tourney aggression, where to start in tourney?

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Marsd

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mix it up-

but I do agree with starting a tourney TAG and adjusting once you have learned more about your table-- If you are at a table with a bunch of loose cannons you may have to tighten up some more--- conversely if the table is nitty then open up your game a bit
 
Katyushka4

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Just want to see some other players thoughts and personal opinion and what they do in tourneys and where and when they start being aggressive. I can make it deep in a tourney but a lot of the time I find myself folding in tight spots to the aggressor and chips start to dwindle. should I become more loose and call with second pairs with X, Obviously it is different when you are playing but just want to hear experience and thoughts on it. Thanks guys.
It is not necessary to give in when holding a strong hand, in such situations, you need to be aggressive. The main game starts at the late stages of the tournament here in front of you face is to survive and not to depart from the tournament. If your stack is greater than the number of chips of his opponents, it is best to take your time and wait patiently for a good hand, or someone from relegation rivals. With a short stack, in any case, do not sit around and use some techniques, such as stealing the blinds with a good position, especially for players with a medium stack, because they will not be once more to risk.
 
Michael Paler

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Just want to see some other players thoughts and personal opinion and what they do in tourneys and where and when they start being aggressive. I can make it deep in a tourney but a lot of the time I find myself folding in tight spots to the aggressor and chips start to dwindle. should I become more loose and call with second pairs with X, Obviously it is different when you are playing but just want to hear experience and thoughts on it. Thanks guys.

The advice I was given and what has always pretty much worked for me is to begin a tournament tight. Once you've established a tight/aggressive image, and a lot of the maniacs have eliminated themselves, you can take advantage of your TAG image by widening your range slightly. As the blinds increase and the bubble approaches, you might want to tighten back up some, as the short stacks begin shoving. At the same time, you should keep your eyes open and take advantage of chances to steal from players that get nitty tight.

As for calling with second pair, I don't see any problem with it. You have to realize that for a lot of players making a continuation bet is pretty standard. Just because they bet out after the flop doesn't necessarily mean that they've hit the flop. For some players it's a way of feeling you out to try to see where they stand. For others it's simply aggression to try to induce a fold. Some players will slow down once you call them on the flop. Others will continue firing with air. That's why it is important to pay attention to who you are playing with and how they play, so you will know how to respond in these situations.

^^^^this sounds like good advice.

The only addendum I would make to the OP is that I would avoid (until you have built a stack) going overboard coming into pots early...I would not, for example, come in UTG w AA or AK for more than 3x max; that is usually a large chunk of your stack starting out and loons with god-only-knows-what will call anything with anything. I mean, that is where you see them the most, early in the MTT. People mistakenly think AA and AK is going to or should win every time; reality just does not concur.

So, I see many who pop it for 4x-6x (or more!) and get in a situation where they are now pot committed and end up felted after going to war post flop with only one pair or (OMG) two over cards. Save that for when you can afford it and have your opponent covered. Plus, it is a horrible betting tell. When you later limp or min-raise, they know what you do not have!

Another thing I have heard is that you really need a better hand than one pair (or even two, depending on board texture) before going to war early on (going to war = all in). I see players who just shove post flop with only one pair/top kicker and get nailed by a calling station with a good draw, two (oddball) pairs or a slow played set.

I would also not limp in w AA or AK early. You just allow donkey's a cheap shot at making the nuts on the flop when they limp in behind you. OMG, the guys I have seen limp AA and get smacked early in a MTT. Always to hands that would most likely have folded to a mere 3x raise pre flop. AA and AK get weaker with each player in the pot because mathematically the chances of someone connecting big with the flop is so much more likely.
 
_FISHFEET81_

_FISHFEET81_

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yea, last night a guy at my table limped AA buddy had 27 and flop was 2710 I believe AA bet buddy re raised, AA shuvs snap call no A nor board pairing, AA guy starts going off on the guy with 27 lol, I just start laughing at the AA
 
NeverEnough

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yea, last night a guy at my table limped AA buddy had 27 and flop was 2710 I believe AA bet buddy re raised, AA shuvs snap call no A nor board pairing, AA guy starts going off on the guy with 27 lol, I just start laughing at the AA
How can he go off on 27 guy when it was just a limp? That's just dumb. This crap is why I never limp with my big pairs. Sucks when you only get the blinds vs winning a big pot, but I will take the blinds over losing all day long!!!
 
NeverEnough

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I have always been a very tight player. Lately, I have opened up my range a little with no success. Maybe I opened it up in the wrong sports, just had bad luck or whatever.

However, I have recently gone back to my super tight play that I used to always run with & am noticing that I'm doing better.

Can't wait to see if this translates to doing well LIVE again as well next time I hit the casino.
 
edik2202

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Just want to see some other players thoughts and personal opinion and what they do in tourneys and where and when they start being aggressive. I can make it deep in a tourney but a lot of the time I find myself folding in tight spots to the aggressor and chips start to dwindle. should I become more loose and call with second pairs with X, Obviously it is different when you are playing but just want to hear experience and thoughts on it. Thanks guys.

