Crash Landing at a Poker Tournament Near You!

[Max1]

Okay, I just started playing Pokerstars Tourneys. I'm usually a ring guy, but was getting bored and having a nasty string of bad luck. So decided to switch it up a bit.

ANYWAY. I'm growing accustomed to the transition and have managed to fist fight my way into the money a few times on 180s...but that's the issue. I'm not complaining that I'm in the bubble, but here's usually what happens.

1) I sit down at a table and blinds are normal. The all-in from late positions don't start happening yet, but a limp in from an early position can be guaranteed with a raise from 1-2 slots from the button, if not the blinds. So limping in early hands seems stupid, and I stay out from early. Late positions, there are usually limpers behind, and I find I want to be the one to raise, but I either don't get a chance, or lose the will to with crappy hands. I may win or lose a hand before blinds increase once or twice, but I'm very tight/aggressive (see also: ring games).

2) By the times the blinds get to 50/100, I start seeing all-ins from crippled stacks from all angles. No seat is safe, and it seems like any Axo is going to the mat. Tough to play any kind of poker with that kind of nonsense going on. Very coin flippy, but I keep my head down, dodge the craziness, and either 1) blind myself down to 800-1000 or have managed to win an all in and am able to "survive" to the next blind increase or two.

3) Toss the dice: After it gets to the point where blinds get expensive and people are blowing up with any two cards just to stay alive, I try to get in where I can. Perfect example, I had 2K left with two all-ins in front of me and was not going to survive another round, so pushed all in with Q2s and managed to catch my 2. I lived to hit the bubble.

4) However, here's the problem. I'm coming in at 20 out of 180 with 2-4K chips that were beaten/stolen from other people, but I'm the short stack at the tournament/table, merely hoping for another decent hand to come my way to double up and go up a few steps. But staring at stacks of 25-40K means a nearly insurmountable series of coin tosses not likely to go my way.

Other than just loosening up early and taking more risks while the blinds are low, I'm not sure how to take that ring game mentality (tight:aggressive) and translate it into some of the chaotic card playing that it takes to not only get in the money, but rank high enough to make it worth the effort.

Thanks!

Oh, PS. The games I'm talking about have been turbo. Regular tourneys are a bit slow. Should I do regular 15-min blinds as I like to take my time and snipe, but smaller numbers of people?

And I have the first of the Harrington books, which translates well for ring work.

[umistboy]

Yep, play proper poker in the 15-min blind 180's.

[ZenMusician]

Do yourself an immense favor and spend a few hours
learning from the Masters

GL

-ZEN