Playing online tournaments with lots of no-shows

Toonces · #1 01-05-2005, 01:06 PM

Occasionally, I will play in an online freeroll where half the signups don't actually show up, and you are at a table with 4 other players and 10 stacks. How do you recommend changing your game? Clearly you need to play like it was a shorthanded table. But do you play conservatively to start or agressively try to steal early blinds that aren't well defended? If the event is not one where the stacks are picked up 20 minutes in, is it better to be conservative to grab more chips from the absentees during the higher blinds?

niin · #2 01-05-2005, 05:52 PM

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Clearly you need to play like it was a shorthanded table.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, not as clearly as you might thing. One of the reasons you have to open up your game short-handed is because the blinds are coming around faster. With so many people sitting out, you get to see the same # hands per round as if the table was full... meaning you shouldn't play it exactly like you're on a shorthanded table.

You do need to open up some, since you have fewer opponents, but it's not completely like you were playing 4-handed.

Toonces · #3 01-06-2005, 06:46 PM

good point, Niin. There is the same opportunity to steal but not the same risk of being passive...

Any other thoughts?

Al Mirpuri · #4 01-07-2005, 06:41 AM

Grab what you can whilst you can. Do not go to war with any active player though. You fatten up on the absentees.

Lurshy · #5 01-07-2005, 09:04 PM

I was in a tourney recently with 3 players to my left were not there. Not only did I get to steal, but I am on the button for 4 hands in a row out of 10 hands. Naturally, I got to bust people that thought I was always just taking advantage of my position, though often I was. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]