Cheap paradise tournaments

Hi,


Is it my play, or are the $10 Paradise HE tournaments getting tougher?


For my first 150 tournaments, I placed in the money 40% of the time, and took first place about half of that. I had a simple but effective strategy, seemed to outplay people rather than getting lucky, and was having a whale of a time. The next 150 I have been barely breaking even.


It seems to me that the opposition is not making the silly mistakes that made the games profitable for me. Specifically:


- there is a lot more tight play in the first few rounds. Six months ago it was the norm for 3 players to be busted in the first 30 hands. Nowadays it is normal to play 45 hands with nobody going out.


- players are a lot more willing to defend against steals and bluffs in the later stages than they used to be. I have hand histories where I have raised and won the pot *every hand* after it got down to 3 players, until they ended up all-in blind. This seems impossible now.


In short, it seems that people are playing better tournament poker: tight when the stacks are large compared to the blinds, and a bit looser and more aggressive later on.


Has anyone else thought this, or am I just playing worse now?


Cheers,


Guy.

I have noticed similar in the Omaha games, they are tougher now than when they were first offered, it seems reasonable to me that the better players improve and the weakest players either go broke or lose interest.


Of course it could be that Paradise are manipulating your cards so that no-one wins too much and weaker players are kept in the game. Oh, let's just not go there shall we :-)


Andy.

Yeah, manipulating the cards, that's it. Here's a hand you'll never believe... ;-)


QQ second after the blinds. I raise. 7 callers.


Flop: QJ4, two hearts and a diamond. Nice flop really. I bet. 7 callers.


Turn: A diamonds. Not so great: big straight possibilities and two flush draws out. Never mind, the board might pair. Bet anyway. 7 callers.


River: black T. My hand is ruined as any K gives broadway. Check. 7 other players check. Nobody has a K. I win.


I couldn't believe that one.


Guy.

I haven't been playing these tournaments that long...only about 4-6 weeks (now, since I commited to these, I've been able to play on the same $100 bucks...but I haven't made enough where I feel comfortable moving up) -


I don't know...I can't imagine easier games...I usually see an idiot bust out in Level 2...and a few lasting longer.


I agree the shorter handed play (esp. the 4 players left) gets really tight...but in general...it hasn't caused me to go back to my bankroll yet.


Wish I had idiots playing more in my games...calling stations and chip dumpers.


BTW..what's your handle on there?


RB