[pokerlaw]

I have been 4-tabling on Stars this past month (albeit in VERY limited fashion, stupid bad exam...) and I started loading up 3 single table tourneys and 1 18 or 27 person.

I have been doing so well at the 2-3 table games that now I play 2 18s, 1 27, and 1 single table. Yeah, the % of people that finish ITM is less, but the payout is higher AND I cash in roughly 40-50% of the 18s and 27s combined (like I said, very small sample), so it works for my style.

I really like Stars' non-turbo structure applied to these, and there is more time to get reads of my opponents (including watching players on the other tables in the tourney). oh, and the final tables are VERY tight, so bullying is very +EV to the point that it becomes comical.

Here are two consecutive hands that demonstrate the extreme tightness (this is an 18 person, I'd been bullying a bunch, my KK recently lost to AQ):

*********** # 88 **************
PokerStars Game #2121080341: Tournament #10153734, Hold'em No Limit -
Level VIII (200/400) - 2005/07/17 - 01:36:29 (ET)
Table '10153734 1' Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: Ranger22 (1608 in chips)
Seat 2: metfan630 (928 in chips)
Seat 3: JayGod (3475 in chips)
Seat 4: jrderail (1743 in chips)
Seat 5: Squatch72 (1525 in chips)
Seat 6: MCELMER (8925 in chips)
Seat 7: Ozzy Texas (5827 in chips)
Seat 8: dersky (2969 in chips)
Ranger22: posts the ante 25
metfan630: posts the ante 25
JayGod: posts the ante 25
jrderail: posts the ante 25
Squatch72: posts the ante 25
MCELMER: posts the ante 25
Ozzy Texas: posts the ante 25
dersky: posts the ante 25
Ranger22: posts small blind 200
metfan630: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to metfan630 [Th 9c]
JayGod: folds
jrderail: folds
Squatch72: folds
MCELMER: folds
metfan630 said, "bring it!"
Ozzy Texas: folds
dersky: folds
Ranger22: calls 200
metfan630: raises 503 to 903 and is all-in
Ranger22: folds
metfan630 collected 1000 from pot
metfan630: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1000 | Rake 0
Seat 1: Ranger22 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: metfan630 (big blind) collected (1000)
Seat 3: JayGod folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: jrderail folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Squatch72 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: MCELMER folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Ozzy Texas folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: dersky (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

*********** # 89 **************
PokerStars Game #2121083410: Tournament #10153734, Hold'em No Limit -
Level VIII (200/400) - 2005/07/17 - 01:36:58 (ET)
Table '10153734 1' Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: Ranger22 (1183 in chips)
Seat 2: metfan630 (1503 in chips)
Seat 3: JayGod (3450 in chips)
Seat 4: jrderail (1718 in chips)
Seat 5: Squatch72 (1500 in chips)
Seat 6: MCELMER (8900 in chips)
Seat 7: Ozzy Texas (5802 in chips)
Seat 8: dersky (2944 in chips)
Ranger22: posts the ante 25
metfan630: posts the ante 25
JayGod: posts the ante 25
jrderail: posts the ante 25
Squatch72: posts the ante 25
MCELMER: posts the ante 25
Ozzy Texas: posts the ante 25
dersky: posts the ante 25
metfan630: posts small blind 200
JayGod: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to metfan630 [2d Ah]
metfan630 said, "AHHH!"
jrderail: folds
Squatch72: folds
MCELMER: folds
Ozzy Texas: folds
dersky: folds
Ranger22: folds
metfan630: raises 1078 to 1478 and is all-in
JayGod: folds
metfan630 collected 1000 from pot
metfan630: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1000 | Rake 0
Seat 1: Ranger22 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: metfan630 (small blind) collected (1000)
Seat 3: JayGod (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: jrderail folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Squatch72 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: MCELMER folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Ozzy Texas folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: dersky folded before Flop (didn't bet)

went on to take 1st...