TAG Strategy: Early in a Tourney

[SparrowHawk]

Sometimes you just don't get cards: k3, 95, a6o, ext.
The blinds are increasing and the table is playing LA/LP- 3-5 callers on raises.

Maybe 2-3 players are seasoned enough to "pay attention" to who is betting and who is not.

Do you decide to play a mariginal hand from a late position to gain some chip equity?

Maybe an UTG bluff to limit the field with a small pocket pair?

This is a situation that occurs often in a BNM or for that matter online tourny.

Would love to hear some TAG strategies.

[Tailgunner]

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Do you decide to play a mariginal hand from a late position to gain some chip equity?

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Depends on how the blinds are playing. Aggression doesn't beat this table, patience does. I'd be looking at trying to limp in more often and taking advantage of their LAP/LAG tendencies when you hit the flop well.


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Maybe an UTG bluff to limit the field with a small pocket pair?

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Small pairs play well in a large field.. I may raise for value against a table like this where I think the implied odds are strong enough, but not to thin the field.

[SparrowHawk]

Yep. But that is the dilemma. Table aggression won't work. You're blinding down. You almost have to go into short stack mode and hope your raise garners some respect.

hummm. Me to ponder more.

[Tailgunner]

Part of the problem you describe in this situation is not only are you facing the LAGs, who may respect your raises if you've been playing tight, but you've also got a bunch of LAPs, who don't respect anything. You're gonna need some kind of hand to make a stand here, and if the cards don't come to you... well, sooner or later you just gotta lay it all on the line with whatever you can find.

This is why I like limping in more often, as long as there's not too much preflop aggression. You've got a better chance to hit some kind of hand if you're involved in more hands. There's a good chance when you do hit you can expect the LAGs to bet for you. Even if they don't you still have the LAPs waiting to calling down anybody. This kind of distribution of players tends to balance out the hazards involved in limping into lots of pots.

This tactic doesn't have to work for very long to earn you enough respect to start making some other moves.

Well, assuming you don't keep drawing cold [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[SparrowHawk]

Excellent insight.