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Taking Your Tourney game to the Next Level

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  1. Zimmer4141 Zimmer4141 is offline

    Ann Arbor, MI
    United States

    Posts: 77
    Joined: Oct 05

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 8:59am)

    I guess this will be my introduction post of sorts to these forums. I have been posting on the FCP forums for about a year or so, but decided to post here more often because of the amount of top notch tournament players that post here. I have been playing for almost 2 years or so, with a few good cashes in tournaments of 5k+. However, I don't quite know how to take my game to the next level. Basically, I play solid, adjust my aggressiveness level to my table, but don't know how to flat out dominate a table as of right now.

    My question to anyone who chooses to answer is how do you become a top level player? I know it isn't a simple question to answer, but I am looking for insight into how to get consistent cashes like many people on this forum get. Is it always dependent on getting a big cardrush, or can you win without cards? Thanks in advance for responding.
     
  2. Crazy Cypriot Crazy Cypriot is offline

    Lefkosia
    Cyprus

    Posts: 2,632
    Joined: Sep 05

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 9:27am) in reply to Zimmer4141

    Hello Zim, and welcome to P5s. I was posting infrequently to FCP as well and know u from there. also , i ve seen u play around and i ve also seen u re big cash in the super.

    Firstly, i was rather impressed with your play at that FT, since i felt you were playing really well and you were more aggressive than your usual game. What i think your game lacks is a bit of recklesness when the table permits u to be reckless. There are some very critical points in a tournament, like the bubble, the final two table bubble and more importantly the final table bubble, where well if ur table allows u can play a very unconventional game and build a massive stack!

    If u turn it up a bit more at specific points , and dont be afraid to have some bad swings because of that... then the only problem is identyfying those times:) remember, not every table can be pushed

    Other than that i think you have a very solid basis as a player

    Oh and welcome to P5s:)
     
  3. Zee7 Zee7 is offline

    Newport News, VA
    United States

    Posts: 1,508
    Joined: Jan 06

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 9:37am) in reply to Crazy Cypriot

    I usually don't play tourneys, mainly stick to $6 turbo SnGs...last night I tried a $1 tourney, think there was around 1900 entries on pokerstars. I made it to about 400th but at that point it seemed every hand was all in or nothing. I had my stack at about 6,000, a little above average at that point of the tourney but with blinds rising it seemed you had to race every hand if you wanted to play. Is this the way tourneys usually play out? I'm guessing if you don't build a huge stack very early you have to be a lucky SOB to win.
  4. misterizx misterizx is offline

    Woodlake, CA
    United States

    Posts: 2,345
    Joined: Aug 05

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 10:09am) in reply to Zee7

    Yeah pokerstars tourneys are almost all that way. I think the size of the fields and the lack of blind levels on pokerstars creates a push fold effect for most of the field. I have been playing on Ultimate bet recently after wasting a year trying 1500player tourneys on Stars. On Ultimate bet the fields are small enough and the blinds increase slowly enough to actually have some play at final tables, much less on bubbles. Some sites are worse than others, Doylesroom for example is almost an all in every bet because of the blind speeds. So to answer your question all tourneys dont play out in this fashion but on some sites they do and on some sites they dont.
  5. dd dd is offline

    Monroe, LA
    United States

    Posts: 1,596
    Joined: Apr 05

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 10:56am) in reply to Zimmer4141

    imo you won't get really useful answers in this thread.

    investigate the teaching sites -

    realpokertraining
    cardrunner
    propokerschool
    pokermentors
    etc.

    speaking for my self, I recommend realpokertraining highly.

