Weird Satellite: 50% of field advances! Strategy??

[ptmusic]

This is a private tournament which has been split into two satellites. Each satellite advances 50% of the field to the final tournament.

Should I just fold every hand??? It seems like almost everyone might do that.

What stack numbers should I be thinking about when the bubble approaches? I won't be able to know how many people are close to busting, there will be over 10 tables. Also, I may be close to busting.

What would you do?

Thanks,

ptmusic

[webmonarch]

I would play extremely tightly. Chances are good that if you win just one decent pot, you'll advance. Push with KK and AA, sand really play aggressively with other premium hands. Fold others. If you do this, the chances are good the field will thin for you.

[ptmusic]

I'm thinking I should even fold AA.

If I always fold: for every player that has more chips than me, there is at least 1 player with fewer chips than me. This puts in the upper half of the field automatically.

Or is my thinking screwed up??

- ptmusic

[LetYouDown]

I don't see how you came up with that thinking. Assume you're the BB on the first hand. Everyone folds to the small blind who steals your BB. You have less than everyone at the table.

I do think playing extremely tight is the only way to go. I'd definitely fold strong hands in the face of any resistance...but they could see that coming. I'd just keep my VPIP really really low and push hard with really strong hands. After all, someone has to knock out 50% of the field, might as well be you.

[adanthar]

How many chips do you get and what's the blind structure? How many players are in this?

I have a feeling that proper strategy in this may just be to raise every hand in levels 1 and 2 and then fold in.

[Iconoclastic]

Depending on my reads of the players. If no reads then I would play normal Tight Passive until I get some reads and then play poker. Once I have enough where I can fold my way into the money I would do so. I doubt folding everything cept nuts from the get go will work- are they dumb enuf to play recklessly?

[WinBig]

Does your chip count carry over to the next round? If so I think playing just to advance is the wrong thing to do. If you all start with the same number of chips in the next round then play premium hands aggressively and stay out of marginal situations.

[ptmusic]

[ QUOTE ]
Assume you're the BB on the first hand. Everyone folds to the small blind who steals your BB. You have less than everyone at the table.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, good point. If everyone in the tourney folds all hands, then those that paid more blinds will end up busting just before everyone else. The losers will be those who get unlucky with the initial button draw or table changes.

BUT, if some players act instead of fold, the result will be that some (most?) of these "acting" players will have less chips than the "fold-allers". Then ALL of the lucky initial-button-draw fold-allers will advance, and many of the unlucky ones will too.

If I get a lucky button draw at the beginning of the tourney, I can't see how playing even AA is to my advantage.

[ptmusic]

[ QUOTE ]
How many chips do you get and what's the blind structure? How many players are in this?

I have a feeling that proper strategy in this may just be to raise every hand in levels 1 and 2 and then fold in.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is a private table at Absolute. So chip start is probably either 1500 or 2000, with blinds starting at 10/20 and increasing every 10 minutes.

-ptmusic

[ptmusic]

[ QUOTE ]
Once I have enough where I can fold my way into the money I would do so.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly my strategy. But what is "enough"?

-ptmusic