Strategy Adjustments

[Lucky_Mike]

I've been playing a lot of live tournaments lately, but the way they are structured makes me think that strategy adjustments are necessary. I'm hoping for a few suggestions. First of all, most of these live tournaments are a small buyin (less than 100$). Usually there are 40-65 players and there is a rebuy period for the first hour- with an add on after this. Sometimes there is no rebuy during the first hour. In these tournaments a player begins with roughly 2500 in chips, but the blind level begins usually at 25-25 or 25-50. So by definition you are short stacked from the opening deal. The typical play style in these tournaments is loose passive. During the rebuy period other players only seem to value "getting lucky" and doubling up. For example, at the 50-100 blind level, i was on the small blind with AKo. It was folded around to the button who limped. I knew from talking to the player on BB that he was a tight agressive player who would only call an all in with a premium hand, since there was virtually nothing in the pot. I put my stack in which was roughly 1700 chips, with about 200 in the pot and the limper, who had less chips than me called with K4 suited. I really just wanted blinds, and i ended up taking the limper out, but this is just to illustrate the type of play we are talking about. My question is really about blind level strategy adjustment. The blinds usually go up every 20-30 minutes. Would proper strategy adjustment dictate moving-in in position with hands that you are marginally favored and hoping they hold up (aka races)? or is there a better approach to winning these tournaments that you BEGIN short stacked, and blinds increase at a rapid pace? [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[Msogard]

2500 chips with 25/50 blinds is not short-stacked, you have 50xBB. In the re-buy stage, push your big draws and play your strong hands fast. Your opponents are going in with weak hands and putting their chips at risk, so get them before someone else does.

[Lucky_Mike]

Yeah unfortunately within 45-60 mins of the opening deal you can be short stacked by just blinding. These are not casino dealer-dealt games they are player dealt, which means not a lot of hands are getting dealt. In theory you can go an hour of not getting a real playable hand (it's happened before). Then the tournaments become the all-in show.

[yecul]

I'm going to be in a similar one this Saturday on a freeroll. $100 w/ rebuys + 1 add-on after the first break. Participated in the same thing (~250 ppl) back in November. They had less favorable structure than yours as we got maybe t1500.

I was inexperienced (moreso...) and tried to play tight. But you're correct, it's much like a Party S&G where the blinds race up as the deal is so slow that you don't get many hands per level.

I'm going to play tight at first coming in with position when applicable. Then once the blinds increase a couple levels I'll open up. This is a freeroll and the top prizes are not terribly significant, so dropping a couple rebuys and/or add-on is not going to make much sense (charity event). I'll hit up the side games (actually, SnGs) if I bust out.

The play at these things is generally not very good. Use position and your post flop ability and take pots down whenever possible.

That's all I got...