    GL,
    Steve
  6. 2Slick4u 2Slick4u is offline

    Atlanta, GA
    United States

    Posts: 4,767
    Joined: Jun 05

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 10:59am) in reply to Zee7

    I played a lot of pokerstars freerolls in the past with about the same results as you describe. It seemed like the only way to have a chance at reaching the final table was to play super-aggressive and hope to get a big enough stack to survive the certain-to-come bad beats. My usual results were to make it through about three-fourths of the field before running into a big pair or getting my big pair cracked. My best result however came when I made a conscious decision before one huge qualifiying tourney that I would be patient and pick my spots all the way until I busted out rather than just be super-aggressive as most players seem to play these tourneys. There were 5,364 players in this particular tourney. I was in the bottom third of the chip standings all the way to the end, but I won the tournament! I feel certain had I not made up my mind to be patient first and aggressive second ~ and to not panic when the chip counts of my competitors climbed into the stratosphere compared to my own in the middle to late stages ~ I wouldn't have come close to the final table, much less won it. Did I still get monumentally lucky to win? Sure, but I think my win was also a credit to the philosophy of "keep making the right decisions one hand at a time" and let the big picture take care of itself.
  7. misterizx misterizx is offline

    Woodlake, CA
    United States

    Posts: 2,345
    Joined: Aug 05

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 11:07am) in reply to dd

    So Mydogbonnie, your post isnt useful info?

    Just joking
  8. Zimmer4141 Zimmer4141 is offline

    Ann Arbor, MI
    United States

    Posts: 77
    Joined: Oct 05

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 7:36pm) in reply to dd

    So do the teaching sites go real in depth, or do they pretty much teach the basics of how to be successful? I feel I have a good grasp of how to play in most situations, mostly from experience and HOH 1 and 2. I haven't really watched many of the best players in action, although I have played with them on occasion, and I guess I don't really notice what makes them rattle off final table after final table. I know they are likely playing a higher volume than I am, but that can't be the only reason they have more big cashes more consistently than me.

    So I'm bumping this to see if I can get some responses from the more well known players I guess. If not, I'll let it die, and probably check out those training sites. Thanks for the links BTW.
     
    Thread Starter
  9. edub10304 edub10304 is offline

    Newnan, GA
    United States

    Posts: 125
    Joined: Jul 05

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 7:47pm) in reply to Zimmer4141

    Zim, you mean you folowed me here?

    dub
  10. Sterlin18 Sterlin18 is offline

    United States

    Posts: 90
    Joined: Mar 05

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 7:58pm) in reply to Zimmer4141

    Welcome Zimmer,

    I'm also new to posting, but have played for a few years and won some 5k+ tourneys too. You were right on adjusting your tabe image to the right aggressive level. I liked that, thats definitly something that I noticed that needs to be done later in the tournaments. I would also recommend, near the end is not be as loose with your hands but if you have a good stack and good amount of chips dont be afraid to come into a hand. Remember poker doesnt start till the flop. I think farha had a quote like that. Anyhow gl with the cards Zim.

    Sterling
  11. timzc1 timzc1 is offline

    Vancouver
    Canada

    Posts: 2,262
    Joined: Jan 06

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 8:32pm) in reply to Sterlin18

    I *doubt* this is any "expert advise", but speaking of profitable moments in a tourny here is one: when one's table goes from being very short handed, back to full, or when 3 players bust and the table goes from full to short handed.

    Sometimes players fail to adjust their play and if you pay close attention to these table conditions, +ev situations may arise.

    One other thought. Suppose you are a big stack and take down two pots in a row (with out showing).

    a few hands later you take down a big pot without showing. and then again the next hand.

    I find people will start to assume that you are bluffing / overplaying your hands (and maybe you are and maybe you're not). Given this *up-to-date* table image, I might strongly recomend tightening up pre flop / post flop as people are going to play back at you. Of course, if it is this moment that you get AA or flop a made straight, etc, you are in pure profit mode, as you have a very good chance of people overplaying their hands. Bet pretty big straight out and wathc the chips come your way.

    probably nothing new, but my two pennies for what it is worth...

    --Timzc1
  12. PuertoKid PuertoKid is offline

    El Puerto De Santa María
    Spain

    Posts: 916
    Joined: Apr 05

    Mar 1st, 2006 (3/1/2006 8:50pm) in reply to Zimmer4141

    Open an account for your grandma, brothers, sisters, and parents. Then play all of them in the same tournament. Use different computers for each, though.
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