Matt
05-13-2005, 01:55 PM
"JordanC" <anonymous@punktemple.com> wrote in message
> #1- Should I still continue to play this conservative survival strategy
> and hope that I get enough playable hands to build my stack?
You've answered your own question. If the fish are swimming with any
two cards, and nobody's really raising anything, you need to get in
there on more pots and build yourself a stack. Loosen up the
requirements for a starting hand a bit more, especially when the
blinds are cheap. You said there aren't many pre-flop rasises. Why not
see some flops when they're cheap?
> #2- Should I be limping in late position with a hand like J9 or K7s
> against 5 callers (with no fear of a re-raise) as I would do regularly in
> ring games getting my odds, although knowing that I'm wasting my bet
> mostly when the flop comes unfavorable and I have no way of getting a
> laydown?
Yes. The other players, if they're at all bright, have noticed that
any time you get involved in a pot, you've got it. You're not getting
paid on your good hands, and that's why you always find yourself short
stacked. You've got to take your tight table image and use it to your
advantage - take down some pots early, build up that stack to the
point where you don't get forced into a race because you're short
stacked.
> #3- Should I play more "fearless" and raise pre-flop in mid to late
> position with a marginal hand like 98s and be almost assured of getting
> free cards to the river unless someone makes top pair?
If they're giving you free cards on a longshot draw, take them.
> Is there any variance in my play that I can make to build my stack better
> in the first half of the tournament so I'm not up against 2-3 huge stacks
> that will call any hand I have down to the river?
Of course there is. Mix it up. Don't limit yourself to one playing
style. The other players in your game probably aren't as braindead as
you make them sound. They know that when you're betting, that means
you have it. Take that knowledge away from them. Bet once in awhile
when you don't have it.
Matt
> #1- Should I still continue to play this conservative survival strategy
> and hope that I get enough playable hands to build my stack?
You've answered your own question. If the fish are swimming with any
two cards, and nobody's really raising anything, you need to get in
there on more pots and build yourself a stack. Loosen up the
requirements for a starting hand a bit more, especially when the
blinds are cheap. You said there aren't many pre-flop rasises. Why not
see some flops when they're cheap?
> #2- Should I be limping in late position with a hand like J9 or K7s
> against 5 callers (with no fear of a re-raise) as I would do regularly in
> ring games getting my odds, although knowing that I'm wasting my bet
> mostly when the flop comes unfavorable and I have no way of getting a
> laydown?
Yes. The other players, if they're at all bright, have noticed that
any time you get involved in a pot, you've got it. You're not getting
paid on your good hands, and that's why you always find yourself short
stacked. You've got to take your tight table image and use it to your
advantage - take down some pots early, build up that stack to the
point where you don't get forced into a race because you're short
stacked.
> #3- Should I play more "fearless" and raise pre-flop in mid to late
> position with a marginal hand like 98s and be almost assured of getting
> free cards to the river unless someone makes top pair?
If they're giving you free cards on a longshot draw, take them.
> Is there any variance in my play that I can make to build my stack better
> in the first half of the tournament so I'm not up against 2-3 huge stacks
> that will call any hand I have down to the river?
Of course there is. Mix it up. Don't limit yourself to one playing
style. The other players in your game probably aren't as braindead as
you make them sound. They know that when you're betting, that means
you have it. Take that knowledge away from them. Bet once in awhile
when you don't have it.
Matt