i seem to be getting stuck. help?

[nell789 0]

Alright, here's my situation. Last year when I played MTT's (online, low buy in) I would have problems getting past the first hour, but if I ever did with a decent stack, I could go pretty far.Now this year I've adopted a different style in the early stages of tournaments, play a much more LAG style, and it has worked phenominally, giving me a big stack to work with early, usually good enough to be one of the top ten in chips.This is where it all falls apart. After the second hour(ish) when my M starts to shrink and the blinds get big I seem to fall apart and finish somwhere between 30th and 70th.Anybody have any thoughts?

[copernicus 0]

Alright, here's my situation. Last year when I played MTT's (online, low buy in) I would have problems getting past the first hour, but if I ever did with a decent stack, I could go pretty far.Now this year I've adopted a different style in the early stages of tournaments, play a much more LAG style, and it has worked phenominally, giving me a big stack to work with early, usually good enough to be one of the top ten in chips.This is where it all falls apart. After the second hour(ish) when my M starts to shrink and the blinds get big I seem to fall apart and finish somwhere between 30th and 70th.Anybody have any thoughts?

Are you tightening up when the blinds rise and Ms fall? LAG play relies on implied odds and when the stack to blind ratios fall to even as high as the 50s for most of the stacks the opporunities shrink. Once youve got that big stack, tighten up and look for stealing opporunities rather than small ball.Also dont think that just because you are a big stack that you have the responsibility (or luxury) to take on all the races.

[nell789 0]

Alright, here's my situation. Last year when I played MTT's (online, low buy in) I would have problems getting past the first hour, but if I ever did with a decent stack, I could go pretty far.Now this year I've adopted a different style in the early stages of tournaments, play a much more LAG style, and it has worked phenominally, giving me a big stack to work with early, usually good enough to be one of the top ten in chips.This is where it all falls apart. After the second hour(ish) when my M starts to shrink and the blinds get big I seem to fall apart and finish somwhere between 30th and 70th.Anybody have any thoughts?

Are you tightening up when the blinds rise and Ms fall? LAG play relies on implied odds and when the stack to blind ratios fall to even as high as the 50s for most of the stacks the opporunities shrink. Once youve got that big stack, tighten up and look for stealing opporunities rather than small ball.Also dont think that just because you are a big stack that you have the responsibility (or luxury) to take on all the races.

Hmm, I do consciously(sp) think about changing my play, but perhaps I'm not doing it very well. Now that I think about it, perhaps I'm getting impatient as I watch the average stack creep up on me after I start tightening up. I think this might be leading me to gambling for all my chips in an effort to gain a massive stack so I can cruise into the final table.Or I might not be tightening up as much as needed, because my loose image probably isn't helping me steal pots from late position. Do you think I should possibly tighten up so much to the point where I'm only playing big hands to eliminate people coming over the top of me due to my image? If I did this I'd just have to rely on the size of my stack to allow me to wait for the premium hands.

[copernicus 0]

Alright, here's my situation. Last year when I played MTT's (online, low buy in) I would have problems getting past the first hour, but if I ever did with a decent stack, I could go pretty far.Now this year I've adopted a different style in the early stages of tournaments, play a much more LAG style, and it has worked phenominally, giving me a big stack to work with early, usually good enough to be one of the top ten in chips.This is where it all falls apart. After the second hour(ish) when my M starts to shrink and the blinds get big I seem to fall apart and finish somwhere between 30th and 70th.Anybody have any thoughts?

Are you tightening up when the blinds rise and Ms fall? LAG play relies on implied odds and when the stack to blind ratios fall to even as high as the 50s for most of the stacks the opporunities shrink. Once youve got that big stack, tighten up and look for stealing opporunities rather than small ball.Also dont think that just because you are a big stack that you have the responsibility (or luxury) to take on all the races.

Hmm, I do consciously(sp) think about changing my play, but perhaps I'm not doing it very well. Now that I think about it, perhaps I'm getting impatient as I watch the average stack creep up on me after I start tightening up. I think this might be leading me to gambling for all my chips in an effort to gain a massive stack so I can cruise into the final table.Or I might not be tightening up as much as needed, because my loose image probably isn't helping me steal pots from late position. Do you think I should possibly tighten up so much to the point where I'm only playing big hands to eliminate people coming over the top of me due to my image? If I did this I'd just have to rely on the size of my stack to allow me to wait for the premium hands.

