The tournament psychology - part iii

[BarryLyndon]

For the past month or so in tournament poker (I play 20s), I've been running terribly card wise. When I get AK, it's off the BB and everyone to the SB folds. When I get KK and raise MP, nobody calls. When I get 7s6s and raise MP, I get two callers. You all know how it is.

It's been about 35 hours of this now, and while I have managed to stay even BR wise by playing cash games and winning some SNGs, I am [censored] terrible in the multis. I sit and wonder how after the first hour, I have 2000 chips while players in seats 1, 2, and 3 to my left are all at 10K. While I never play TOO TIGHT (I tend to be a little on the LAG side), I find that this has lead to some FPS and some ill-advised pushes.

Of course, these pushes, these pushes come after 2 hours of getting absolutely nothing- no good pairs, no strong aces, no connectors that hit a draw or a two pair - that's when they come. I still hate myself for it afterwards...I question if I have been playing too tight in the first hour or if I could have waited another orbit.

Obviously, hand review can and has helped. But, what else can I do? I like playing closer to TAG, but man, I feel terrible about it when in the first hour, I'm next to two guys who have managed to quadruple up already.

How do you keep pace while running badly?

[govman6767]

I listen to the Bee Gee's..... Staying alive Staying alive ah ah ah ah stayyyyyying alivvvvvve

[sputum]

[PantsOnFire]

Concentrate on other aspects of your game that don't involve having a good hand. These are stealiing/restealing, raising in position and attacking weakness.

At the table, look for players who fold. Some are obvious check/folders. Some bet half pot and then fold to a raise. Look for guys that cbet 100% of the time. Raise them. Look for tight blind players. Look for orphaned pots where nobody seems interested. When you have position and its folded around to you, bet (except if there are chronic slowplayers or checkraisers in the pot). You will never be showing a hand down so your cards are irrelevent.

This is classic small ball poker. You are jabbing, making the aggressive stab and then getting out when there's resistance.

Also keep in mind that players in these low MTTs are not paying attention that much. So when you do get a hand, you can make a lot of chips and then coast through the drought.

The biggest aspect we can all work on is categorizing how players play. If players are bad or so good that their play seems random, avoid them. There are enough players that play in pretty straightforward patterns that you can play against and act according to what they are up to.

[Mllndllrmn]

Pants on fire nailed it. Play small ball, and if people show weakness, just frickin crush 'em. In tourneys I found some people play wayyyy to tight, and some play super agro. Find the balance and like Pantsonfire said, look for the check/folders and the dead pots and what not, and then stomp on them till they can't stand it anymore, or you have all their chips.

In order to win a tourney, you need to have all of the chips. This is obviously very basic concept BUT think of it in every pot: I need those chips to win. That will give you the mentality that if a player is playing too tight, walk over them, take their chips, win pots, and win keep chuggin.