Limit Tournament Strategy

[uvickid]

I'm playing in my first semi-major live limit tournament in a couple of weeks and i'm trying to solidify a strategy. My style of play can very but I understand the necessity to play extremely tight in the first several levels so a.) the bozos can chip away at each others stacks and b.) a pot earned in level one probably won't cover a round of blinds in level 3. My question for everyone is at what level (and at what chip stack), if at all, would it be all right to start playing marginal draw hands and overcards like JToffsuit, AQoff, KToff??

I just don't see any value in playing JT (suited or not) in the early rounds because it can get you in trouble...

Any additional comments or suggestions on limit tournament strategy would be much appreciated...

[SossMan]

Limit tourney??

http://www.eingang.org/MichaTales/MichaTales2/scared.gif

[Dan Burns]

Hey uvickid. I qualified for a major limit tourney and am trying to get good at it too. It seems from your post like you want to start playing marginal hands at some point. Don't be eager to. I would only play them when there's some potential to steal the blinds. Say I have 2,000 at the 200/400 (100/200 blinds)level and its folded to me in LP. Then I might raise with a JT because there's a good chance you'll take the blinds and if not, you have a hand that could hit a good flop. The only other time in a tourney I'd play a JTo or a QTs or something like that is when I'm in the SB and can call for half a bet or when there are a lot of limpers EARLY in the tournament and you are on the button or one off of it.
The more simple answer to your question is, I think it's worth it to try stealing the blinds when picking them up will increase your stack by about 10 percent, give or take a few percent. Earlier than that you're looking to limp with no-gap suited connectors and small pairs in multiway pots only when you have position. Do that sparingly though. If you can afford to wait for AK or better with your chip stack, do so. Good luck. -Dan

[uvickid]

hey dan, thanks so much for the help, but your reply has raised a new question about my game. you mentioned playing baby pairs early in the tournament (which i implied as advice to not play baby pairs later in the tournament)...I was considering calling every pocket pair (regardless of size) to see a flop. Now that is starting to seem unreasonable if my stack is around 5,000 and the blinds are 300/600. In regards to baby pairs, when do you think it makes sense to play. I'm thinking if my stack is around 15times the big bet (after level four) and i have position then i can rationalize playing pocket 3's or 4's. Do you agree??

Thanks again for your help...

[zaxx19]

Bump what soss said....do you guys really enjoy limit tourneys?? Hell I can even stand limit ringames ..unless its 8ob.

[Dan Burns]

I would say late in the tournament, you should be dumping most of your small pocket pairs, or raising if it's folded to you in LP. Also, if you have something like 99, don't cold call a raise. Fold or three-bet. The only time I would just call with a pair in the late/middle stages of a tourney is on the button after a bunch of limpers or in the SB after a bunch of limpers. That's going to be rare, since people will limp less frequently as the limits become a bigger part of their stack.
I think it's a bad idea to call with every pocket pair, even early in the tournament. You want to make sure you'll get a little action if you flop your set. It's not worth it limping because you might get action if you flop your set. You have to be relatively sure and the only way to gauge that is to be in LP and see how many people enter the pot. Good luck. -Dan

[uvickid]

Makes a lot of sense, thanks Dan...good luck to you as well.