Low Stakes MTT Strategy Help?

[jimi_b]

Hi All,

My first post here.

I've been playing online for about a year now with "recreational money". But after reading a Chris Ferguson article on bankroll management. Have been trying to build a bankroll by playing $1 & $2 MTTs on Cake.

Compared to Full Tilt the ability is very soft mostly very new players or complete donks. But the (my?) problem is these people play so stupid in the early rounds. And I'm not talking about these clowns chasing me down with runner runner for a bad beat. I'm asking for suggestions for a strategy for these tourneys. There are usually 4-6 limpers in any hand, any kind of reasonable pre-flop raise will get multiple callers. This mass call/limp behavior goes on at least until 6 or seventh round. Or Until they have donked off all their chips.

An example about 3rd round, I was on the button with KK, 4 limpers to me I raise 3xBB + 1bb for each limper in an attempt to thin the field or just take it down. All 4 called, uncoordinated flop and after they all check I shove about 2x the pot, which drove out 3, one stayed to win on the rvr (but thats not my point).

How do I combat this? I've tried playing super tight aggressive, and let the donks take each other out and run out of chips. But with 1500 starting chips and 6 min rounds, you can end up short fairly fast and have to make those all-in decisions.

Other Symptoms of these tourneys (yes, they are sick)

Flop-a-Phobia : they love to shove all-in, will often get multiple callers with a VERY wide range of hands, amazing and sometimes entertaining when the Q3s wins.

My Schlong is Bigger than Yours all-in re-raise: common to see a all-in re-raise 20 times the original bet or pot.

Any Ideas suggestions?

Thanks in advance, JimiB

[Davey Valentine]

If people limp a lot and call 3xbb raises... simply raise higher! I think you're scared of not getting action with your big hands. Just pop it up a lot bigger than the book books suggest and enjoy getting called by KJ and A10.

[jimi_b]

Tried that, the (typical) hand I mentioned I raised 3x =1bb for each limper ended up being a 7x the bb raise. But I'm glad you said that because that is the LOGICAL solution. With these tourneys I usually raise 5x preflop and still get multiple callers, and its not like I'm doing it all the time. I typicaly play about 20% of hands but I do bet most of those. Its pretty amazing, which was the point (which was probably clear as muddy water). Normal logical strategy doesn't work with these people. It reminds me a little of Calldog.

[Tim H]

try pushing your premiums early ... someone(s) will call

[ssnyc]

push your monsters...over time you will see your stack getting nice early...then weild it well

[SuperUberBob]

I've started open shoving big pairs preflop as of late regardless of stack size in low-limit turbos. People just think you have squat and call with mid pp's and weak aces.

[kenny7]

[ QUOTE ]
I've started open shoving big pairs preflop as of late regardless of stack size in low-limit turbos. People just think you have squat and call with mid pp's and weak aces.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have to admit,I've never played a $1 or $2 tourney or sit'n'go but can't imagine they are very different from playmoney tables.

Bob's advice is good I think. People will call you with such a wide range of hands(as you know)so just play your monsters superstrong,if you are not ai pre,then try to do it on the flop. I will imagine that betsizes doesn't matter much here,if people wants to call you preflop w Q8s,they will do so (almost)no matter how much your bet is.

I know you are frustrated having your good hands run down by absolute junk,but hang in there.All you can do is play your best,get in good and over time it will work out fine.

[udbrky]

Go with what the table gives you. If it's a small ball type table, where you can win a few small pots and build a stack, then play some connectors/small pairs and try to flop big. If they're willing to call big bets, then look for spots to double up.

I just finished 18/~1200, and I didn't play a hand from 15/30 until 75/150 when I waited until I had 510 chips. Sometimes, you just have to pick your spots. But when you do, play extremely aggressively.

Check out some of the PXF videos, especially some of Nath's and Shaun's and see how they select spots and what types of hands and situations they come over the top with. I think that's helped my game a lot in the last couple weeks.

[donquay]

I agree with Bob...a lot of time if you have multiple limpers and shove with a big pp, at least one of the limpers will call with a much weaker hand..easy way to double early.

With a bigger stack that'll give you time to be patient waiting for a big hand and yet you can overlimp with sc's and small pp's.

[emb]

It seems to me that you gave a good example of how to play these tournaments in your original post:

[ QUOTE ]
An example about 3rd round, I was on the button with KK, 4 limpers to me I raise 3xBB + 1bb for each limper in an attempt to thin the field or just take it down. All 4 called, uncoordinated flop and after they all check I shove about 2x the pot, which drove out 3, one stayed to win on the rvr (but thats not my point).


[/ QUOTE ]

Built the pot with a premium hand and continued with the agression to get it all-in with the best against a single player.

In the early rounds in tables full of limpers, it can also be profitable to limp behind with any low/medium pocket pair and try to hit a set. Just remember the "no set, no bet" rule post flop though.

emb