What is the best advice for playing the $11 R on Stars? Loose or Tight

[Toddy]

I've been playing the $11+R on Stars and I'm wondering what the best strategy is. I don't have a huge bankroll so I can't go all in every hand like El Capitano. I like to limit it to 3 or 4 rebuys. The only problem is that when I play tight I might get to 5-6000 chips on the first break and the leader has 50K. Do you have to start off loose on these tourneys?

[betgo]

I play tight for the first 3 hours, but loosen up when everyone tightens up.

[fnurt]

You don't have to play loose if you don't want to. Make sure to rebuy right away. Because people are playing so loosely, you can usually count on one double-up in the first hour, which would leave you with 8k after taking the add-on. That's plenty.

The real money-making opportunity is during the deep-stacks period after the rebuy closes, when lots of total donks have big stacks.

[yabastid]

You can treat this tourney as a freeze out if you want- which I have been experimenting with. Take your first rebuy- play tight and play position during the rebuy period (hopefully double up once/twice), addon, and then just play tight solid poker. I think Chief had a post where he said he has won it a couple of times when starting the 2nd hour with 5K.

[Toddy]

[ QUOTE ]
You don't have to play loose if you don't want to. Make sure to rebuy right away. Because people are playing so loosely, you can usually count on one double-up in the first hour, which would leave you with 8k after taking the add-on. That's plenty.

The real money-making opportunity is during the deep-stacks period after the rebuy closes, when lots of total donks have big stacks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay thanks.. its really frustrating when i feel like i played solid and have 6-8 after the rebuy and people have 50k

[betgo]

I take the initial rebuy and rebuy if below 1500 and double rebuy if I bust. I don't play supertight, but I don't put a lot of chips in if I don't think I'm ahead. I don't play wild, but I might go allin with JJ or AK preflop if I think they are best.

I came in third once with 5000 after the first hour.

As mentioned, the second hour can be great for accumulating chips. However, the bad aggressive players can be tricky to deal with if you don't have a big hand.

This is a very soft tournament. I used to play this a lot, multitabling the first 2 hours. However, with the big field and the rebuy structure it takes for ever to get to serious money.

[Che]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you have to start off loose on these tourneys?

[/ QUOTE ]

There are two profitable approaches to the $10 rebuy on Stars IMHO:

1. Play super loose until you get to X thousand chips and then tighten up. Proceed with your normal game after the first break. Presumably, your normal game with a big stack (i.e. X thousand or greater) is +$ev enough to more than makeup for the -$ev that you experience during the first hour due to cherrypicking by your tighter opponents.

2. Just play good poker all the time. If you are playing good poker during the rebuy period, you will be playing more "loose" than you normally do. For example, if two rebuy maniacs get all-in for 200BB in front of you during the rebuy period, you will instacall with AQ because you are very +$ev against their ranges while you would instafold in a non-rebuy tournament against all but the most laggy opponents.

In either case, you should be playing looser during the first hour than you normally do. How much looser depends on how loose you normally play, but the fact that your opponents are playing so loose *requires* you to loosen your own standards or you will give up too much $ev by folding the best hand over and over again. If you do not loosen up at all, you are definitely playing suboptimally.

Later,
Che

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
In either case, you should be playing looser during the first hour than you normally do. How much looser depends on how loose you normally play, but the fact that your opponents are playing so loose *requires* you to loosen your own standards or you will give up too much $ev by folding the best hand over and over again. If you do not loosen up at all, you are definitely playing suboptimally.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is not necessarily true. A lot of times during a rebuy period I will check/fold top pair when I would bet out otherwise. Also, I will not put in preflop raises with high card "trouble hands" during the rebuy period. I think it is necessary to play tighter in some situations.

[Che]

[ QUOTE ]
A lot of times during a rebuy period I will check/fold top pair when I would bet out otherwise.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why?

[ QUOTE ]
Also, I will not put in preflop raises with high card "trouble hands" during the rebuy period.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you raise preflop with "trouble hands" in freezeouts? If so, why would you raise a trouble hand when you cannot rebuy yet not raise it when you can?

[ QUOTE ]
I think it is necessary to play tighter in some situations.


[/ QUOTE ]

Once you get above your own personal X thousand chips (see my original reply), this makes sense if your opponent also has a big stack.

Otherwise, I can't think of a time that tighter makes sense. Tight is out the window below 6000 chips as far as I'm concerned. If you can post a hand that should be played tighter than normal with a stack of <6000 in this particular tournament, I'd like to see it.

Later,
Che

do what you want until you get 6kish chips. i prefer the Fast tight approach (AA KK QQ JJ AK AQ AJ all in as fast as i can.) then just play normally.