Best way to build a big stack early?

[trumpman84]

Most single table strategies out there call for you to play extremely tight and play nothing but the best hands. However, I find doing this leaves me short stacked when the blinds are going up and it often commits to going all in when I don't want to.

I've also found that if I hit a huge hand in the early rounds, I have lots of breathing room and can steal a lot of blinds and bully the table while being able to take a hit or two when my bully is called. I make the money so much more when I don't win my first hand until 20 or 30 hands into the tournament.

I know it's not a good idea to bluff early in the tournament as all the fish are still in and you'll likely get called down to the river.

So is there a way to play an SNG where you can build an early chip lead without having the best of cards early on?

[Peter Harris]

without the best cards?

push with nothing and hope to catch something /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

If you start forcing it early on, your variance will skyrocket. Best not play unplayable hands and outsurvive players than press the issue and bust out.

Peter Harris

[TylerD]

Hit sets, turn straights and river flushes.

[Phil Van Sexton]

I don't know where I first read it (Super/System?), but you need to go after small and medium pots when you have position.

I wouldnt do this right away, so you have time to identify the true maniacs that will call anything. You must wait for a real hand to bust them.

Against "normal" players, if there's $100-200 in a pot and everyone checks to you after the flop, you need to bet the pot (at least) and try to take it right there whether it hit you or not. If someone comes over the top of you, you just fold. If they call, you can often just check it down and maybe win anyway (against a busted draw).

It is my experience that people in the 10/1s and 20/2s don't like to fold a decent hand before the flop, but they are often willing to do so if the flop doesn't hit them hard.

If this move fails, you still have T500-700 and plenty of time before the blinds get high. You are also more likely to get paid off when you do get a real hand.