How to handle Paradise Poker tournaments?

I've done several tournaments there but can't seem to perform consistently. I've tried playing tightly and patiently but the blinds eventually had me for lunch and making early moves without good enough hands can be disastrous also. I've done well at the regular tables there but that is when there is no pressure of increasing limits. Any advice? Is there quite a bit of luck involved or is it me?

yep u need luk

I have been playing the Paradise tournaments for profit for quite a while. Barring a tough break it is relatively easy to break the top five/four by simply playing smart. After that, some luck is certainly involved. Whether or not I finish first or second generally comes down to the quality of hands I receive. However, it is certainly not a lost cause. I have 118 tournaments in my log (I only play $6 or $11 buy-in because I'm poor) and I'm up $652. Now, I know this is less than $6/tourney, which isn't a particularly high hourly wage. But it still goes to show that the tournaments are certainly beatable. My strategy is simple. Very tight early, making moves only when it's extremely likely I'm the winner or I am very comfortable with my opponents. Slightly more aggressive play once the field slims, though at that point a wrong move can wipe you out, so I am still very careful. That's about it. It's pretty simple and effective. Good luck.

... except don't play $5 tournaments for a 20%/$1 entrance fee - start at the $10 10%/$1 entrance fee level.

I think you should avoid the $6 buy-in tournaments; that's 20% of your buy-in going to the house as opposed to 10% in all the others (barring the 109 buy-in).


As for winnability, you're right for sure about avoiding trouble early. You can't win much in the early rounds, but could eat into your stack sufficiently to get into blind trouble before the field's thinned sufficiently.


Lot of luck in the end stages with the rapidly escalating blinds, but the profit for decent players comes from the dead money left by the poor players who bomb out early. Just got to take your chances with the blinds and cards dealt to you in the later rounds.


BTW, I gave up with the tournaments after playing a couple hundred. They can be fun and/or frustrating, but the earn wasn't there for me compared to the ring games.


G

Now that the other sites are finally getting their act together with tournies, Paradise tournies are looking routine and boring. They will suffer a downturn in participation soon if they do not add multi-table tournies.


As mentioned, with good strategy, PP tournies are beatable, but far fewer people will stick with them once the other sites really get going, which looks to be soon.


I hear that Paradise looks at these posts quite closely, so please take this advice--you are looking stale at this point and you should not take your lead for granted. You have a great site and it is time to improve it.

Actually, I was just doing some of the small buy in tournaments for practice. Why play those when you can make more off a single hand in a 3-6 or 5-10 game?

There are many who prefer one-table satellite style tournaments like offered at PP. It is a good way to practice short-handed final-table skills.

The PP tournies have their place for sure. I am just glad that others are coming along and hope that Paradise adds new tournies.


As for your point about heads-up play, once it is heads up on the Paradise tournies, it is a crapshoot because the blinds are already so high. The skill that is needed to advance comes into play by getting to third place, then second, then first, not the other way around as it should be.