Mid-MTT strategy

[Dantigua]

the point about stealing blinds has nothing to do with your hand strength. In fact the weaker your hand, the better, because these hands have very little flop value. So if u steal blinds with Q5os, you have just made a profit from a hand that has none. Keep in mind when stealing the following considerations:

1. Your table image. If you have been able to establish a tight image, your opponents are more likely to give u credit for a good hand.
2. Are the blinds tight or aggressive players? If you have seen them play tight, you can steal often knowing that if they call or play back at u then they have a hand. Even if you see a flop all is not lost. You might actually hit the flop and your hand then becomes incredibly well concealed. If you miss the flop, you still have position allowing you to c-bet and attempt to take it down.
3. Your stack size. If you have 20BB or less, then make sure to steal with hands that have some flop potential such as suited connectors. At 20BB or less you should really be concerned about stack protection.
4. The blind's stack sizes. If they are short stacked, chances are they might push against you with any marginal hand so best to be sure you can make a call if this happens. If they are big stacks, they may just call hoping to hit the flop or try and take the pot away, so again be careful of stealing here. Best targets are average size stacks, they can afford to fold.
5. Position and frequency. Don't steal too often, it becomes obvious and then you lose your tight image. Sometimes a steal from the cut off is better than the button, where blinds will expect you to steal. An occasional UTG raise with suited connectors is also worth a try but u have to be careful what happens if u get a caller.

 

[Dantigua]

i actually disagree with johnnyfronts. looks like he is advocating harringtons position on shoving but i personally believe this is incorrect. Y rish your stack of 16BB with a wide range? u have time to wait and patience at this stage, although more difficult to manage, is still essential

at 20BB i am looking to maximise my strong hands and to steal where the opportunity is available nd the conditions are right.

once i reach 15BB, i am looking for an opportunity to re-raise all in after seeing an aggressive player raise and get called. i want to do this from late position, ideally with the blinds, with a hand that is unlikely to be dominated, such as 87s. This is a tactic suggested by Phil Gordon.

11 - 7 BB I am playing only premium hands: TT - AA, AK, AQ and possibly AJ and I am pushing all in. Even A5 on the button i am likely to fold unless the conditions regarding the blinds are right (stack size and tight players)

7 - 4 BB i am pushing any Ace, pairs and suited connectors, preferably first in the pot, if there is a raise in front of me, it depends on what my hand is and where i am in the 7 - 4 range.

I used to follow harringtons strategy of pushing with any cards if your stack has an M of 10-12BB, but i now believe that waiting for better hands is more advantageous. I will even let the blinds pass through me if I am not getting strong hands, but with antes, this becomes much more difficult to do because the pot is generally offering too much for u to fold. Of course less than 4 BB and its pretty much push.

 

[MainEventOrBust]

Obviously, I can't play like a NIT forever in MTT's, and I need to learn how continue winning pots without monster hands. What kind of situations should I look for to build my stack deep in tournaments? For example, how often should I play a suited ace, and from what position? When are good times to play QJ or KTs? When is a hand like 87s and other group 5 hands appropriate to play??

I'll open-raise from the CO or button with any of those hands after antes kick in. If anyone else has opened the pot, easy muck. Should pick up the blinds and antes often enough, and if anyone else limps you have position throughout the hand. If the SB or BB 3-bet, I'm usually done, unless I know they can make that play with a wide range from past play.

A few caveats--if any of the players left to act are super-aggressive, I won't play these hands--instead I'm waiting for a slightly bigger hand to trap with of course, unless they are completely wild, then I might open with the intention of a 4-bet shove.

 

[PLO1519]

As the antes kick in during the middle levels of tournaments, you need ratchet up the aggression, raise more in position and try and pick out the players at the table that are also raising and throw in an occasional three-bet preflop.