HOH/MTT where blinds increase rapidly
 

So I've read HOH1 and about Half of HOH2 (done with inflection points section) and am now in the phase of applying what i've learned from the book to MMT tournaments..

I've had decent success thus far when the blinds go up at a regular pace, but not so much for when it goes up every 15-20 mins (as a lot of internet tourneys do)

I realize that I should be adjusting my game, but I don't know exactly know what to do.. I find that I just get blinded out.. or that my M gets in the orange zone really quick..

I know that I should probably loosen up and push my strong hands more than usual.. combined with maybe playing all small pairs and suited connectors if pot hasn't been raised and in late position.. but I don't know if that will be enough to survive the rapid blind rate..

Any suggestions would be appreciated.. I'd say I'm a beginner/intermediate at this point, and am very book oriented.. but my problem is that everytime the environment changes relative to book situations, I don't know how to adapt

Re: HOH/MTT where blinds increase rapidly
 

First of all, finish reading HOH2. If you follow it's principles, you shouldn't be blinded out, since you push with anything really short stack.

I don't know what you mean about playing suited connectors short stacked form late position. You generally don't want to play suited connectors short stacked, except really short stacked when you push with them as a semibluff.

I find the main adjustment to Harrington's endgame theories is for the looseness of the table. You play tight at a loose table and loose at a tight table. A lot of tables at lower buyin tournaments play very loose, so you need to play strong hands and make moves less. At the bubble period and afterword, play can be very tight, so you want to play more aggressively than Harrington advocated.

In SNGs and supersatellites everyone can be short stacked, but survival is important, so you may not want ot make as many pushes as in an MTT. You have to adapt to the table though. In some supersatellites with weaker players, people will bust themselves out, so you can just coast in. In others, you need to steal blinds to have a chance. Also in some SNGs it is easy to steal blinds on the bubble, so it may be worth it, even though you risk not cashing.

Re: HOH/MTT where blinds increase rapidly
 

thanks for the input.. actually the suited connector and small pair comment was for when I had a good stack.. just thought i'd mention it as a way to avoid getting blinded out..

And also, I mostly do move in with anything decent short stacked while I still have chips.. maybe 'blinded out' wasn't the best term, but it's more like 'eating heavily into stack"

Re: HOH/MTT where blinds increase rapidly
 

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actually the suited connector and small pair comment was for when I had a good stack.. just thought i'd mention it as a way to avoid getting blinded out..

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Suited connectors and small pairs are good to limp with early. Later in the tournament, even with a decent stack, you may not have that much opportunity to play them profitably. If you have 20xBB and someone limps, it is not always correct to limp in behind them, because you won't get payed off enough if you hit, and may have to fold to strong bets preflop or on the flop.

Later on, these hands may be good to steal raise with and are good to push with very short stacked.

I don't see speculative hands as a way to avoid getting blinded off, unless you mean by winning big pots with deep money so you have plenty of chips, but that doesn't seem likw an endgame issue.