I don't understand your play

[tminus]

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I dont always play like this

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ok, not to be a prick but i cant place much weight on this strategy if you dont have data to back it up (like 500 games)

ive often thought of playing like this but I just cant justify playing marginal hands against players I dont yet understand (their hand requirements, etc)

im tight early because I dont feel like fooling around for small blinds. by the time level 4 rolls around i have a pretty good read on most of the players and then i start playing

[woodguy]

[ QUOTE ]
ive often thought of playing like this but I just cant justify playing marginal hands against players I dont yet understand (their hand requirements, etc)

im tight early because I dont feel like fooling around for small blinds. by the time level 4 rolls around i have a pretty good read on most of the players and then i start playing

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When you are in late position with low blinds, you can play many speculative hands fairly risk free, you do not need to know how the other players play, you just need to flop very good unusual hands and bust people with overpairs, sets, etc.

I think many players prefer to keep it tight because you tend to flop a lot of draws playing this way, and if you are not releasing iffy drawing hands, you end up spending too many chips and playing shortstack strategy in level 3, no fun.

The key is the price you pay to get into the pot and position.

If there is a and early 3xBb raise and an early call, I will often call with hands as weak as 5,3 as the more players in the pot, the less likely the initial raiser will fire a continuation bet if he misses, the more likely I'm seeing the turn for little more than what I paid for the flop.

Then there is always the added bonus of busting a couple guys with weak crap, then later it may help you trap the good players who were paying attention but do not know have adjusted your hand requirements.

Regards,
Woodguy

[AceofSpades]

the reason this works is because at the small blind levels the amount that gets bet after the flop is much larger than the big blind so that if you hit a hand you will get paid off more compared to the BB.

Of course this only works if you aren't calling multiple xBB bets without best hand postflop

[A_PLUS]

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ok, not to be a prick but i cant place much weight on this strategy if you dont have data to back it up (like 500 games)

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Um, not to be a prick, but I gave you the distribution b/c you asked. I wasnt offering it as a proof of my playing style.

I play a lot of hands, b/c they offer extraordinary implied odds against all players. I play a fairly mathematical game, and if you think CEV = $EV, I believe that being active in a 1500 chip MTT with 10/20 blinds is +CEV. Lots of EV, lots of variance

[SaintAces]

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I think I understand what you are saying Tom, and I play pretty much the same way. If I can, I will try to limp behind others with any marginal hand. This does not mean that I am playing 8 3o, but I will limp any zero gap connectors, suited connectors, suited Aces or Kings, two broadway cards, etc. The implied odds are just too big. If I do not flop a monster or a strong draw, I get out of the way.

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[Atty]

One thing I forgot to mention. In the early stages of a tournament, I will also plays my draws very aggressively (usually throwing in a pot sized bet on the flop). I do this for a number of reasons:

- If I do not hit my hand, I will still have a large stack relative to the blinds.
- It builds the pot so when I hit my hand I win more money.
- It disguises my hand. Many like to draw cheaply (or check - call depending on the pot odss), so when a scare card hits, they might not give me credit for it.
- If I do get caught with a busted draw, it allows me to play flopped sets or monsters more aggressively. Many will not know if I have a made hand, a drawing hand, trying to steal the pot on a scary board, putting in a continuation bet if I raised the pot, etc.