Fenn411;200640 wroteThanks for all the comments. I knew about the win some races/coin flops but I think I am just a big chicken. I think that is one of my problems, I am not agressive enough. I always seem to give the other guy credit for having the best hand if he starts hammering me with raises.
Would you suggest pushing all in then on anything with a positive EV in the beginning of a big tournament?
If you are certain you have +EV then obviously you want to get your chips in. Before the tourny starts, you need to think about how many chips you'll need to get 1st. (multiply stack by # players). How do you get there from here? You need to be aggressive. You need to have reads on your aggressive opponents. Does he cbet all the time? is he playing over 30% of his hands? Is he raising all his Suited connectors/1gappers, and any broadway liek QJ, KT? You can 3bet these players lightly pre flop (ie AQs+, 99+), and I would ENCOURAGE you to do it against players that play anything. If you just smooth call, unless you hit TP or manage to make an overpair you will have no idea where you stand. Simultaneously, you can raise post flop with hands like TPNK and your draws. Obviously though, the best way to play these guys is IN POSITION, and NEVER slow play unless you flop the absolute nuts (ie Quads, SF, AK on a AAK board). Bet your straights and flushes heavily.
Basically, Get yourself into those +EV situations and get some lagtard to raise you, and watch the chips fly your way. That doesn't mean you open raise all in with AA in the first 3 blind raises unless you're sure you're going to get called.
Actually now that I think about it, I've done this move quite a bit in small stakes large field MTTs (90+); if I get AA within the first 3 hands I'll open raise all in. Seriously, 4/5 times I will get a call and its usually by some donk with crap like 8Ts. Nice way to get doubled up early in the tourny.