I turn on the aggression during the bubbles ... but only if there are two factors - the first: I have a big stack, and secondly, the players at the table have a very tight ...
 
DevilMe03

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LAG is better

I thing LAG is better for a tournament play if you are playing for top payouts. You can have huge swings in the tournament and even if you loose some big pots you can stack up quickly. The worst part of playing tight is that you will be waiting for hands and even if you have big hand you will not get paid so often. I think one can start with LAG approach in beginning as blinds are small.At later stages when there are more preflop all ins its better to go tight.
 
loafes

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I thing LAG is better for a tournament play if you are playing for top payouts. You can have huge swings in the tournament and even if you loose some big pots you can stack up quickly. The worst part of playing tight is that you will be waiting for hands and even if you have big hand you will not get paid so often. I think one can start with LAG approach in beginning as blinds are small.At later stages when there are more preflop all ins its better to go tight.
I actually think its the opposite, you need to play tight early then later on you can start widening your range and playing a lag style.
 
MadMaddie

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it was crazy, usually players will lay it down to a chip leader, I was making standard raises and guys just shuving on me leaving me no choice but to fold. Gonna try a new strategy next tourney and see how it plays out.. Thanks for the input guys

When you are find it harder to get places to steal the blind than it might be better to try to steal the stealers raises instead. Sorta like what it sounds they were doing to you instead.
When you are going to make a raise to steal be sure to think about what players you can call if they decide to go allin against you.
 
naruto_miu

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I usually play loose from the start if there are a lot of tight players at my table. A loose image serves me well in getting more chips when I get a very solid hand.



While It's true a looser image would serve it's purpose (getting you paid off when your holding the nuts), It can easily back fire by you getting 3bet light constantly by players that noticed your looser style of play...So while I agree with you somewhat (I have to disagree with you somewhat also):) ...


What do you do if your constantly opening up 2.5x on the BTN or SB, and finally after 6 or so hands the BB/SB players finally notice this and start to 3bet you and your holding a marginal hand such as KQo/KQs/JQs/JQo/A10s/A10o/A8s/A8o, what 4bet them? Now once again assume you did this following hand and again same player 3bets you, and again you did it, and a different player 3bet you? Exactly what is your recourse of action for such players?
 
DevilMe03

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Personally for me LAG or TAG approach in tournament depends on following things
1. Buy in amount - usually at micro stakes there is plenty of action and your big hands will be called so a tight approach could be adopted.
2. Blind Structure- with blinds increasing in 5 min i prefer LAG approach to be better.
With blinds increasing at slower pace tight approach could be used.
3. Table dynamics - try to play opposite to table gives beter result in my opinion. When there are maniacs go slow .
Also at 6max tables tournament the better approach is LAG
 
_FISHFEET81_

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im gonna try some new tactics on a free roll right now in a few minutes. Its a big field but there is money 200 bucksfor 1st and such, gotta avoid the maniacs so hopefully I can make it in the middle of the tourney where at least some people will want to take it serious. I may film as well and see what other peoples views are. Thanks for the all the input guys, I appreciate it
 
Michael Paler

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yea, last night a guy at my table limped AA buddy had 27 and flop was 2710 I believe AA bet buddy re raised, AA shuvs snap call no A nor board pairing, AA guy starts going off on the guy with 27 lol, I just start laughing at the AA

How can he go off on 27 guy when it was just a limp? That's just dumb. This crap is why I never limp with my big pairs. Sucks when you only get the blinds vs winning a big pot, but I will take the blinds over losing all day long!!!

About the ONLY time I will limp AA is when I have others covered AND their stack is such that they need to steal by shoving when they are in late position. Thats IF I think they will do that (shove all in to steal) or I am facing over aggressive loons.

Yet, I see guys do it all the time. And they do it when it's likely that 3 or 4 will also just limp in behind them. Often, by the time the river hits, they are dead to an oddball 2 pair or rivered st8 of flush. What a sad way to go.
 
Akorps

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When you get short stacked and have a good hand, some times you have to get aggressive, because you may not get another good hand before getting blinded out.

If you don't get any good cards short stacked, you may have to use a rope-a-dope strategy, wait until you get the big blind, and have odds to call with any hand. Sometimes you get "protection" that way, so it isn't as bad a strategy as it seems. Also the other players may know you are going to call with any 2 cards, so may not put as much pressure on you as they normally would.
 
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I'm still learning and also relearning some stuff I forgot, so don't take this too serious, but I love it when I'm at a horrible table early in a tournament that lets me limp my pocket pairs and suited garbage. I suspect it won't happen at higher limits, just freerolls and 25 cent type tournaments. But when I end up on one of those tables I usually double or triple up off people who don't believe in raising preflop with kings and aces.
 
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It really depends on the type of tournament that you are playing. 6-max, 9-max, turbo, knockout, etc....

For a standard 9-person table tournament, non-turbo, I like to play tighter in the beginning and then loosen up when the blinds start mattering more. You've already built the image as a tight player, so you will get away with more steals later on in the tourney.
 
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