Tourney help for shallow structure strange pay system

[machine]

I must admit i dont play many tournies anymore. I used to play quite alot and have had 3 big scores etc, but im primarily a 6 max cash player now. Anyways the question in hand is how to play the tournament im about to explain.

Its a university tournament, things to note;

1) 2000 stack to start 25/50 blinds to start(40bb)
2) only 15 min blinds
3) im very confident skill wise im in the top 5% as its same players pretty much every week.
4) Payout is like this: entrants usually around the 100 mark, 1-9 get paid but the cash prize is very minimal apart from top 3. But 50% of the field gets points for where they finish. something like; 1 point for entry, then 2 for 50th, 3 for 49th, 4 for 48th etc etc and these points are added up and after 20 tourneys the top 15-20 get sent to represent the university nationally along with a few wildcards.

Now apart from the fact the stacks are alot shallower than im used to and its alot more of a crapfest. There is a big difference in this tourney in the fact that points are more important to me than cashing. Now im used to trying to make top 15% etc to cash but now its top 50% that cash(for points) the strange thing is the points dont jump crazy around the top 9 they only go up in small incraments so im thinking all or nothing is the wrong way to play but im finding that when i have 10bb and im looking to push i may only be slightly below avergae stack and am confused as whether to leave this to a later say maybe 5bb to push as gambling has less reward in this structure.

You guys are more knowledgeable than me and i wondered if you had any suggestions or ideas?

thanks in advance

[jtomon]

Never started a tournament without the intention of winning it.

[ssnyc]

yes..whole premise will contradict all our thinking...only other view is to play it like a satellite with multi seats I guess but I'm not much of a satellite player

[machine]

is playing to win the right sratergy? i feel like there should be a lower gamble limit? as when ur down to last 50 at least half the stacks are already below 10bb

[ssnyc]

you have me confused sir...we are not playing to win? is there a particular place we want to finish in?

[machine]

no we are playing to win its just payouts are alot less top heavy

[ssnyc]

but still heavier on top...play for first and take what you end up with

[dave6]

You only get 1 point for 50th, so don't play this like a satellite. Are other people trying to back into 50th? If so, abuse this bubble.

Given the short stacks, I'd play this like any other tournament. The only exception I can think of is if you have a huge stack (i.e. in the top 5 in chips or so) with around 30-50 left, avoid confrontations with another huge stack. If you can fold your way from 50th to 15th you gain 35 points, unlike a normal structure where 15th and 50th are too close to worry about much. Even still you need to think about how important the points really are to you. Would you give up a good chance at top 3 money for a few points? If not, play to win regardless of stack size. If you're short stacked (based on M), play normally since you won't survive otherwise.

If you make the final table, you already have 40 points, and all the money is in the top 3, so play to win.

[machine]

so you think play to win just avoid big confrontations if you have a large stack

[hamnegger]

i say still shove w 10bb. this structure is not much more than a turbo which sux so get a good hand and go or a medium hand in lp. who designs these crappy structures anyway? on staten island where im from its always some dopey little italian man who plays xx suited from any position.