Your progression through MTT's

[Buckster_uk]

I am fairly new and am only playing the low limit MTT's and SNG's at the moment, I was wondering the type of progress all of you have made. Did you start playing the small MTT's and as you cashed in more and more you started to move up to the higher buy in tournaments? What kind of bankrolls did you start with? Are you exclusive tournament players or do you also play cash games? Just wondering the kind of progress many of you have made.

[PFrese]

Buckster -

I have been playing online poker for about 5 years now and have only started showing a profit in the past 2 months. Literally. For the past 4+ years I have been a breakeven player at best. I was playing mostly LL cash games, SNGs, and some nolimit cash games. I read all the sklansky books (great foundational reading) and supersytem, etc. But none of it came together for me until I read Dan Harrington's books. I also read a couple of articles frpom FTR.com that literally changed the way I approach the game. So, my first advice - go read that stuff if you are serious.

Second, I have given up cash games. I only play MTT and SnGs now. There is enough strategic difference that I feel like I am not good enough or smart enough to be able to play both and play them well. When you see players that can play both well - respect that as amazing. Big time talent.

Lastly - bankroll - excluding the money I lost or won in the past - recently, i started with 600 in my FullTilt account. I had lost most of it, when I read the above material. I have since paid it back and have my poker bankroll well into mid 4 figure land.

Oh, I also switched to a satellite philosophy. Meaning, I did not buy directly into MTTs, but rather bought into the cheapest sattelite I could find (on FullTilt that is a 4.40). My theory was - if I am not good enough to win my way into a MTT, what makes me think I am good enough to win the MTT. 2 days after reading the above, I won a 4.40 satellite and then won that nights tourney for a score of 2,100 bucks. Having had a few more 4 digit cashes, I will now buy into the 24s and 75s, but still satellite my way into the 100 + 200 buyin MTTs. Figure I gotta dance with the one that brung me!

Anyway, thats my story. Good luck in yours.

I am also new to MTTs. I started playing on Pokerstars in August. Last month I was behind, I had put in two $50 deposits and won $130 at microlimit MTTs and SNGs. Overall I was down $65 primarlly playing at NL ring games.

I've decided to try only playing MTTs and SNGs in October. I haven't gotten vary far in the MTTs and they take a long time to play. The 45 player SNG play like a MTT and give me practice being more aggressive in less time so I can play a couple of games in the evening after work.

I am hoping to improve and stop losing money. I am half way through Dan Harringtons HOH2. These books are written in a way that really make sense to me. I don't seem to be able to apply a lot of math while I'm playing especially counting outs. This is very hard for me, at best I seem to be able to judge is if there are alot or few outs.

I seem to be struggling but at the same time I am making final table on the SNG on a regular basis.

Hope this helps

[C-Dog]

I have bee playing for a while online myself. And I would play all 3 types of games. They require different levels of concentration for me though. MTTs I play when I am doing some other things as well, For the first hour of most MTTs you can play on Auto Pilot anyway. I personally buy in to tourneys ranging from 1-50 dollars, and I just recently started trying to Sat into other tourneys.

Just keep playing the 1-20 tourneys and make some paydays. And msg Exitonly to get his spreadsheet because record keeping is tight.

C-Dog

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Buckster -

I also read a couple of articles frpom FTR.com that literally changed the way I approach the game. So, my first advice - go read that stuff if you are serious.



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I've never heard of FTR.com nor can I get onto it. What is it?

www.flopturnriver.com

IIRC.

[PFrese]

Thanks Robzor. Flopturnriver is the site. THere are a couple of MTT articles. One written be Radashack and another by ripptyde. Both are excellent and filled a few major holes in my game - lack of agression, lack of continuation betting, lack of restealing and repping a hand and camping. All of which I had in a bad way! Plugged the holes and now I am a winnah! Best streak so far - made the final table in a MTT (120 - 500+ players) 3 days in a row. Finished 2nd, 3rd, 7th.

Now my biggest leak is not getting ground down like before, but rather being overly agressive at the worng time, too frequently and making the random donkey play. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

It is MUCH more fun to play this way now!!

[burningyen]

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Did you start playing the small MTT's and as you cashed in more and more you started to move up to the higher buy in tournaments?

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Yes, started as a freeroll player last year and am now a regular in the $30+3 to $50+5s with the occasional stab at bigger ones.
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What kind of bankrolls did you start with?

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$150
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Are you exclusive tournament players or do you also play cash games?

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Both.