Draw Tourney Help

[Hedge Henderson]

I'd post this in one of the tourney forums, but I'd probably either be laughed at, or worse, ignored.

After several NLHE tourneys, our home poker group is holding a no-limit five-card draw tournament for a change of pace. We're leaning towards the two blind structure since we play our ring games that way. We're expecting two tables of six, possibly two tables of seven. For a six-hour game, I'm thinking of starting everyone out with 100X the big blind and (more or less) doubling the blinds every hour.

We've got the NLHE tourney down, but it's tough to predict how people will play a new game in a tourney. I'd be interested in any suggestions on how to pull this thing off.

While we're at it, does anyone have general advice for playing in a NL five-draw tourney? The only thing I've read on draw is S/S and I'm not sure what adjustments to make for tournament play other than the usual ones I'd make for hold 'em. FWIW, the crowd is mostly loose-passive with a few cagey players.

[Iceman]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd post this in one of the tourney forums, but I'd probably either be laughed at, or worse, ignored.

After several NLHE tourneys, our home poker group is holding a no-limit five-card draw tournament for a change of pace. We're leaning towards the two blind structure since we play our ring games that way. We're expecting two tables of six, possibly two tables of seven. For a six-hour game, I'm thinking of starting everyone out with 100X the big blind and (more or less) doubling the blinds every hour.

We've got the NLHE tourney down, but it's tough to predict how people will play a new game in a tourney. I'd be interested in any suggestions on how to pull this thing off.

While we're at it, does anyone have general advice for playing in a NL five-draw tourney? The only thing I've read on draw is S/S and I'm not sure what adjustments to make for tournament play other than the usual ones I'd make for hold 'em. FWIW, the crowd is mostly loose-passive with a few cagey players.

[/ QUOTE ]

In draw the better hand predraw almost always has a large advantage, unlike holdem where a lot of preflop all-in confrontations are close once the blinds get high. So when the blinds are very high, in holdem the situation matters a lot more than your hand, and if your steal is called it's often no big deal. That's not the case in draw.

[Hedge Henderson]

I guess draw tourneys are rarer than I thought. Thanks for the response, Iceman.

Sunday's tourney went smoothly and I took first place. I couldn't buy a hand early on but trip tens vs. an all-in short stack halfway though saved my ass. Two nice pat hands moved me into third place later on and aggressive play from there gave me the win.

[bygmesterf]

[ QUOTE ]

In draw the better hand predraw almost always has a large advantage, unlike holdem where a lot of preflop all-in confrontations are close once the blinds get high. So when the blinds are very high, in holdem the situation matters a lot more than your hand, and if your steal is called it's often no big deal. That's not the case in draw.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, there are some other factor's to big bet draw tournament play, having won several Planet Poker Draw tournies. Some thoughts.

0. You need a good hand or not, but you must always have a profitable situation. When you enter a pot, you do so with the intention of winning it, and have a worked plan for predraw and post draw. If you don't have a plan, you are going to talk yourself into making loose and unproftiable calls

0.5) Listen to your subconcious. Take your time, and don't make any hasty decisions. Anytime you are suddenly happy or annoyed, is a time to be extra carefull.

1. Get the money in Predraw. Drawing contests hugely favor the made hand. If a very large raise will get it heads up against a worse hand, do it. How ever don't this all the time, or people will catch on, and come in behind you, opening up a world of tricky post draw situations.

2. Be very carefull raising/betting after the draw. Anytime you open/reopen the action you open yourself up to the possibility of a very large reraise, probably done with a fairly big full house.

3. Corallary to #2
Be very careful in betting hands for value after the draw. People check and call alot, this can be exploited but you must pick your spots carefully.

4. Do not get into confrontations with large stacks. But you knew that.

5. Figure out a players calling capacity, and make your value bets inside of that. I.e if he''ll make a crying call for a max of 1/3rd of the pot, valuebet slightly inside of that. Again don't get carried away, or try fancy hold'em/Lowball river techniques.

6. Pay attention.

7. Position !!!!!

And a Bonus tip:

Specific to NL Draw as a small stack, If the action to you is more than 1/12th your stack, you should probably go all in predraw; IF YOU HAVE THE BEST HAND. You'll get paid off, and most likely win. This situation ideally comes up exactly once a tournament