How tight is too tight, and a couple of Qs...

[jayrutz2]

$150 buy-in live action tourney 600 chips, 1 100 rebuy 1000 chips. Spread limit starting at 5-10, spead always 1x to 2X BB. 120 players. (100 rebuys), 18 places pay, 1st pays 9K

My play by hour:

Hour 1, 3rounds. I play 3 hands. Flop 2 pr on one, reraise a max bet to a fold. Win two others without showing cards, one on a bluff, one on a legit hand. Have 1200 chips, due to structure, do a rebuy, now have 2200 chips. Color up$5s.

Second hour: Play ZERO hands. End the hour with 1200, blinds are now 100-200, ~80 players left.

Hour three: I play 3 hands.

With blinds at 200-400, (Spread, 400-4000,essentially NL from here out) I go all in over 2 limpers and blinds with 77. No callers, though next hand UTG+2 agonizes and folds, which is FINE by me! I more than double up. I am happy!

Next hand I am in cut-off and look down to KK. UTG goes all-in with 700, UTG+1 calls (last hands agonizer), fold to me. I should add 2 to my left is VERY aggressive chip leader in BB(More on that soon). Not wanting to face down too many callers with KK, I go all in. I have UTG+1 covered. He debates a LONG time and folds. All-in is Q9o and my KK easily holds up.

Q1: I second guess that I should have raised to 1500 as opposed to All-in. I put UTG on junk and UTG+1 on A junk. In order to build my stack and have a chance to survive at next break, I am sure UTG+1 calls a re-raise that is not all in. But then I risk getting down to VERY small stack if he hits his A. Thoughts?

Blinds now 300-500, and my stack is about 4000 with 50 players left, putting me right at average. 20 minutes to next break.

I have K10 suited, 1 limper and one LP, button and blinds to go. I go ALL in. Now the only hand I have shown down ALL night was the KKs, so I have to look like a rock. I see an oppty to pick one up. I raise to 1800. All fold. Little B says, "I call if you go all-in". I am feeling good now and have a stack of about 5000.

NEXT hand, same as last. I am on a roll, but feel like I will get called by big stack in BB. 1 limper, button and blinds to go and I fold.
Q2: Right move?

No more cards for next 20 minutes and I hit break with 4500, colored up to 9 500 chips. Blinds are 500 and 1000, 40 left.

The next 20 minutes are nothing but pain as I get blinded away and average hand is 94 with NOTHING better than K7 and someone going all-in just about every hand with the big stack call A LOT of them. Finally with 2 chips in BB and 2 left I get A5s and call and all in who flips K-9. Of course he sucks a K on the river and I end in 30th of 120, 12 out of money.

So my BIG Questions is when playing tight, gap, aggressive poker, I seem to consistently get to the last 2 or 3 tables, but ALWAYS with a short stack, praying to get lucky. So is it a matter of patience, or do I need to be more aggressive in earlier rounds. For example, in hour 2, I folded 910s on button against 3 limpers and blinds, should I have raised that one. Is the KK and example of a misplay? (I've only played a handful of tourneys and once I snuck into 8th place.)

Answers to all 3 welcome.

[skydancing8]

I play the same way as you basically, the only thing I do different is try to steal some blinds one off the button or on the button, either near the money cutoff or near break times. I think if you can grab a few of those you'll make more final tables.

[Gator]

I would have limped with the 9Ts hand. I'm working on a hypothesis (for SNG's) that if you can play so that an in the money finish comes down to a coin flip - you did a good job in that tourney. For example, 5 players left in a SNG - all with equal stacks - if you are in a situation so that you go over the top of a PF raiser all in with AKs and he turns over a pair of 8's, that SNG basically came down to a coin flip (if you win the hand, you have $4k out of $10K chips and with four players left are reasonably certain to money). Applying the same thought to this multiplayer tournament, you were better then a coin flip to be in great shape to make a final table.

[jayrutz2]

My conclusion after writing this, playing a 20+2 multi last night (80th out of 220, NO cards!) is that I play that I need to go slightly looser on weaker hands pre flop and slightly more agressive pre-flop on stronger hands. I think this translates into the following adjustments to my game:

Limp 5% more on later position middling hands with limpers ahead of me like 910s, 66, etc

Bet more aggresively when coming over multiple limpers with strong hands. 3 BBs is good when first in, but with say 2 limpers need to make it more like pot sized to come over the top.

Third, be a little more concious of pushing in vs raising late, taking better account on the stack size of those left to act.

Winning a coin flip here and there. I am 0/5 on my last tourneys on 50/50 hands all-in.

Hopefully this will start getting me closer to the money!!!

Comments on these strategy adjustments?

[SossMan]

Hour 1, 3rounds. I play 3 hands.....Second hour: Play ZERO hands......Hour three: I play 3 hands.


I stopped there. Yes, you are playing too tight. If you have literally played 6 hands in three hours, and are at the same table, there should be some really nice restealing opportunities for which your cards don't matter. There's nothing wrong with playing loose in the first couple rounds, but by the time those blinds are increasing, you really have to loosen up and use your tight image to your advantage. You can't be afraid to die if you want to live.

[jayrutz2]

Hour 1 + 2 hands hour 2 at table one
Hour 2 at table 2
Hour 3/4 at table 3.

Point well taken though, I definitely could have stole a few more times with tight image all around.

[SossMan]

[ QUOTE ]
Hour 1 + 2 hands hour 2 at table one
Hour 2 at table 2
Hour 3/4 at table 3.

Point well taken though, I definitely could have stole a few more times with tight image all around.

[/ QUOTE ]

well this does make it tougher.

[youngin20]

I feel that something many tight players do not take advantage of is changing gears. TIGHT IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT! Loosen up, especially when antes come into play and eat up your stack. POSITION POSITION POSITION. I feel like many hand you play will NOT be shown down. Adaptability is the key.

[jayrutz2]

Great advice! Played a limit buyin at local card room and placed 4th out of 40, only because of 2 horrendous suck outs at the end (one 4 outer, one 3 outer) in a row. Save these, and based on the players, I take home first prize.

Key was really 2 things from past survival strategies. 1) change gears early...raised with 8 10s and took down a big straight early against 3 callers to river, establishing a very loose rap that got me callers later...and playing to win not just survive, reraising with KK when tourney was down to 10, 9 pay, putting 2 short stacks allin (AQo, AJo), knocking both out in one hand and putting me in #2 chip position going to final table with a real shot to win!

So, thanks!