You still need to steal blinds blinds occasionally at a minimum. Your loose image will get you calls on hands that might otherwise have folded to you so patience will be a virtue.I get the same impatience when I have a lead and lose a legitimate hand or see the field creeping up on me. What helps is remembering those "chip and a chair" come backs, and if you can build a competitive hand from nothing, you can certainly rebuild a big stack when youve still got a decent stack to play with.

[Mists 0]

Sorry, I really don't mean to hijack your thread, but I was wondering how you played when you say you have a "LAG style". For instance, what kind of cars do you play and how do you play them? Thanks.

[copernicus 0]

Sorry, I really don't mean to hijack your thread, but I was wondering how you played when you say you have a "LAG style". For instance, what kind of cars do you play and how do you play them? Thanks.

I cant speak for Nell, but generally LAG is going to open up normal opening standards to inclujde smaller pairs, suited connectors (even with gaps), larger unsuited connectors. It may also refer to limping and/or minraising with these drawing hands from earlier positions, with increasing raises based on position.

[PrtyPSux 0]

did anyone else catch the circuit episode with scott ficshman? He explained a strategy that I figured out about 2 or 3 months ago, except I only used it for deepstack tourneys, He on the other hand used it for regular online tourneys.He didnt go into much detail but he explained the basics. He said at the beginning, he'll risk about 20% of his stack playing super loose and trying to hit monsters to build up a big stack. If he loses the 20% he'll tighten up and only play premiums, and if he builds it up he'll keep playing like that until the middle stages in the tourney, where he plays tight. He basically said, loose early, tight in the middle, and loose late.in deepstack tourneys I basically play 50% of my chips loose (LP), when I build up my stack I tighten up until the antes come in, once the antes start I play LAG, then on the bubble I playt hyper LAG, and TAG after the bubble.(in a nutshell)Anyway, fischman's book looks like it'll have some interesting pointers since it is all about online play.

[nell789 0]

Sorry, I really don't mean to hijack your thread, but I was wondering how you played when you say you have a "LAG style". For instance, what kind of cars do you play and how do you play them? Thanks.

I raise a lot of pots pre-flop, including some weak holdings like 7 5s or J10. What I never do is raise with commonly dominated hands like A2-A9, and I tend not to call bets preflop much either. I usually save calls for monsters (AA or KK only, I'll re-raise with QQ, JJ and sometimes AK) or I call in LATE POSITION with tricky hands where I'm probably not dominated.Then on later streets I fire a lot of bets out, but usually not much more than half the pot becauseA) I don't want to waste a lot of chips bluffing, and it lets me slow down easily without being commited to the pot, andB) Because it allows you to value bet your good hands 0n every street and get alot of calls.The reason that this style helps me a lot (especially at a 6 max table tourny) is it allows me to get into multiple street pots with all the players at the table, and I can get a good read on how each one of the play, and actually set them up for plays.example: I was playing a $20 6max tournament on UB, and the guy across the table from me was playing alot of pots with me. At first I was C-betting alot on the flop with success. Then he caught on and started calling with alot of holdings.I would almsot always check/fold on the turn, or if I was in position I would check behind him cause I usually had somethin like 8 high, or if I would have a hand I would fire again on the turn, and after paying me off a few times (we both had huge stacks) he started folding on the turn bet.So after about 30min of this I just completely reversed it and started leading on the turn as well when I has shit, and check when I had something and I would take down pots on the turn when I was weak, and he would pay me off either on the turn or the river when I had something.And I play these little games with everyone at the table. Another added bonus is that it's alot more fun cause you're involved a lot more.Oh ya, PPSux, I caught the Circuit with Fischman. I found it funny how him and matusow had completely different strategies for tournaments. I really agree that that might be why Scott does so well on the net but not at the big buy in live tournaments.

[copernicus 0]

Oh ya, PPSux, I caught the Circuit with Fischman. I found it funny how him and matusow had completely different strategies for tournaments. I really agree that that might be why Scott does so well on the net but not at the big buy in live tournaments.

I think its because he plays a lot online, period. Ive played and or watched him several times (admittedly a small sample of his play) and he didnt show anything particularly special. I didnt see the Circuit but prior writings of his dont show any particularly deep thinking either. I'll go with gigabet for that.