Online Poker Forum - Finishing better than just your buy-in back???

JPHarris · High Card Joined: 22 Oct 2009 Posts: 17

So my experience with online poker has been lack luster to say the least. I've played online without any real success for about 3 years. I track my play, I know the basics, numbers, odds, strategy, etc. Generally I do well as long as I keep my game tight. Sit and Go's are no problem, I do very well heads-up. I can honestly say that the cash game swings are more than my short temper can handle, given that it's real money they just sucked out of me, not a representation of a predetermined buy-in.

Anyways, my problem arises with late tournament play. The late tournament (around the money) is always when I seem to take my unlucky beat of the... moment. I don't have this problem in brick & mortar tournaments, but online, I never seem to make the big cashes. Aside from the whole, boo hoo this site is rigged excuse (cuz that really doesn't get you anywhere, and it certainly isn't going to increase my bankroll), has anyone dealt with the issue of getting over the I got my buy-in back hump?

Any advice? Just tired of coming close to taking some time off of work lol.

nolan6 · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:47 am Post subject:

Im not really the person for it but i think it comes down to playing more aggresivley earlier on to accumalate a big stack, even if it means occasionally busting earlier, so that

1) you dont get blinded down near the bubble, and

2) you can put pressure on the other smaller stacks who are just trying to make the money by stealing blinds etc.

and if dont have a big stack on the bubble just think, i'd sooner have a 1/10 chance of winning the tourney rather than a 6/10 chance of min cashing and start taking risks/ moving all in, before your down to >10 BBs, rather than scraping into the money, cos even when your in the money, your going to have to shove anyway.

lurgertor · Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 2:31 am Post subject:

At that that stage, preflop play becomes more important, because the chip stacks are becoming more shallow over all. Its also important to have good notes on your players, because there's been a lot of play by that point you should know who to avoid, who to pick on and who will bleed you their chips. The best and most reliable way to do that is by making notes of what they showed down, poker tracker can also help, if you know how to use it. Also if you are still opening for 3xBB, that will leak chips, because since the blinds and antes are going up, people are generally not as eager to see a flop, therefore they're more likely to give up their BB, even against a smaller raise than at the 25/50 level. This will protect you against resteals, which good players know are a valuable weapon at this stage and give you a good opportunity to see some flops

ChipStak · Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 3:09 am Post subject:

yup, its all about the big stack early in the game, and sitting on it taking people out with powerhouses. most of theese tourneys are structured so that when you get to the final table 7 out of 10 guys are sweating it cause the blinds are so GINORMOUS that thier stack is dwindeling fast, then its all about choosing and pushing, unless you have the big stack.

bigpoppaboats · High Card Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 3

Late stage tourneys are tough, your playing the best players so far by then so expect the level of play to rise. This is when things like position, stack size and applying pressure matter most. You should be taking notes throughout the whole tourney, keep doing that and maybe they will pay off.
Play position strong but carefull, the trappers are waiting for this if you do it every time. Try to avoid the huge stacks if your not one of them, they can afford to call you down with mediocre holdings that may draw out on you. Also avoid the short stacks unless you got the goods as they may be in an allin or fold mode and you don't want to be rolling the dice for your tourney life so close to making the bigger money.

Hope some of this helps

Peace and GL .... see ya on the felt

hghlndr6 · Message Board Junkie Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 2858

I wouldn't consider play near the bubble to be late stage. Hours later ... when most remaining players are pretty short relative to blinds/antes ... when there's a significant pile of dead money in the middle ... that's late stage.

And I don't agree that it's necessary to build a massive stack in the early going. It is important, though, to maintain a playable stack. Whether you build a big lead early or just survive until you get a rush is immaterial. As long as you have a playable stack before the bubble, you can play through the bubble, stealing blinds and dead money, and taking advantage of those who are tightening up excessively.

OP -- you'd do better to post this kind of request for advice in the MTT strategy section. Guys who actually make it to final tables, and even take em down, hang out there and might not even see a post in this general section.

MattVegasPwn · Message Board Junkie Joined: 15 Aug 2009 Posts: 1051

Have 20 BB's when antes come. You'll be rollin.
^ Drunk advise

Pistantan · High Card Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 2

I some how don't find very smart to shove on the first couple of hands with A6 or K8 just because you gotta try to get lucky and lots of chips... Losing the buy-in that way just seems so... pointless?

From what you can read from pros or good players, it all points to the same place, 1st stage play tight, if you play well you'll get enough chips to handle the bubble.

The period around the bubble is in my opinion the crucial part of the whole tournament. At this stage you can easily double or triple your stack. More often than not you can steal many pots right at pre-flop and at 75% of the time a continuation bet at the flop will do it, at the rest of the 25% either you actually have a hand or fold it if they fight back. I found that people get so anoyed by the constant betting that they actually pay off big when you have a hand.

At 75% of the MTTs that I make into the money I'm in the top 5 in chips at that point. My personal problem is to loosen up too soon and too much and I find myself getting into too many pots with Q8 or A5 or whatever and end up loosing to a 46 or 75. I only won 1 MTT yet (with 360 players) so I'm not exactly a big player (on the contrary) but I find that I lose by not sticking to the plan, I can't personally blame bad beats, bad luck or hackers or whatever, all my fault.

If you find that your situation is similar, I recommend that you do what I did for myself, I picked up a notebook and on first page I wrote down my strategy for SNGs, MTTs and cash games and I make myselft read it before I play (for example in all of them I wrote in caps "don't go all in with jacks"). On the next pages I make a log with the good plays I made and the bad ones. It's kinda dorky and geeky but It has helped my game a bit and I find that I'm more focused in the game this way.

One thing's for sure you don't need to be the big stack in the final table to win it. Being on the short end won't help it's true, but being somewhere in the middle and holding on to double up at the right time and you're a big contender. At least that's what I see other's do...

Ze Flash · Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:45 am Post subject:

The simplest advice I would offer is always play to win the tournament whether it be a 9 person SNG or a 10,000 person MTT... at all times the number one aim should be to take the first prize.

This doesn't mean being a maniac and trying to build a massive early stack or even keeping a minimum M of 20 or anything like that... It just means that you should always make decisions based on whether it will help you achive a win NOT just a cash.

This can mean different thinks in different situations and obviusly depends on reads and position etc but for example calling another medium stack's All In with AK when you both have M's of 20-30.. chances are that at worst you are flipping and you might get beaten but a double up here could send you deep - generally choose the flip.

It's so hard to define but running really depp required calculated risks and just playiung ABC poker is not enough to get u there.

My 2 cents

Smile

MattVegasPwn · Message Board Junkie Joined: 15 Aug 2009 Posts: 1051

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