Restaurant Tournament Strategy

[SaggyTTs]

Hi, all. I participate in a weekly poker tournament sponsored by a
local restaurant. The entry is free and the prize is restaurant coupons
or certificates.


The initial set up is 800-1000 chips, and the blinds move up every 20
minutes starting with 10/20.


My problem, I have played four weeks. I placed 2nd place out of 50 in
one of them, but the other three, I haven't even won a hand (footnote: I won my first one tonight out of a field of 53). I get
blinded to death with the quick increase in blind structure, and one
bad hand that doesn't go my way, cripples me in chips. People are
relatively passive (a lot of calling and multiway pots), and play
stupid hands.


My question is, is there an optimal strategy for a tournament in which
you have a relatively low amount of starting chips and high blinds? I
am playing ultra tight initially. This frustrates me, because I see
kids playing crazy junk hands and winning with a pair of threes. They double or triple up playing crap, and I bleed to death.
Eventually I am down to about four or five hundred or so, I haven't had
a hand all night, and I have to push with A10o or a pair of threes. Of
course, I get two or three callers.

Any tips?

[Elaboration]

love the handle...

play better stucture tournies.

edit:
sorry not helpful. If its really loose with a bad strcuture you gotta try to hit with suited connects or pairs, and push your big hands to the hilt because you will get paid off. If you are really cold, use position and limp on the button when possible to try and hit or take down pots when checked to you.

E

[lastchance]

All-in. The remedy to bleeding to death is to go all-in often. (not early when blinds aren't worth stealing). There is no postflop game after a certain point, you're just trying to keep ahead of the blinds so you can have folding equity. When it's folded to you in CO or later, move in. Most, if not all, of your decisions are push/fold.

[ninjaunderwear]

[ QUOTE ]
Edited by Elaboration (03/05/05 02:03 AM)

[/ QUOTE ]

Can't believe how inadvertently clever that is, lol.

[Jdanz]

you shouldn't be trying to hit with pairs and sooteds, cause you should be putting it all in pre-flop.

[Elaboration]

[ QUOTE ]
you shouldn't be trying to hit with pairs and sooteds, cause you should be putting it all in pre-flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pairs yes, but suiteds...not really. Whats the point in pushing with 67s if you're just going to be called by QT? Why play at all?