I seem to do better in $600 MTTs

[betgo]

I played in the Paradise Masters yesterday and came in 169th. 150 places pay. I could have snuck into the money, but I busted out calling a raise by a big stack LAG where I was slightly ahead plus had lots of pot odds.

I haven't made big money yet, but I always seem to do well in these. Early, I just raise with big hands and limp with speculative hands. Usually, I get paid off big when I hit. This time I busted out two of the obvious loose fish at my initial table.

This time I didn't steal raise at all later on, because the play was too loose. However, sometimes on Party I will steal raise a lot, particularly with a big stack.

Later on the moves were fairly obvious with shallow money, based on hands, stack, position, and players.

I find these easier than lower buyin MTTs. I don't know if it is the slow structure, the fish at the beginning, or the decent players later on who are reasonably predictable. I wonder if I should mainly play at this level live or online rather than grinding it out at chaper MTTs, SNGs, and cash games. I guess if I win a big prize I will have the bankroll to experiment with that.

What are other people's experiences with MTTs at this level?

[mikeyworm]

my non helpful experience is that I have lost in all 3 600+ buyins that I have played with KK vs. AA AI preflop. fun.

[ThrillFactor]

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my non helpful experience is that I have lost in all 3 600+ buyins that I have played with KK vs. AA AI preflop. fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

Also KK v AA preflop, then AQs v A7o on an Ahigh flop... river 7. That particular fish was still around 2/3 of the way thru.

[betgo]

I find I pretty consistantly make it atleast close to the cash. I think maybe the slow structure makes it possible to gradually gain chips from weak players.

I was in 15th place in a $500 on Stars and lost three allin hands in a row in late position action AQ vs. TT, AQ vs. KTs, and KQo vs. QJs. It happens.

[Qcity]

I have been doing really well on big buy in tourneys like Pearl at Paradise ($150), 4 table max ($250) and 10 mam-minis ($300). I too have found the cheaper tourneys much more difficult for a variety of reasons. If you have had some success in big tourneys, you should try to keep playing them. If you don't have the bankroll to start, then you can play qualifiers until you can build a bank roll.