Advice on loosening up in mtt's

[JoeBlazer55]

I play a few mtt's a week and I always find myself in the same situation: get about halfway thru the field but don't have enough chips to make any moves and end up pushing in with A5 and I'm out. I've tried to loosen up earlier in the tourney to build up my stack but I'm tight by nature and I can't always pull the trigger even when I know I should. Anyone who's been in the same situation: how did u overcome?

The guys with the big stacks at my table are always the ones who play weak hands and seem to hit huge with them. I guess I should stop waiting for good hands.

[nicky_g]

Same here ! Sounds like a need to start playing a new range of hands . Try to change it up fromt the start .

[lemming]

I consider myself pretty tight as well... But when blinds are getting worth stealing, I usually get more aggressive LP and also making some moves on SB etc... This works for me, like first 2-3 blinds levels I'm playing very tight solid looking for good spots to double up against donks, also raising LP with no/few limpers in front, sometimes calling sc with many limpers...

Usually I loosen up a bit while the blinds go up, when I don't get the cards, dunno whether that's good or bad, but it seems to work for me atm...

Just try to observe your stack in relation to blinds in relation to general stack sizes / table stack sizes and see if you can make some blindstealing if you get a little below average... Blindstealing / c-betting flops, maybe you do that a little too seldom, dunno...

[Zychion]

Have you tried playing drunk?

[JoeBlazer55]

[ QUOTE ]
I consider myself pretty tight as well... But when blinds are getting worth stealing, I usually get more aggressive LP and also making some moves on SB etc... This works for me, like first 2-3 blinds levels I'm playing very tight solid looking for good spots to double up against donks, also raising LP with no/few limpers in front, sometimes calling sc with many limpers...

Usually I loosen up a bit while the blinds go up, when I don't get the cards, dunno whether that's good or bad, but it seems to work for me atm...

Just try to observe your stack in relation to blinds in relation to general stack sizes / table stack sizes and see if you can make some blindstealing if you get a little below average... Blindstealing / c-betting flops, maybe you do that a little too seldom, dunno...

[/ QUOTE ]

I do the same, get more aggressive as the blinds go up. Actually I feel like I'm very good late in the tournament as long as I have enough chips to allow me to c-bet and make moves. That's the problem for me tho, if I don't get dealt anything early in the tourney I just fold thinking I have plenty of time and next thing I know my stack is too small to compete with more gambling style players. Most of the players I play these tourneys with are not the best of quality and will call with no hand/no draw alot of times for the hell of it. I guess I get scared off thinking that my moves won't work when those guys are in the pot with me.

[whickerda]

[ QUOTE ]
Have you tried playing drunk?

[/ QUOTE ]

This works for me.

Seriously though, have you read Harrington on Hold'em I and II? You must read them if you haven't. As your stack diminishes relative to the blinds you absolutely must open up.

[SkyyCaptain]

Well, Here's my 20 cents worth, and in all of it you should only value 1.5, but I play micros where the guys are like you say.


Okay, well in my opinion, you're either playing too much too early, or not enough in the middle. Very rarely should you be willing to go for broke with a weak ace and that's usually with only one or two contenders maximum(button, or final table). If your opponents are really this weak then you need to remember not to undervalue TPGK. If you're playing micro/very small stakes then throw in pot size bets rather than 1/2-3/4 as your bluff out bet. Fire at least twice. Since you'll be doing this observant players will notice that pot sized bets don't get shown down, this means your value bets should be just as strong.

Play almost nothing in the first few blinds, look for 99+ and AK/AQ etc, weak pairs only from late position, and not in a raisedpot. Ultra tight still works. I usually end up with about the average stack, but to get there usually the blinds are on their 4th or 5th level and I double up through some loose cannon. When you hit M of 5 (i.e. you have 1500 at 100/200 blinds) You're going for broke the next good hand you get, regardless of the flop (AT+). Doesn't mean you push in PF, but it does mean that you're pushing the flop no matter its color. Make sure you've got at least half your stack left for the flop because if you don't you have zero FE and should have pushed in preflop. You can limp with a medium strong holding from late position but other than that you're looking to double up hard against one of the looser big stacks.

Also, don't be afraid to push hard preflop when the blinds are climbing. Every time you steal you pick up a sizeable chunk of your stack. Don't do it from early position with nothing, but by now you've probably been playing one or two players continuously and have some idea of who's folding when.

Early in the game if you've noticed limp-callers then you should only raise if you really want the pot to be larger. If you've got AA and somebody lips ahead of you, raise. If you've got AJ(a drawing hand), limp.

The same goes for people who don't fold: If they don't fold you're only raising hands you think you're winning. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way they'll cling with overcards but it shouldn't cost you your entire stack and it's a wonderful tidbit of information so make a note on that guy and the next time you've got a monster against him don't slowplay it, come out firing hard (pot sized bets on each street, maybe an all in on the river if it isn't ridiculously overbetting) because he's probably calling.

In all I have stats ranging from 15-20% of flops until middle-late in the tourney, where it increases dramatically enough that people start to push back (but they tend to be stupid and pick hard-to-win battles)

Once the blinds are big you should never feel bad about picking up the blinds even if you're the small stack and occasionally you should make plays without cards(if you're looking for an all in you should wait for the cards) and in these cases you're giving up if they show strength. Its a good way to increase your stack from small to medium where you'll have a lot more threat power.

[wpr101]

Raise is late position more. When on the button raise any suited, any ace, and connected cards. Get tighter as your position worsens.

Also, if you really want to learn how to play postflop learn to play cash.

[Sherman]

I don't know what everyone else is saying, but IMO, what you are asking for is this:

1) Against loose opponents who go to far with their hands, you can loosen up PF (meaning you can limp/call more PF) hoping to hit and stack your weaker opponents. THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE EARLY WHEN STACKS ARE DEEP!

2) When you make a hand against these types of opponents you have to push it for maximum value. That means when you make TPTK, you probably need to play it like it is the nuts. That doesn't mean SLOWPLAY! That means play it fast and aggressively and hope to stack your opponent who can't fold his TPwK or 2nd pair.

3) WHEN THE STACKS GET SHALLOW...tighten up with your PF calls but LOOSEN up with your PF raises. One of the biggest mistakes I see relatively decent players make is they call too much at the later stages of tourneys. DON'T OPEN LIMP...EVER (well almost ever). Fold or raise PF.

4) Ignore the big stacks early. Well...don't ignore them, just don't focus on not having as many chips as them. Actually, pay attention to them and figure out if they are idiots. If they are, pray that you stay at their table long enough to get all their chips. When a big stack gets moved to my table on my right early in an MTT, my mouth starts to water. Wait for the right spot and then take them to value town.

That about covers the basics. Remember, against loose/bad opponents, you shouldn't loosen up (well maybe some PF), you should value bet them to death. Most importantly, as Ms shrink, tighten up your PF calls and loosen up your PF raises.

[rafiki]

But most importantly, win races. If you can't win races, you can't win MTT's. I've perfected running well in 50/50's with a special dance. It's awesome.