The million dollar question!!

[charlin]

I'm sure there have been several thousand posts just like this one, but here I go anyway.

I've been playing all forms of hold'em seriously for going on 3 years. I'm just a baby to most of you I'm sure, but I feel I'm in a rut.

Throw me in any kind of home game tourny(6-30) or small internet tourny(6-10 seated) and I'm in the money 9 times out of 10. But throw me into a 50+ seated tourny and i consitantly miss the money by 5 or 10 spots.

Now...Keep in mind these small tourny's the blinds only go up every 30 minutes or they just never really effect your play. These types of games really fit my tight aggressive play, which is really the only way I know how to play unless i'm short stacked.

My biggest question is....In these bigger tournaments, where the blinds raise every 15 minutes and severely dictate how tight a player can play, what is more important...Starting hands or betting stategy?

Should I play more hands while the blinds are harmless? Mid-suited connectors or Ax, Kx suited, or am I to much of a beginner to get the max $$ when I do have the hand.

I'm always learning from either a book, this forum, or experience...But I'm trying to figure out if it's how I bet, do i play to tight, or if i'm just plain unlucky in these bigger tests.

Now keep in mind...at most of these bigger live tournaments, it is nothing but FISH, half of them have only played once or twice in their life, and they play CRAZY!!

[SossMan]

[ QUOTE ]
and I'm in the money 9 times out of 10.

[/ QUOTE ]

nice use of hyperbole....no offense, but I didn't read the rest after I read that.

[charlin]

Hyperbole huh?

You have to realize that I play low stakes. To make the money in 9 of 10 isn't as hard to believe as you might think. In most online $5/10/20 single table tournaments you can almost fold every hand and make it to the money.

[flatline]

No one can make the money 90%. You have some kind of delusion going on. Maximum attainable is probably a little over 50%.

[TomCollins]

I think you figured out your own problem. You fold your way into the money. Doesn't work so well in big tournaments, does it?

[RFJ]

well single tourney games...u don't need to be increasing your chips size to come in the money but with multi tourneys if u aren't working to increase your chip stack u will get blinded out...especially the ones with antes. U need to know when to play aggressive..play with good starting hands...in a multi tourney a single bad beat can take you out of the tourney...so play tight but when u got the nuts grab em by the balls..Also playing more hands while blinds are small is the worst way to lose chips. for instance you call cause u think it's small then someone who has position after u makes a moderate raise...now it's not much more so u decide to call his raise. more often that not u'd have to fold after the flop..and if u play the flop most likely your hand will not be the best once the hand is over.

[jwvdcw]

[ QUOTE ]
Hyperbole huh?

You have to realize that I play low stakes. To make the money in 9 of 10 isn't as hard to believe as you might think. In most online $5/10/20 single table tournaments you can almost fold every hand and make it to the money.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you can make money at single table tourneys anywhere near 90%, then just forget about the multis because you can make a nice living being the greatest single tourney poker player in the history of the world.