General Nl He Tourney Strategy Question

[Mockerman1 0]

I have a very general question. I once discussed going in on tourney hands as a favorite, but generally quite slight (coin flip, 60/40). My question to all NL HE tourney players is: is it viable to only put your money in as bigger favorites. I just want to make sure that getting it in there in these situations is going to be situation, but that may be a part of the question, what is the situation where it is right? Where is it wrong? I mean I guess maybe this is all too general as I know I wouldn't likely commit half of my stack if I were a leading big stack late in a tourney with 66s or such, but where is it right?Any and all dialogue on this matter is appreciated.Rob

[blakheart 3]

Read Harringtom on Holdem, Vol 1 and 2. He discusses in detail situations where putting your money in as an underdog is even the right choice. Everything is situational- But the key thing is stack sizes compared to the Blinds.

[dingas 0]

The key is your tournament equity. For example in a 10 player tourney with a $100 prize pool, assuming equal skill levels, each player has $10 tournament equity. Now, let's say you get all in on the first hand and bust someone, now you have doubled your chips, but it is not a fact that you have doubled your tournament equity to $20. Maybe your tournament equity increases by less than 100% --- in this case you should be willing to pass up small edges for your whole stack. Maybe your tournament equity increases by more than 100% (say, because you are very good at playing a big stack) --- in this case you should be willing to take even slightly --EV gambles. Or maybe it increases by exactly 100%, in which case you should play normally and push any edge. Generally early in MTT's, I think your chip count is basically an accurate reflection of your tournament equity, so you should just push any edge, no matter how small. In one table tournaments if you are one of the strongest players at the table, doubling your stack will often not double your tournament equity, so you might sometimes want to pass up very slight edges (60/40 is too big to pass up, though, unless you are playing at a table where people are moving all in blind every hand.)These calculations become more complicated later in tournaments, around the bubble and in the money. Generally, though, if you are regularly avoiding situations where you are a 60/40 or 55/45 favourite, you are playing to lose.

[Mockerman1 0]

Wow. I just reread my original post and it reads as if I am either foreign or very very drunk. Man that is terrible writing. Anyway, thanks for the responses thus far, and to the 2nd reply - appreciate the knowledge.I only ask, I guess, because there is a part of me that is becoming frustrated with the tourney results I've been experiencing lately and some of the sicker beats I've seen (ie NegO tonight QQ v 88 - 8 in the door; I know I know, BBFIDTS). Anyway, it was an honest question to see if there was some conventional or unconventional wisdom regarding this because sometimes I feel like I'm not building my stack quickly enough, and maybe it's that last bit regarding feeling OK about putting it in behind at times. Then again, maybe it's a psychological thing and I just feel I'm not building quick enough - I think I am focusing too much on average and big stacks within the entire tourney which I know is a no-no - to play only your table as there is no more that I can do.Thanks for the info.

[mk 11]

Back in the day, when players were less aggressive, people like Sklansky advocated passing up small edges for the possibility of gaining bigger ones, but he qualified that by saying you need to be one of the best players in the tournament to pass up any edge. With the advent of the internet age and RGP, however, a number of well-respected players and theorists (Tom Weideman, Paul Phillips, Matt Matros, etc.) pushed a new philosophy to the fore regarding taking coinflips early in MTTs. They argued that you should be willing to take a flip for your whole stack on the first hand because the equity you gain by doubling outweighs the equity you lose when you bust.

[Smasharoo 0]

I have a very general question. I once discussed going in on tourney hands as a favorite, but generally quite slight (coin flip, 60/40). My question to all NL HE tourney players is: is it viable to only put your money in as bigger favorites. I just want to make sure that getting it in there in these situations is going to be situation, but that may be a part of the question, what is the situation where it is right? Where is it wrong? I mean I guess maybe this is all too general as I know I wouldn't likely commit half of my stack if I were a leading big stack late in a tourney with 66s or such, but where is it right?It's way too complex to anser in a post. Post hands.good luck.