Sam Farha's style to MTTs

After watching ESPN's coverage of the WSOP Main Event and Sam Farha's strategy of seeing as many flops as possible with pairs, connectors, and anything suited, what do you guys think of this strategy in the early stages of MTT? Say, for instance the 10/20,15/30,25/50 level of a PokerStars tournament.

A lot of people say to play as tightly as possible. It seems Sammy wants to gamble with the blinds small in relation to the starting amounts.

Is this a surefire way to lose at MTTs since there are not 2 hour levels and the starting chip stacks aren't at 10,000?

Is it capable of working?

[ZBTHorton]

Of course it is. I always limp a few hands early on in tournaments that I won't play later on trying to build a stack.

But one thing you have to remember is that those tournaments tend to be much deeper stacked than our online ones. He can make big bluffs, and still have chips...where it's harder for us to do that online.

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Of course it is. I always limp a few hands early on in tournaments that I won't play later on trying to build a stack.

But one thing you have to remember is that those tournaments tend to be much deeper stacked than our online ones. He can make big bluffs, and still have chips...where it's harder for us to do that online.

[/ QUOTE ]

People are always saying to play ultratight in the early stages.

I may try this strategy out of gambling early to see how it works. (I.E.: calling a preflop raise of 60 with a 7-10 or 8-9 suited, etc.)

[Lloyd]

There is certainly some value to playing speculative hands early in an MTT, depending upon the table. But the structure of the WSOP Main Event (or other huge tournies) is so vastly different from what we normally play online that it can easily result in chip spewing. Plus, it requires an incredible ability to play post-flop against unknown players without the ability to make any physical reads. In short, I find that playing pretty solid poker with enough Shania thrown in to mix things up to be the right combination.

[dmk]

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Of course it is. I always limp a few hands early on in tournaments that I won't play later on trying to build a stack.

But one thing you have to remember is that those tournaments tend to be much deeper stacked than our online ones. He can make big bluffs, and still have chips...where it's harder for us to do that online.

[/ QUOTE ]

People are always saying to play ultratight in the early stages.

I may try this strategy out of gambling early to see how it works. (I.E.: calling a preflop raise of 60 with a 7-10 or 8-9 suited, etc.)

[/ QUOTE ]

really? watch some of the top stars players (bax, thebeat, etc etc). they don't amass huge stacks by playing nothing but AA-QQ/AK the first hour. you just have to know when to get involved in a hand and when not to. position position position. cold-call raises on the button w/ suited cards if you think they'll give up their stack on TP, etc.

however, it certainly works a lot easier when its a slow structure. i definitely played a lot more hands in the wsop me than i normally would online. but it also has to do w/ being able to get a read on the general strength, etc, a lot easier live than online.

[ZBTHorton]

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Of course it is. I always limp a few hands early on in tournaments that I won't play later on trying to build a stack.

But one thing you have to remember is that those tournaments tend to be much deeper stacked than our online ones. He can make big bluffs, and still have chips...where it's harder for us to do that online.

[/ QUOTE ]

People are always saying to play ultratight in the early stages.

I may try this strategy out of gambling early to see how it works. (I.E.: calling a preflop raise of 60 with a 7-10 or 8-9 suited, etc.)

[/ QUOTE ]

This is all fine and dandy. But remember to make these plays from the CO and button. Use your position.

The blinds cut our implied odds to crap. If we've got a stack of 1500, blinds 15/30, and someone raises to 120, calling with a small PP is sketchy and calling with suited connectors (even in position) is horrible unless you plan to bluff frequently.

In rebuys this is much more profitable, and in the deep-stacked tourny, I imagine it's mandatory.

[rockythecat99]

You can call any raise if you have a good read on your opponent and have position. Having said that don't go calling EVERY single raise with 75s because thats just chip spewing.

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You can call any raise if you have a good read on your opponent and have position. Having said that don't go calling EVERY single raise with 75s because thats just chip spewing.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is clearly wrong.

[play2win]

This is a good post, I like the question.

Personally I open up my standards for entering un-raised/mini-raised pots early. I also get a little more loose on my position, but never do it in the first UTG-early mid position. I will see flops with anything from low pairs to Qxs and suited 2-gaps from 6-9 up. I never get into it with anything but quality hands if there is a maniac acting after me or the pot has been raised 3xBB. Sometimes I have to muck it if someone throws in a good late position raise. I used to play like a rock early, and I never had much success. This seems to work much better for me.

The key thing is being able to let go of a hand. Sometimes I hit my draw and an ace comes out then some betting breaks out and I muck it. I also never draw at the idiot end of a straight if there is any betting. You are already getting the right price, all you need is the right flop, which will happen with the more flops you take. The key is having a less aggressive table, sometime your table won’t allow you to play like this or you have an “all-in master” that goes after limpers. So it doesn’t work all the time.

The nice part about this is if you can get the nut straight or a weird boat two times or so and show it down players will hopefully take note and be putting you on any two, so when the blinds go up and you change gears (which you should) and play solid hands others will give you more action knowing that you played a 7-10 earlier and got a boat. It will also give you bluffs on blank boards more effectiveness, others will know that you may well have a straight with a boring low board.

This post makes me think of a post I have been meaning to put up. Basically asking about how often 2+2er’s are changing gears (in MTT) and when. Also how to adjust when you are about to change and you get moved to another table. This always seems to happen to me. I invest time establishing an image, either playing tight and showing monsters or throwing suspect bets and raises around with weird hands then get ready to change it up and I get moved. Any takes on this?
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