So last night I managed to use a $0.50 ticket to freeroll my way via 4 satellites into the $109 Main Event $2M Gtd 4 day event on Stars.
Having never played any comp above $20, what can I expect as regards standard of play. I note that it's 20 minute levels, 25,000 starting stack and the blinds start at 50/100 with an 8 ante. There is also up to 5 rebuys available during the late reg period.
I know that many of you have played these tourneys before and therefore a little advice would be appreciated. I have no expectations, I just don't want to look a total prat.
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Firstly set up yourself in a nice quiet environment and remove all distractions as this can be the number one problem playing poker online and just focus on the poker itself. Simple things such as having some water at hand, some healthy snacks and anything else you may need on hand saves running around to much in the precious 5 minute intervals.
The standard will vary greatly depending on who u get at your table, alike any poker tournament and scoping the players is a good start to get a quick grip of ability levels. Watching the action although maybe boring should yield some results over the first few hours if you settle into a table for a period of time. The players who have 6 bis at hand will be more willing to gamble ofc and having a sense of who these players are will be useful during the early exchanges.
Play your own style of game and take a few extra seconds to think through the action before you act. We all forget at times poker is a 100% real time mind engagement game. Have a clear plan for each hand that you wish to play and if you are confused stop and think again! What position are we in, have we observed the action and who is still to act? Are we betting for value, for a bluff or to induce action. Be clear and concise and a lot of times playing a KISS(keep it stupidly simple) strategy maybe the easiest way to success.
In the Early stages playing tighter is generally the best way to proceed however this does not mean we don't play speculative hands or enter pots. The weakest players will be involved a lot here and we can win significant portions of their stacks as they are most likely to make huge mistakes at such deep stack depths. In the re-entry period a fair few players are a lot more likely to gamble then they would if it were a freezeout. We can get ourselves off to a nice start, feel comfortable in our table and observe everything going on. We can also set up some table dynamics at this stage for later exploitation. We want to get used to our table and "profile" our opponents to use in the later stages if we meet them down the line. In conclusion to the early levels playing Big pot-big hand, small pot-small hand poker should work nicely.
In the Middle stages we ideally want to be accumulating chips and not just thinking about tournament survival. We start to steal more blinds from middle and late positions when unopened. We begin to exhort pressure on any weakness shown when involved in a pot and pick our spots to 3-b bluff as well as 3-b our value hands. The more chips we have from this stage onward gives us so many more options going forward.
Above all, have fun and enjoy the game!
Play tight yourself-at least until people have you tagged as the tightest at the table.
You've already got the best advice-enjoy it
Well played Mark and enjoy
It would be nice to win another ticket as a back up for when that runner runner bad beat sends me to the rail.
What's your goal here? Would a min cash matter or do you want to go for it? Tight is definitely right and even more so if you want to min cash.
Mtt strat hasn't really changed that much in 15 years. Wait for somebody to give their stack away in the early levels, then look to gamble in good spots later on.
If you are an experienced cash game player, you will def want to be in the mix from the first hand to use your deep stack advantage. Otherwise, you could consider late regging.
My nightly set up for a session at the thrill a minutes dyms
I’ve managed a 2 streak at £5 dyms following this approach
However your not going to transform your game in a major significant way in a very short term.
We will see.
and again not meaning to be harsh but based on the play I have seen from you when at your table and forum posts you are a losing player.
I do not think it will be different in this tourny but anyone can get lucky its often the case that deep in tournies there are weak players. I mean I think it was Darvin Moon who came second in the world series.
So yes I lost about £500 on here in 18 months then bagged a 4th place in a UKOPS mini for £800, that's how I roll.
What comes to mind to me, my grandfather and my father always told me - it is not hard to carry manners - I have failed this for many many years. I now know how this is so easy and 100% correct. I am not religious by any means, but was brought up catholic and can always remember this statement - Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? I carried this around for years, again in later years I hope I have started seeing the true meaning.
I wish you well @Doubleme but I hope u can start to see, we are not always right
Never open a "grab bag" when on a date night with the wife.
Unless you are willing to share the crisps. Much better to open and eat them without being caught
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
Wow, that is SO good, & very apposite on a poker forum. We are all good at seeing the faults in others but very often blind to our own shortcomings.