Q and maintaing it....

Peleus · #1 10-21-2007, 10:46 PM

Hi all,

Starting to get into tournaments more, and I've got a quick question in relation to Q. I understand that M is a lot more important then Q, but how much should we be taking it into account?

I'm finding myself getting into a chip lead, or high up in a large field MTT. Often it can be due to hot cards / whatever. Lets say you end up getting up to 25000 with a Q of 5. As the blinds start closing up however, obviously the average stack is rising, and my Q is getting lower and lower. Should I be worried about this, or just play according to what my M is at the time?

Should I actively be taking coin flips etc, to try and maintain my current Q, or sit back and play conservative (if thats my style) because M has no pressure on me.

I'm starting to get into a bad habit taking marginal situations when I'm high in the rankings, trying to stay there, and getting a bit tilted being something like 50/800 people left, rather then in the top 10 as I was before, which is obviously still a good position.

postoakpoker · #2 10-21-2007, 10:56 PM

You generally want to be using a big stack to pick up pots uncontested (unless you have a monster). Getting involved in coinflips/marginal situations is a good way to get your big stack turned into a medium stack.

ssnyc · #3 10-21-2007, 11:29 PM

too many letters...I'm more of a BB guy...base decisions based on your stack and those of the other at your table...close tourney lobby until you've won

postoakpoker · #4 10-21-2007, 11:56 PM

BBs are fine until antes kick in, that's why M is preferred in general

ettorek · #5 10-22-2007, 06:39 AM

[ QUOTE ]
too many letters...I'm more of a BB guy...base decisions based on your stack and those of the other at your table...close tourney lobby until you've won

[/ QUOTE ]
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

beardedmonk · #6 10-22-2007, 08:00 AM

"Should I actively be taking coin flips etc, to try and maintain my current Q, or sit back and play conservative (if thats my style) because M has no pressure on me.

I'm starting to get into a bad habit taking marginal situations when I'm high in the rankings, trying to stay there, and getting a bit tilted being something like 50/800 people left, rather then in the top 10 as I was before, which is obviously still a good position."

I have found myself in this situation and my logic was the same. If I was in the BB, one of the biggest stacks in the tourney, `and a small stack bets all in. As an example if they have 3500, blinds are 1600 / 800, with some antis there is 4.5k in the pot. Would I be wrong in calling this bet with QX, JX etc in the big blind?

Its the kind of call I made a few times yesterday in a 180 man turbo.

ssnyc · #7 10-22-2007, 09:22 AM

[ QUOTE ]
BBs are fine until antes kick in, that's why M is preferred in general

[/ QUOTE ]

yes...i understand that and have an awareness of my M and those around me but still try not to let it govern my play or decisions...

halpgr · #8 10-22-2007, 10:36 AM

Peleus,
Your Q does not decline when the blinds increase. Your M (along with everyone else's) declines but Q doesn't. Your Q only decreases when someone is eliminated from the tournament. That's the only time the average stack changes.

I find Q is more important in satellites where I want to know where I am relative to the average stack. In a satellite I don't like to get to where a double up would leave me with a still below average stack, so I'll go into push/fold mode possibly a bit earlier to keep my Q above 0.5.

In regular non satellite tournaments I don't think about Q too much and keep a closer eye on M.

Sherman · #9 10-22-2007, 10:41 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Peleus,
Your Q does not decline when the blinds increase. Your M (along with everyone else's) declines but Q doesn't. Your Q only decreases when someone is eliminated from the tournament. That's the only time the average stack changes.

I find Q is more important in satellites where I want to know where I am relative to the average stack. In a satellite I don't like to get to where a double up would leave me with a still below average stack, so I'll go into push/fold mode possibly a bit earlier to keep my Q above 0.5.

In regular non satellite tournaments I don't think about Q too much and keep a closer eye on M.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right on. Except replace M with "True BB" and you've got it made. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I think Q is very important in multiple seat paying satellites. You want to have a good idea of how many chips you will need to coast into the money.

Happy Birthday too Halpgr, Obv.

Sherman

Peleus · #10 10-22-2007, 11:11 AM

Thanks guys.

I was concerned I was loosing position as time progressed towards the middle of the tournament, away from the beginning, and my relative position was going down the list. I'm glad to hear I should mainly base my decision purely (or mostly) around M.

I can see the wisdom behind that, as if I take care of my M, the position will naturally follow.

I'll have to settle down, and not worry about being tight with the chip lead / high up there, because someone starts to overtake me.