Beginner MTT/STT question - The Middle game

[sfgiants]

I don't have much experience in tournaments, but I do fine in the beginning by playing super-tight and I do okay in the end by pushing to pick up blinds when I have fold equity. However, there is a point right in the middle where I don't know whether I should continue playing tight and just let my stack dwindle down until my M hits 10 or so and then begin pushing or of I should I open up my range more and play more "poker?" What would be the standard approach?

Also, does this strategy change with STTs? I'm guessing in MTT's you have more room to play poker whereas in STT's you just let your stack erode and then push at M=10 or so.

Any thoughts appreciated!

[parachute]

HoH 2 has some good advice for what to do in the "Yellow Zone" (M 10-20). Briefly, play high cards more aggressively, back off of cards that require good implied odds (small pairs, suited connectors), plan your hand so that if you do go all-in you do so on purpose (it's very easy to make a couple of raises, then realize that you are pot-committed - in that case you're better off having gone all-in earlier, so at least you get more folding equity).

[jackaaron]

No. Don’t let your stack dwindle. If I gave you the choice of these two unsuccessful options, which would you take?

1. Wait for hands that never come, and dwindle down to push/fold mode.
2. Make attempts at blinds and antes, and take stabs at small pots that are all unsuccessful, and these unsuccessful attempts take you down to push/fold mode.

Which would you take? They both result in you becoming a short stack, but in one of them you have NO chance of gaining chips, and in the other you at least made the attempt to gain chips.

More than likely, what will generally happen is you won’t get any hands. At least, you can’t count on getting hands. But, if you’re at least making attempts to accumulate chips, then, the better you get at post-flop play, the more often you will get chips. And, you also put yourself in position to receive a little luck as well.

My point is, if you’re going to go out of a tournament, you might as well do it as an aggressor. You just have so many advantages by being the aggressor. You obviously have to know, and study your opponents (for example, some players are absolutely not going to lay down their hand even if it’s K high, so this could be wonderful if you have a great hand, but disastrous if you attempt to bluff them). Whereas, sitting around waiting for a hand only to have everyone fold to your standard 3xbb raise when you get it is horrible.

Tell yourself, “I’d rather lose chips making a well thought out attempt at the blinds/antes, or a pot, than lose chips waiting for a hand that no one will pay me off for anyhow.”

As for STT's, they're a completely different arena, and I'd just go to the STT forum, and read away.

[sfgiants]

Thank you for the insightful responses.

[riverruss]

Harrigtons books give an excellant grounding in MTT play but are his "M" theories are written from a B&M tournies perspective where blinds levels of 30mins plus are the norm.Online Mtt's rarely have blind levels over 12 mins giving a much faster structure eating up your chips quicker so the "M" ratings need to be applied a bit more loosely,you probably should be in push/fold mode before you get to a 10bb stack.If 1st in you should be raising any 2 cards from mp3,CO & Button,you will find this wins you more pots than you would expect,you cant just wait for good cards,they rarely come.In the bb if sb completes raise it up if there are no others in the hand.If in late position & you have a couple of mid stack limpers its probably +ev to push any 2.On the bubble be the aggressor target the stacks of a similar size to yours they will usually be to scared to take you on,its a perfect time to accumulate chips.
You really have to decide if you just want to fold you way into the money or take a shot at chipping up to get to the FT