No Limit Texas Hold Em Multi Table Tournaments
No Limit Texas Hold Em Multi Table Tournaments
I played in a number of large, multi-table no limit tournamentsA� over the weekend. I had some success in a few of them, making the money in several and a final table on one, but I noticed a few things that I have seen before, but I thought it worth calling your attention to. If you have any desire to succeed in these large tournaments with hundreds or even thousands of entrants, there are a few tips to keep in mind.
First of all, most poker sites offer a number of pretty juicy tournaments on Sundays, especially. They range from $24+2 on the low scale to $240+$16 on the high. Obviously, if you have the money, there is nothing wrong with just buying in directly to the ones that you want to play in. However, I think you are foolish if you don't at least take a look at the satellites being offer. Usually you can get into the tournaments you want, at a fraction of the cost, if you just take the time to plan it out.
For example, the $750k Sunday tournament is $216 total buy in. At the very least, if you want to play in it, take a look at the $69+$6 9-player Sit n Go's that are being offered all the time leading up to the event. The nice thing about these is that you do not have to win. You simply have to place in the top 3. This is generally the method that I use to enter this big tournament, specifically, and I have never not made the top 3. Obviously, you can get unlucky and bust out, but with very little effort, you can save yourself, $141. It really isn't the money that is an issue (or maybe it is) but it is just a smart play to save part of your bankroll if you can. Why pay the entire entry fee if you don't have to? Since these are 9-player events, they tend to be very quick, as well, most not even lasting to the hour long mark. You don't have to waste much time playing in them. Isn't $141 savings for an hour's worth of play worth your time?
Another thing that I notice is the abundance of players that will willingly enter into huge pots or all-ins in the first few hands. What this accomplishes, I have no idea. You simply cannot do enough good by doubling up to make up for the risk of busting out. If you start with $3k in chips, it is certainly going to take far more than $6k to make the money, so why be so obsessed with doubling up? It just doesn't make sense. I know I have talked about it before, but it is worth driving the point home again: these large tournaments are marathons, not sprints. Don't give into the temptation to call that all-in in the first hand unless you have pocket Aces and even then, be aware, bad beats happen. Why risk your tournament before you even get a chance to play?
Another commonality that I see over and over is playing position too much early on. At a table I was at in a $75-$65k total purse event, there were several players that got themselves into hands where they lost large amounts of chips just by trying to play position too much.
By this, I mean, raising from the button to try and get the blinds to fold. That's a fine idea later on, but why get into a pissing match over $90 worth of blinds? I saw these players lose, huge amounts of their chips, by making raises, being re-raised, etc, etc, etc. Save those plays for later on when they mean something. Later those blinds will be important, but early, the risk is not worth the gain. You can get into way more hands than you should be into with inferior cards, if you play position too much early in the game. Relax and wait.
Last, quit getting all hot and bothered by those small pocket pairs! If I had to choose another area that I watched player after player get himself/herself into trouble, it would be playing too aggressively withA� hands like 3-3 or 5-5.
The problem with these hands is, if you raise big with them, the only hands that can call you are the ones that can beat you. You are going to have way too many players only too happy to call your pre-flop raise with K-J, A-9, Q-T, etc. If over-cards come on the flop, be sure that someone else has one and your pocket 4's are toast. About the only hope you have is to hit your set with these cards, so why risk a pile of chips on a 1:8 chance? Better to be a bit more conservative with these hands and then shut them down post flop if they don't hit or you don't have a chance to steal.
If you keep some of these basic guidelines in mind, you will go much further in these tournaments and make the money most of the time.
I played in a number of large, multi-table no limit tournamentsA� over the weekend. I had some success in a few of them, making the money in several and a final table on one, but I noticed a few things that I have seen before, but I thought it worth calling your attention to. If you have any desire to succeed in these large tournaments with hundreds or even thousands of entrants, there are a few tips to keep in mind.
First of all, most poker sites offer a number of pretty juicy tournaments on Sundays, especially. They range from $24+2 on the low scale to $240+$16 on the high. Obviously, if you have the money, there is nothing wrong with just buying in directly to the ones that you want to play in. However, I think you are foolish if you don't at least take a look at the satellites being offer. Usually you can get into the tournaments you want, at a fraction of the cost, if you just take the time to plan it out.
For example, the $750k Sunday tournament is $216 total buy in. At the very least, if you want to play in it, take a look at the $69+$6 9-player Sit n Go's that are being offered all the time leading up to the event. The nice thing about these is that you do not have to win. You simply have to place in the top 3. This is generally the method that I use to enter this big tournament, specifically, and I have never not made the top 3. Obviously, you can get unlucky and bust out, but with very little effort, you can save yourself, $141. It really isn't the money that is an issue (or maybe it is) but it is just a smart play to save part of your bankroll if you can. Why pay the entire entry fee if you don't have to? Since these are 9-player events, they tend to be very quick, as well, most not even lasting to the hour long mark. You don't have to waste much time playing in them. Isn't $141 savings for an hour's worth of play worth your time?
Another thing that I notice is the abundance of players that will willingly enter into huge pots or all-ins in the first few hands. What this accomplishes, I have no idea. You simply cannot do enough good by doubling up to make up for the risk of busting out. If you start with $3k in chips, it is certainly going to take far more than $6k to make the money, so why be so obsessed with doubling up? It just doesn't make sense. I know I have talked about it before, but it is worth driving the point home again: these large tournaments are marathons, not sprints. Don't give into the temptation to call that all-in in the first hand unless you have pocket Aces and even then, be aware, bad beats happen. Why risk your tournament before you even get a chance to play?
Another commonality that I see over and over is playing position too much early on. At a table I was at in a $75-$65k total purse event, there were several players that got themselves into hands where they lost large amounts of chips just by trying to play position too much.
By this, I mean, raising from the button to try and get the blinds to fold. That's a fine idea later on, but why get into a pissing match over $90 worth of blinds? I saw these players lose, huge amounts of their chips, by making raises, being re-raised, etc, etc, etc. Save those plays for later on when they mean something. Later those blinds will be important, but early, the risk is not worth the gain. You can get into way more hands than you should be into with inferior cards, if you play position too much early in the game. Relax and wait.
Last, quit getting all hot and bothered by those small pocket pairs! If I had to choose another area that I watched player after player get himself/herself into trouble, it would be playing too aggressively withA� hands like 3-3 or 5-5.
The problem with these hands is, if you raise big with them, the only hands that can call you are the ones that can beat you. You are going to have way too many players only too happy to call your pre-flop raise with K-J, A-9, Q-T, etc. If over-cards come on the flop, be sure that someone else has one and your pocket 4's are toast. About the only hope you have is to hit your set with these cards, so why risk a pile of chips on a 1:8 chance? Better to be a bit more conservative with these hands and then shut them down post flop if they don't hit or you don't have a chance to steal.
If you keep some of these basic guidelines in mind, you will go much further in these tournaments and make the money most of the time.
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