone with 125-250 BB to my 30-45 BB.

2. Increasing range is something I definitly do and vary it accordingly. I think thats where I get in trouble though. For example, I may want to play my AJo, QTs, K9s etc from MP but get played back at very aggresivly pre-flop to the point that I will have to be pot committed once the betting starts in the flop. This puts me in a high variance position regardless of what my opponent is holding. Lets say I fold pre-flop now I have lost alot of BB's just from folding my 3 bet. Another scenario is when I have a strong hand on the button such as AhKh and UTG opens for 2.5x, I 3 bet him 2-3x his open and he flat calls. The flop comes Ad-Jh-Th. These are the types or boards that get me killed!! Because I will usually c bet, get called, turn card ends being 9d, I c bet and my opponent check raises or shoves. What would you do? Fold or call? And pretend you have no history against this player. And his stack size is 2/3 yours or he has you covered.

3. Its hard enough to read players online then with frequent table changes and over 1000 particpants. I dont play live yet because I dont have the bankroll or the time for that in my life right now.
 
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pecam

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I struggle with staying active in tournaments and cash games. I dont want to play too tight because it leads to exploitation and being blinded out. However, even when active with a tight range, I get caught in awkward spots where I have to fold. I slowly end up loosing chips to where it takes a massive pot for me to get back into things.

Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks!
I can only talk about MTT. it is better to play strong if you are not sure of you post flop game. then you will have not so much problems. if you have less BB. it s not a awkward think because then you can use the nash equilibrium and be sure not to make fault
 
Bozovicdj

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I struggle with staying active in tournaments and cash games. I dont want to play too tight because it leads to exploitation and being blinded out. However, even when active with a tight range, I get caught in akward spots where I have to fold. I slowly end up loosing chips to where it takes a massive pot for me to get back into things.

Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks!


Before all the talk, I would like you to explain a bit more, what is active play in your opinion.
It is needed, because the advice should depend on it..

In general, being inactive usually means folding a lot pre, which isn't a bad thing in either cash or tournament games.
Tournaments: If you do play tight, it is fine, cause you really don't want to step out of line and make a mistake. Mistakes cost far more in tournaments because the blinds go up, especially with ante.
Cash games: well folding pre, again is not a bad thing. You lose only the minimum, which is 1,5 BBs per orbit, where as once you do see a flop, it should usually be with a hand good enough to take it down and eventually win. Consider it as minimalizing your losses at the cost of not being able to win too much (a lot of cash game players will pick up on the fact that you are very tight, and assume that you will only play very strong hands).

If you want to be more active, and less tight, then open more IP, with a variety of hands like suited connecters, some Ax hands, some Kx suited and similar. However, keep in mind that any change in your gamestyle may be costly at first.
 
ChipWinged

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I struggle with staying active in tournaments and cash games. I dont want to play too tight because it leads to exploitation and being blinded out. However, even when active with a tight range, I get caught in akward spots where I have to fold. I slowly end up loosing chips to where it takes a massive pot for me to get back into things.

Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks!


Important moment is tournament's speed.

If tournament is regular (blinds grow up in 10-15 mins) than tight style is perfect for first 5 levels of blinds. My tight hands' range for it: ATo+, A2s+, 88+ on call or raise <3BB. For call all-in: KK+, AKs. Then all stacks become <20BB (middle stage of tournament), so range is extending: Ax, 22+, connectors on call.

If tournament is turbo or hyper (3-5 mins) than tight style can be only first 5 minutes. And middle stage has come already. So hands' range is almost same, but TT+, AJs+ is push (all-in). For me hyper is lottery. Often for ITM you should win 10 pushes for one tournament (is it possible on distance???). But you should play optimal. Good luck!;)
 
jamie Smith

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There have been some major things i can add to my strat here, with some key facts and ideas to implement..... food for thought! thankyou
 
Spaceman

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Try to play poker and not just your cards. Steal some blinds here and there, use your late position when its folded to you, open up your range to include connectors, they can be really powerful, use your image to bluff, exploit spots and players that show their weakness. Dont sit there trying to play only aces, kings, queens and ace king. Those hands wont come that often and even when they come, if you were folding everything, nobody is dumb enough to not know that you have something good and pay you. So you will end up winning little and losing a lot with your monster hands. Mix it up a lil bit, dont be predictable.
 
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PuntinHundies

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I struggle with staying active in tournaments and cash games. I dont want to play too tight because it leads to exploitation and being blinded out. However, even when active with a tight range, I get caught in akward spots where I have to fold. I slowly end up loosing chips to where it takes a massive pot for me to get back into things.

Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks!

Try to stay tight in early position and widen your range in late position, or against weaker player's opens. Having a positional advantage is huge during a hand. When playing online, try to make most of your steals from the cutoff and hijack positions. Online players are much more likely to 3bet shove from the blinds against button opens.
 
MatMackenz

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I struggle with staying active in tournaments and cash games. I dont want to play too tight because it leads to exploitation and being blinded out. However, even when active with a tight range, I get caught in akward spots where I have to fold. I slowly end up loosing chips to where it takes a massive pot for me to get back into things.

Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks!


When ever you get a lot of folds before you and you have the button or cutoff (The seat next to button) or even SB vs BB you have to take some risks here and play some cards you wouldnt normally play. Not complete garbage of course, but pretty much the top 50-60% of hands. If you have a good read on the players left to act and they have been playing tight and folding lots of flops then you will have a good chance to win pot with a preflop raise and c-bet. I know it sounds risky, but you need to attempt some blind steals to stay alive when blinds and antes are high. When everyone has folded to you and there is 3 players (preferably tight) or less to act infront of you is the best time to make these attempts.

When you dont get the cards, the only other way you will win chips is with aggression. Aggression is key to winning chips when the cards dont fall your way. Of course this is extra risky.. but you will not make it very far either playing very tight on the day you dont get the best cards.
 
neverbluff

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Try calling or 3betting wider when you have position. I wouldn't suggest this early in the tournament, but as you get closer to the bubble, you'll find a lot of weaker players play fit or fold. It's really easy to pick your spots postflop if you have position, and a lot of the time they simply fold to a 3bet pre or check the flop out of position.
 
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Thanks for tips, it sounds like Im doing the right things, but I need to clarify what my common situations are.
I just rarely get to open pots in position. There is too much activity before the a

I am avoiding all in confrontations a lot. For example, someone shoves UTG+2 for 20k and I have a 33k stack on the button with AQs.
Or I will have a hand like ATo in HJ and fold to an early position open of 3bb when I have many aggressive players to act after me with stacks that can put a lot of pressure on me.
Also Im folding a lot pre-flop in general. I rarely get to open pots in position. There is too much activity on the tables and people are rarely folding to 3 bets.

Here is a general breakdown of my range:
Early position open- ATo+, KQs, JTs+, 66+, T9s, 78s,

MP open- The above hands and AXs+, K7s+, KTo+, Q7s+, Q9o+, J8s, JTo+, T8s+, 78o, 78s+.

Late position, above hands plus 44+, A2-5s, A5o+, K9o+, K3s+, Q8o+, J7o+, suited conectors starting from 5 up.
 
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