Sitting Out In Tournaments

[cec2417 0]

Recently I have seen several people sitting out for several minutes, even the first hour, of some of the larger tournaments (usually 1000 people or more). Is this a strategy that some people use to wait out the field or is it just because they may have multiple games going on? Sorry if this seems like a stupid question, I am new to this and trying to learn the best ways to cash in these tournaments.

[trystero 0]

They probably signed up for the tournament and forgot they had. This happens more often in lower buy-in events and freerolls. You wouldn't want to sit out so that the field would thin - you want to play early on when the worst players are still in the thick of things.

[Zach6668 513]

Sitting out is not the best decision. Period.

[DCJ001 0]

Sitting out is not the best decision. Period.

Phil Hellmuth disagrees.

[Royal_Tour 0]

because the blinds are so low to stack sizes, sometimes people dont respect pot sized bets, and some people dont bother playing the 1st couple levels because they assume they risk their stack.I dont believe in that tho, i think good players will play at any level during any time of the tourney

[sholden 0]

Phil Hellmuth disagrees.

For a tournament you hope to play for 2 or more days, yes skipping the "blinds are worthless" part in order to keep your "focus", "A game" whatever you want to call it for when the blinds go up makes sense.For an online tournament you hope to play for a few hours, then no skipping the start doesn't make any sense.

[Zach6668 513]

It's still usually dumb in a live tournament, because you're missing out on a chance to say double up from 10,000 to 20,000, at which point all of your subsequent hands where you're all in, or you have someone covered, will be maximized.I forget who said it, but I think it was Harrington, and he stated that missing any number of hands is just stupid.Online is even worse because you aren't deep at all.

[vbnautilus 48]

Yeah, if playing is -ev compared with sitting out, then you might as well sit out the whole tourney.

[timwakefield 68]

I think it's usually that people just aren't at their computer when the game starts, I don't think it's any kind of 'strategy.' I often miss the beginning of a tournament or will sit out for a few minutes in one because I'm on break in another and need to eat/piss/smoke/etc. You try to sit out at the early stages if you're gonna have to, since you usually won't win/lose much anyways at that point.

[iLove 0]

I sometimes come very close to sitting out of these games as in, I play very few hands at the beginning of tournaments. I do it because I don't want to play while the donkeys are still in. Why? Because they are unpredictable and can easily draw out on you because they call with anything.

[Zach6668 513]

lolLOL

[StupidKid 0]

I sometimes come very close to sitting out of these games as in, I play very few hands at the beginning of tournaments. I do it because I don't want to play while the donkeys are still in. Why? Because they are unpredictable and can easily draw out on you because they call with anything.

ZOMG QFT.GOD I HATE DONKS.I WISH THEY WOULD JUST QUIT ONLINE POKER

[aucu 3]

The only time it is reasonable to sit out is in a super-sat near the end if you have a monster stack, even then I don't do it.

[timwakefield 68]

ZOMG QFT.GOD I HATE DONKS.I WISH THEY WOULD JUST QUIT ONLINE POKER

:D

[StupidKid 0]

:D

Fluffwakefield??

[KennyMatch 0]

i did recently see an online site that I play in the UK have SNG's (10 seater - top 5 pays - equal payout). So basically double your money if you last to the top five.If ever there was a pay structure where playing no cards would yield a profit then this was it.I did a little experiment where I would join but sit out (play as a chair). I cashed 6 times out of 10 (at the lowest level) so won a very small amount.So I guess you could say that sitting out can be profitable. But this was a silly game really and can't understand why ppl play it.

[Pmaster 0]

Poker is a game of "situations". Also, if you feel you're not focused yet then sit out and just watch the game from the sideline for as long as you feel you can sit and play your good game.

[fitzinabox 0]

one time in a play money sng i sat out the whole time and second place. Best day of my Life.

[Pot Odds RAC 23]

Yeah, if playing is -ev compared with sitting out, then you might as well sit out the whole tourney.

Exactly. You have to be present to win.

[Sheiky 0]

DN sits out for the first few levels of some stud tournaments i think he said in his blog, but you're not as good as DN, so don't do it.

[timwakefield 68]

Yeah the only reason for that is cuz the blinds are so low early in stud tourneys that it's very unlikely you'll move a lot of chips even if you're there. But it's not like a strategy, it's just cuz Daniel is lazy.