Change your strategy when you win a big hand early?

Bluff Daddy · #1 02-25-2005, 03:51 PM

The other day I tripled up on the second hand or so with aces and had almost 2500 in chips. I ended up busting out on the bubble and found myself playing much looser rounds 1-3. With a stack that big so early should your strategy change at all or should I still play really tight.

spentrent · #2 02-25-2005, 03:59 PM

I LOVE being in that situation!

I loosen my pre-flop standards a bit such that I play a little more like it's a regular ring game. For instance, I'll play suited connectors in LP and raise MP open-limpers with decent hands in LP.

But I DO NOT let myself blow my stack on the poker tourney equivalent of booze, coke, and hookers; that is, bluffing like a monkey and paying high prices for draws with good implied odds.

RobGW · #3 02-25-2005, 04:03 PM

Don't waste the chips you've earned. Play tight until the bubble and then be the bully and steal like crazy.

imported_bingobazza · #4 02-25-2005, 05:25 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I LOVE being in that situation!

I loosen my pre-flop standards a bit such that I play a little more like it's a regular ring game. For instance, I'll play suited connectors in LP and raise MP open-limpers with decent hands in LP.

But I DO NOT let myself blow my stack on the poker tourney equivalent of booze, coke, and hookers; that is, bluffing like a monkey and paying high prices for draws with good implied odds.

[/ QUOTE ]

take some measured chances to double up early, tighten up when you do double up, build yourself some credibility for later when you need to steal and bully.

unfrgvn · #5 02-25-2005, 05:38 PM

[ QUOTE ]
But I DO NOT let myself blow my stack on the poker tourney equivalent of booze, coke, and hookers; that is, bluffing like a monkey and paying high prices for draws with good implied odds.

[/ QUOTE ]

I nominate this for line of the week! I'm always amazed when I see someone double up in the first 5 hands and go out in the 2nd or 3rd round. Seems to happen a lot. I don't change my game a lot when I'm fortunate enough to get a big stack early. If you're in every other hand people figure out you don't have aces all the time, even at the 10+1.

imported_bingobazza · #6 02-25-2005, 05:42 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But I DO NOT let myself blow my stack on the poker tourney equivalent of booze, coke, and hookers; that is, bluffing like a monkey and paying high prices for draws with good implied odds.

[/ QUOTE ]

I nominate this for line of the week! I'm always amazed when I see someone double up in the first 5 hands and go out in the 2nd or 3rd round.

[/ QUOTE ]

It never begins to amaze me.

lastchance · #7 02-25-2005, 05:52 PM

I think you get a bit more implied odds to limp w/ suited connectors and pocket pairs, but other than that, nothing's really different.

gazarsgo · #8 02-25-2005, 08:44 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I think you get a bit more implied odds to limp w/ suited connectors and pocket pairs, but other than that, nothing's really different.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't disagree in the principle here, but I do think that it is incorrect to loosen up in a low stakes SNG here. You are far better off waiting until your chip equity increases at the later rounds. I used to give a lot of weight to the idea of playing differently depending on your stack size, but unless I am more than double the average I play the same game as I do when I have 10-12BB. Wait until people start to get desperate, until then just punish people with premium cards. In general, I don't see a lot of value with non-broadway suited connectors at all in SNGs.