Am I too tight in early levels? I almost always end up low stacked

[Unoriginalname]

I play the party 22s. I almost always play like this:

AA, KK, QQ, AK: Raise. Usually 3xbb, depending on position and if I'm first in the pot. I'll often just call a raise with AK and sometimes QQ.

AQ: Depends on how I feel. Almost always fold from EP. Sometimes call or sometimes raise in middle and late position.

77-JJ (Level 1 & 2 only. Level 3 also, if i have accumlated 1000 or more chips): Limp from any position and try to hit a set.

22-66: Limp from middle and late position; fold from early position.

Everything else (in first 3 levels if nothing unusual happens): Fold

I seem to very frequently end up in level 4 blind levels with around 600 chips, or level 5 blinds with about 500 chips. Is this the norm? Am I not extracting enough chips in the early stages of the game? If so, where should I try to pick up extra chips?

I would especially appreciate comments from anyone who has, or is capable of beating the 22s or 33s at 20% or higher ROI's.

[Quercus]

I end up in the same position fairly often. I've been playing more aggressively - especially with position to try and compensate. Jury is still out, but early evidence is that I'm usually in better shape when the bubble rolls around.

It wasn't nearly as much an issue for me in the 11s and 22s because the bubble came earlier. In the 33s, a few less donkeys means its not uncommon to have 7-8 players left in level 4 or 5. Sitting on 550-600 chips in level 5 with 6 opponents sucks.

[Matt R.]

I think this is too tight. I tend to be on the loose side unless my table is crazy, as I think you should start trying to accumulate chips from the very beginning. I always raise AQ unless there are a lot of limpers in the pot (then I'll limp along with them sometimes). I raise JJ and TT from any position, I raise 88-99 from EP sometimes if my stack is big enough. I'll limp all other pocket pairs from anywhere (I'll raise from LP with something like 44+ a lot). BTW, most of the time I'm saying raise is with no limpers in yet... with limpers I'll often just call. I also like raising AJ/KQ from most positions. And I'll open-raise almost any ace or something like KJ/KT from LP (I like to raise stuff like A8s and A9s from MP) if the blinds seem tight.

You also mention that you just call with hands like AK or QQ. I'll often re-raise with these hands (AK I'll call a lot, depending on the pot size). It depends on where the raise is from, but I usually reraise QQ and often JJ and TT (TT if the pot is a large portion of my stack). I'll limp a lot with suited connectors and suited aces in LP as well.

These are very rough guidelines though... I tighten up considerably in the early levels if the game is too loose -- I don't like wasting chips if I get called too much preflop. A lot of this is way looser than what most 2+2'ers recommend for the 22's/33's too, but I prefer it. Before you try to loosen up though, you need to be very comfortable post-flop or your results will probably suffer.

[Manque]

I think whether to loosen up or not early has to do with how comfortable you are playing post-flop. More often than not I find myself in the same position as you when the blinds reach 100. I play the 22's and usually the players will start tightening up at this blind lvl.

I push any 2 if it's folded to me on the sb. I'd also push if I'm in the blinds and 1 or 2 players limp in. And I'd usally push if the button or sb mini-raises.

Other than that, unless there is a compelling reason not to, I'd push any Ace-Picture/ pair down to nines in any position.

During lvl 2-3 calling with lower pockets to see a set costs you too many chips for the times you hit a set. Im pretty certain, if some1 has the math to back it up id appreciate it. I also usually end up with 600-700 chips when the blinds are 50/100, and then start to begin making steals where appropriate.