the begining of a tournament

[anaindia85]

hello guys , i play poker since 4 years.....had my good and bad results. online i already had great results but when the big tournaments come, like final stages to wpt and so on, i always fail..... i have some question to you about something that i have been thinking how to do. HOW DO YOU FACE A BEGINING OF A TOURNAMENT? IF YOU PLAY ALREADY AGRESSIVE IN THE BEGINING OR WHAT? i have a supersticion, i have always to win the first hand that i chose to go....otherwise, i feel like the tournament will be nothing.....the true is that when i win a all in ( i whait always for a monster hand or just a pocket pair) in the first hand that i m in , normally i make a final table.

[Samba_SamPa]

Re: the begining of a tournament :welcome anaindia Honestly, I would prefer to face a superstitious player who 'needs' to win the first hand he enters - rather than a player who can lay down his AJ on the flop when it's obvious he is behind. The oft-quoted view that you can't win a tournament in the early levels but you can lose one couldn't be more true. Consider that the next time you see pocket 4s and feel the need to double up with them :ok

[GeordieGaz]

Re: the begining of a tournament generally play your good hands strong but be prepared to lay down big hands early on.... the time to get busy is in the middle stages of tourneys, when blinds are bigger and worth stealing :ok

[billy the punter]

Re: the begining of a tournament As GG says, there is no point in being aggressive (stealing etc) in the early stages, there is simply no value in doing so. And like Samba says, you can lose a tourn in the first level but it's close to impossible to win one at the same stage. In deepstack tourns many good players suggest you should play the early stages like a cash game - I understand that mentality but do not conform to it 100%. I seen a few really top players dwindle their chips using this tactic and face an uphill struggle after the tiny levels. It's suicide to loose a bunch of chips in level one on one hand (they will tell you) but for me it's just as bad as cutting yourself in half due to losing 10 pots, for example. That said, I will play plenty of hands in deeps stacks early on, I think how you play them is key. I do NOT play a LAG game (cash tactics maybe), I believe the way to play gambling hands is to adopt a loose-passive game. Calling with "busting hands" and callig when behind on the flop to outdraw, calling small bets and keeping pots small. Only hike it up when you have the hand locked - many will pay you off with an overpair (even in deep stacks). One of the rare occasions when I believe it pays to be the loose-passive mug. ;)

[anaindia85]

Re: the begining of a tournament well , nice tips......i m more in the mood of BILLY , its really a risk play agressive in the begining of a tournament, beeng knocked out in the very first hour is frustrating. but see.....my first live tournament , the portuguese championship sponsored by pokerstars, i got really good portuguese players in my table.....i can tell u , that everytime i talked and received cards, i was shaking....:) so i waitt for big ends, safe ones......all in KK took a AA , so i lost , after the rebuy , played some slow moves......than i finally risked again.......kk got again AA , IMAGINE.............FROM THE SAME PERSON..........WHAT TO DO. that s why poker is brillant and ........cruel