Multi Table struggles
 

I have been very successful at one table SNG and am a successful 10/20 player. I have been struggling mightily in Multitable events. My problem seems to be that my tight agressive style doesn't afford me enough chips with aggressive blind structures. I have won an event in Vegas when we stared with $6500 in chips, blinds started out $25/$50 with 30 minute rounds. My style worked great, slowly building a stack, double through once when I hit a set with QQ, etc. When it got down to the money, I opened up and used my stack to pound on players (FUN!). I normally do very well in these structures.

I find with the multitables with low chip counts ($1000 or $1500) like on Party Poker or Poker Stars and with the blind structures (15 minutes) that I have to basically get hit by the deck to get deep into the money. I have finished 2nd once with 300+ players, but most of tourneys follow the same pattern....win some hands, double through once or twice, have about $6000K when the blinds get to $300/$600, hit any kind of cold deck and end up moving all in. I usually get it in when I'm ahead, but if you do it enough, you are going to get clipped. Obviously, if you move all in with AQ, you are going to get knocked out by someone with A9 enough to drive you goofy. I end up having to push with A-x or a mid pair, or I get a big hand beat, but don't have enough chips to withstand it.

Should I be stealing late more? It's so hard to raise from cutoff with K4 and make it $1200 to go when you only have $6K, but maybe I'm just playing it too timid and need to just let it fly a little more. I'm really struggling in these smaller chip amount/fast rounds type buy ins and my confidence is a little shaken so I'm looking for some good solid simple advice.

This email rambles a little, so I'll put some questions up for discussion:
What is a good level to start aggressively stealing? I feel like it's maybe as early as $25/$50 but my gut says $100/$200.
What % of your stack should you risk a steal with?
What types of hands should I look to steal with? I'm thinking I would want to steal with hands that could improve like K-x suited or Q-T.

Sorry, these are pretty basic questions, but I'm looking for some input. I just can't seem to transfer my success from SNG, 10/20 and high chip/long round tourneys (which are tough to find) to the $33 multi's on the web.

I'd love to hear from those having success at these. Thanks.

Re: Multi Table struggles
 

Your posting is basically my story too I play the conservative style and often find I am playing short stack game basically the second half of the second hour onwards.

What I am currently trying to do is change gears in the middle stages, as the tables tighten up trying to get a bit looser, build on the image you have built up the previous hour (of course when you get moved three tables over 10 hands your image is shot). Also I tend to go more timid if I try a steal and someone plays back at me as I then think everyone now will.

I do think our style of play has some advantages namely that it generally ensures we get into a position where the money is a possibility, the disadvantages are that unless a good run of cards come you are going to struggle to get higher in the tourne and we are always playing defensive poker, learning to mix it up is the key, but when you are a tight conservative player as a natural style I think it probably takes a lot of time to learn to be super agressive at the right times.

Currently I aam playing some rebuy tournies trying to play a lot of hands and play them agressively in the rebuy period, not sure if it working yet though.

Re: Multi Table struggles
 

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Should I be stealing late more?

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Yes!

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It's so hard to raise from cutoff with K4 and make it $1200 to go when you only have $6K, but maybe I'm just playing it too timid and need to just let it fly a little more

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Actually you HAVE to try and steal from the cutoff (unopened) with any 2. If the pot is already opened you pitch that crap as far as you can. I'd rather play K4 in an unopened pot on the cutoff than AJo in the same spot with 2 limpers or a preflop raiser. I think the problem that most people have with tournaments is that they put too much emphasis on the cards when positions and stack sizes are very often more important. Situations and the opportunites they present are far more important than the cards you hold.

Experiment. Raise in position regadless of the cards and see what happens. You might be surpised.

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What is a good level to start aggressively stealing?

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Typically I play strictly the cards for the first 3 or 4 levels. Once you get past the first break is when I start looking for any opportunity or situation to steal.

Re: Multi Table struggles
 

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it. I totally agree that I need to start playing position/situation more than my cards after the initial stages.

I hope to get some more input on this post, but this was very helpful and concise.

Re: Multi Table struggles
 

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Typically I play strictly the cards for the first 3 or 4 levels. Once you get past the first break is when I start looking for any opportunity or situation to steal.

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Does this mean that you ignore position in the early going? I don't agree if that is the case.

Re: Multi Table struggles
 

I think you might want to read
eMarkM's post

Re: Multi Table struggles
 

In comparison to your live win experience, your argument about 15 minute levels holds no merit as you get to see at least twice, sometimes three times as many hands in that time online, so it would be equivalent to greater than 30 minutes of live play.

Now on to something constructive. When you only have 6000 and the blinds are 300-600, you gotta make something happen. So yes, let it fly and steal when you have position. Go find The Fox and Farmer story by Chuck Thompson, there should be a link at playwinningpoker.com. It is about limit poker tournaments, but can translate to no-limit in terms of taking chances at the appropriate times.

Re: Multi Table struggles
 

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Does this mean that you ignore position in the early going?

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Of course not! But I won't make pure position plays like raising K4 in the cutoff because many won't let you steal here because it isn't expensive enough.

First couple of rounds I play very tight and always with total cognizance of my position as it is always better than cards unless you have AA.

Re: Multi Table struggles
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Does this mean that you ignore position in the early going?

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course not! But I won't make pure position plays like raising K4 in the cutoff because many won't let you steal here because it isn't expensive enough.

First couple of rounds I play very tight and always with total cognizance of my position as it is always better than cards unless you have AA.

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Thanks. I figured as much, but I just wanted you to clarify so people didn't take it the wrong way.

Re: Multi Table struggles
 

There is no player that can win a huge multi-table tournament without help from the deck.