I can't break through in a tourney

[Crispyk]

I've been playing for almost 9 months (which i realize is short term compared to most of your brilliant writers) But at any rate, I've been consentrating alot on multi player tournamnets and have been fairly unsuccessful until recently. In the last week i've had 3 chances to do very well at the end and I can't seem to break through. The first was a bad break when my Aces got cracked by a AK when 2 k's fell. The second was my three of a kind losing to a back door flush. At any rate, What is an expectation of making the money in these tournaments. Do the good players rise to the top Some of the time, Most of the time? Just wanting some insight from the more experienced players. What does it take to make it in the money more consistantly?

[GoSox]

Well since none of the more experienced players are answering. I've played in four 1,000+ entry tournaments and made it well into the money in two of the four. The biggest thing I can stress is to play unbelievably tight. It's amazing how quickly people knock one another out and I'm basically just stalling into the money.

When I catch a flop, and I don't see many of them, or when I get QQ-AA I play them to try and double up. I fold a huge percent of hands and then every 30 or 40 double up when I have great odds. I see a lot of people completely blow huge stacks trying to steal blinds or over play AK or medium pairs.

Two examples from last night getting close to the money. I get AKs, best hand i saw in about 50 and there are three people all in by the time it gets to me. I fold, one has QQ and another hits a flush on the river. Right at the bubble I get 1010 in LP but an early position player goes all in with 88. I'm sure there will be callers so I folded and both blinds each had an Axo and called; and there was an ace on the flop. I'm almost always just looking for heads up hands where I have a huge advantage. IMHO

[Eric P]

I have made a couple of final tables, and make the money probably about half the time. GoSox is right. I'm talking many about party poker tournaments, however in live tournaments i play a slightly more "live" style, but not too extreme. On party poker you can play a whole tournament with flops seen at something like 12% and expect to do very well. Remember never do anything to vary your play because no one is watching because the tables break up so much.

[poker-penguin]

Yeah, I've got a pretty good record in cheap multis and it is all down to fold fold fold fold fold.

Don't try to do anything fancy until very late in the tournament.

Let the idiots knock themselves out (but don't turn down the opportunity to knock one out yourself.