Real Deep in MMT's
Like most of us, I really enjoy the 1500-3000 ppl MTT's. ($3 to $10, usually) All the $$ is at the final table. I have had my share of top 100 to top 350 finishes, but I rarely get under the top 25 to 50. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
I know a lot of the tourneys (especially re-buys) go 6 to 8 hours and I always seem to bust out around 3 to 4.5 hrs in.
Without having 'just one of those days where everything goes right', what are you doing in the mid to late stages of MTTs to get very deep...
1) When you are in the top 30 in the field after the money, with under 100 left
2) When you are in the top 30 in the field after the money, with 250+ left
3) When you are average with under 100 left
4) When you are average with 250+ left
Thanks for your opinions,
Ken
I know a lot of the tourneys (especially re-buys) go 6 to 8 hours and I always seem to bust out around 3 to 4.5 hrs in.
Without having 'just one of those days where everything goes right', what are you doing in the mid to late stages of MTTs to get very deep...
1) When you are in the top 30 in the field after the money, with under 100 left
2) When you are in the top 30 in the field after the money, with 250+ left
3) When you are average with under 100 left
4) When you are average with 250+ left
Thanks for your opinions,
Ken
Comments
Interesting question, going to think about it for a bit and repost something serious later.
Why I think I must be doing something wrong is the fact that I have found myself in the top 30 in the mid to late stages on many occassions and I've always managed to find a way to screw things up - bad read, missed races, bad timing, etc. It's poker, it happens.
But I'm looking for advice from those that have more or less regularly managed to break through this barrier for some ideas. I've studied Skalansky and Harrington, I understand the importance of inflection points, M, Q, etc.
But I'm missing something in the long tourneys.
Maybe this is it - Kristy - looking forward to meeting you at the Ryder Cup
Multiple Moron Tournament? Is this a new acronym I'm unaware of?
When you first sit down to a MTT as large as these ones you seem to like, do you have a game plan? Do you have targets that you want to be at at each level? When you get to 30 to 50 to 100 players, do you change your plan at all?
I usually play a little looser during rebuy period, taking chances, not turning down any type of races etc. to either build a loose image or a large stack. In FOs I typically play tight, making few moves. All the while trying to put others in boxes for later.
When rebuy is over (or in beginning of freezeout) I calculate the average stack size that I need i) to limp into the money, ii) to finish in top 100, iii) top 50, and iv) Final Table
As we approach the money, if I've got a really large stack size I will bully any small and mid size player, putting their turny on the line trying to build to get deeper into my scale. If I'm average, I'll continue along, picking my spots. If I'm low, M<4-5 I'll push every chance I can get in the pot first, not trying to limp in (unless I'm only 1 or 2 orbits away).
Into the money, I'll plug away looking for spots to move my stack upto the next target. Again, if I manage to reach that goal, I'll start to pick on mid stacks if I have the chance.
If I'm moved, I'll usually play more conservative for a while to get a feel for the table.
By the 3-4 hour mark, I've usually managed to play @ 15% to 20% of hands.
Overall, I usually don't play just to make the money, I'm playing to get as deep as possible. As mentioned, I do seem to crack through to the top during the 3rd or 4th hour, but seem to fizzle out after that. Maybe I should try to coast more once I've cracked the top 30.
Do you tend to avoid races a little more as you near 100 left? I typically will get my chips in with any pp if they are M<5, 10's or better if M<10 and AA and KK if they are over 10.
I'm not too interested in getting my chips in against coin flips. I tend to look more at what my chip stack is, the damage to me should I lose, and whether I can outplay the rest of the table. Before I get my chips in on a coin flip I usually ask myself 'do I need to win this hand to win the tournament'.
I tend to think that you win the tournament by accumulating chips. You don't have to be the one taking out every player.