NL Hold Em Poker Tournament Advice - POST HERE
 

hey - I am playing in a big hold em tourney tomorrow - any advice appreciated - I am normally a cash game player - last time i played NL tournament I got knocked out early because I played the hand like a cash game - any help/advice appreciated - really would love to win - thanks!!!

Play conservatively until a couple people from your table are out or seriously weakened. Remember not to worry about how much money is in the pot, it's not about individual pots, it's about beating your opponents. Go in when you have it, muck it when you don't. When you have a hand and you're up against people with shorter stacks than you, make above average but not huge bets until 5th street, and then put them all in.

When you have a short stack don't go up against people with much bigger stacks unless your hand is unbeatable or close to it, they'll most likely force you to make a decision between folding what you've already put in and going all in.

Best thing you can do is wait for it to go around once or twice (unless you get AA or AK, AQ or KK)

A couple questions.

How big is the tourney?
What's the buy-in and do they have re-buys?
If they have re-buys, how many can you do?
What is your normal style of play?

Hmmm...

Too many unknown parameters to try to give advise.

The most important factor is the size of the blinds as a percent of the buy in.

Then, how good are the players? If half the table knows the odds inside out, and wins/loses based on reading their opponents, you better mix them up, early.

If you can't do that, you may want to check out 1-1-4 action.

first place probably gets around $40K

$120 buy-in with unlimited re-buys the first three rounds

I am agressive in cash games - I usually try and run the table with raises. this is why I need some advice - I have to protect chips better in tournament play.

I have made the final table a couple times in tournament play - I know how to play conservative - but I find myself wanting to push too - have to get used to the tournament mentality

In no limit you must play aggressive, but you have to choose your spots carefully.

A key measure is whether someone has more or less than 10 times the 2nd blind.

Those with less have to take risks, and you can score well betting to force them all in.They can't wait for perfect hands because the blind will eat them up.

And, always, always pay attention to position.

I'm trying to learn to play NL tournaments better now too as opposed to Limit cash games.

I think some things I've found helpful in the earlygoing are:

a) Don't be that aggressive
b) Don't bluff
c) Only go in on sure hands (or as close as you can get)

They seem to help in lasting a lot longer...but as people said above, really depends on the specific situations.

Note: For final tables/cash games, I wouldn't follow any of the above. Play aggressive, Bluff when it will pay off, go for it sometimes :)

I normally play passive the first couple of levels only playing the real good hands.
When the blinds go up I play more and more agressive.
But as many here has said you have to carefully pick your battles.

A big blind will eat you alive following this strategy. It is sorta correct for a small blind.

It is always good to get caught bluffing early as long as you don't lose too much. Think of how your opponents would read you if you raised the initial bet, and folded on the flop, assuming a raise.

i think that agressive play wouldnt hurt me if Im gonna go - but I never bluff - Im not smart enough to play it that way - the only time I would bluff is if I am already in the pot for a bunch of chips - I might fire off another chunk to protect to win.

True, but on the flip-side, if you get caught with bluffs early, they will be more likely to not fold to you later. Then again, that may work to your favor if you use it right when you aren't bluffing but trying to make them think you are :)

You **always** want your opponent to consider that you might be bluffing. Uncertaintly in your opponents is your greatest advantage.

It is a good idea to be seen playing a hand slowly early in the game.

By no means do I think I am a great player however, I have won my share of NL tournaments. Reading this post I do see mentiod by Paul Waters the most important aspect to the game of NL hold-em. Position, Position, Position. Learn position betting and you will vastly improve your game.

For example: A-10 in first position on a 9 -10 handed table is actually considered weak. However, the same hand in the big blind can actually be considered moderate or even slighly strong based on how many people stay in.

Using the same example, during head to head or three-handed A-10 would be considered a good call bet or even a raise in 1st position.

To sum up, get a good book on hold-em and study "position betting" I highly recommend Doyle Brunsons' "The Super System" The chapter on NO LIMIT hold-em is a must read.

Good-luck...

good advice thanks

ONE RULE,

Play the players, not the game. Texas Holdem is like any other poker. Don't play what you have, play what they think you have. Don't play what they want you to think they have, play what you know they have. Look at their face, how they figit. Keep track of who purses their lips when they are trying to bluff, etc...

Be somewhat conservative. Don't go all in unless you have a nut. If you win with a shitty hand, you might say, wow, I am so cool. If you loose with a decent hand you will say, "Wow, I am such a fucktard, now I am out 10th place and no rebuys for the last table."

Keep track of time and blinds... When a break is coming up and blinds will double to say 800/1600 you need to make sure you got the money for it. Play slightly more agressive. Find someone who is going all in on bullshit that you can cover and fuck em dry.

"All in, all the time"

:thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup

Go big or go home. :pimp

Wouldnt work offline but online NL tourney the strat i use gets me to final table almost every time.

Play very tight, Raise preflop EVERY hand you play, be agressive if you hit something but if you dont just fold unless you got a good draw. Normally my flops seen is like 30-40%.
Alot of people would probally be against this strat but it seems to work for me :)