Pokerstars 12.5 million

[Kafkaesque]

I saw a few guys mention it briefly in the Corona thread, and I know from previous threads that there's more than a few who have/still does take poker seriously, so how many here, in these nearly-no-sports-or-racing-days, are playing this huge tournament?

What's your approach?

I'm thinking there's going to be a sh!!load of soft money, with all those sats they run. People who almost never play tournaments. People who do play tournaments, but not this stake and are moneyscared. People (like me) who used to be all that, but are not anymore and thus prone to fancy play syndrome. Top players, who're taking the approach of being okay with possibly taking all 5 re-entries and are going to gamble it up early to try to build a stack. Plus just your random tossers.

Unless I end at a table with loads of complete tossers, where it's better to wait for premium hands to pick them off, I'm going full throttle and hyper-aggro to exploit all of the above. Go big or go home

[sa7med]

I saw a few guys mention it briefly in the Corona thread, and I know from previous threads that there's more than a few who have/still does take poker seriously, so how many here, in these nearly-no-sports-or-racing-days, are playing this huge tournament?

What's your approach?

I'm thinking there's going to be a sh!!load of soft money, with all those sats they run. People who almost never play tournaments. People who do play tournaments, but not this stake and are moneyscared. People (like me) who used to be all that, but are not anymore and thus prone to fancy play syndrome. Top players, who're taking the approach of being okay with possibly taking all 5 re-entries and are going to gamble it up early to try to build a stack. Plus just your random tossers.

Unless I end at a table with loads of complete tossers, where it's better to wait for premium hands to pick them off, I'm going full throttle and hyper-aggro to exploit all of the above. Go big or go home

I use to play a lot of online tournaments several years ago. Online players were already good then but have gotten better over the years. I wouldn't make any general assumptions about their play, especially in big tournaments. My approach then was to stay quite tight, playing only premium hands, while the stakes were small, then ramp as stakes got big relative to stack size. i remember there was a 5 time bracelet winner (can't remember his name) who wouldn't even show up to the first three days of the WSOP.

[wearthefoxhat]

In the past, I've found my on-line play more agg compared to live play, the outcome get lucky or go home....

With this one today is a 3 day event. Starts @ 5pm (UK time) and has a 24 hour late registration period. (up to 5 re-entries allowed)

Clock = 20 mins
Starting Stack 20,000
Blinds 50/100 + 12 Ante

Day 1 plays down to 18 levels completed
Day 2 plays down to 50 levels completed
Day 3 to a conclusion.

I reckon the $12.5 million will be exceeded. (currently projected @ $1.5 million to the winner)
5,759 get paid, min cash = $408.75

So the value will be the satellite qualifiers that's for sure!

For me, a lot will depend on how the table is playing and who is the most agg or passive..etc..

Best advice I can give;

Be aware of your chip stack compared to the big blind. (eg: 20,000 @ 100 = 200 big blinds)
Try and keep near or above the average chips stack size
30-40 Big blinds = medium stack
less than 15 Big Blinds = short stack

If the table is loose and aggressive, tighten up and play premium hands strongly.
If the table is tight, loosen up and pick up the blinds and antes more.

You can't win the tournament in the first day, but you sure can lose it.

There is tonnes more, but you hear this repeated the most in books on strategy.

I'll commit to giving 5% of any profit (return-buyin) to a charity chosen by this forum.

[wearthefoxhat]

End of Day 1

Prize Pool so far.... $17.135 Million
85,677 Entries.
16,605 remain

Day 2 Late Registration open until Day 2 starts. (20 Big Blinds)
Blinds 1k-2k Ante 250 on return

Info.png

I haven't entered yet, will decide nearer start time tomorrow.

[ShaunWhite]

Tight-agressive was my std way for the first day at least. Try to pick off the chancers and not have any bad beats. Build a stack and then play more freely esp if you've been with the same people for an hour or two and they've seen you're supposed to be tight. Tighten up when the tables shuffle and faces change and go back to watching how people play for an hour. Rebuys are tricky, they get progressivly more expensive as you go because the chip value degrades. 1500 chips for $10 when the blinds are 10/20 are worth more than 1500 chips when the blinds are 100/200. MTTs are totally different to ring games, ring games can be beaten with stats but even a 90% chance call for 5x your bets can be bad news in an MTT, esp near the bubble ! The bar is always full of beaten bullets and hard luck stories so make sure you don't get too involved in hands with people who have more chips than you.

...i've just logged into my PokerStars account and found I still have $57.86 in there...result

[JollyGreen]

I had a run at this but could not get a break. I tried being tight and waiting for premium hands, but no matter what amount you raised, the fish were on the hook. I lost a massive amount of my stack to a calling station which was running 78% VPIP!! I had QQ and raised, he shoved and had Aces! The very next hand another player shoved and he called again, showing Aces. The very next orbit I have QQ again, I make a raise, he shoves and I call to see him with Aces. THREE on the bounce.

About an hour later, I get Aces and find myself in a pot with this guy. He showed 77 and hit a seven on the turn

[wearthefoxhat]

I had a run at this but could not get a break. I tried being tight and waiting for premium hands, but no matter what amount you raised, the fish were on the hook. I lost a massive amount of my stack to a calling station which was running 78% VPIP!! I had QQ and raised, he shoved and had Aces! The very next hand another player shoved and he called again, showing Aces. The very next orbit I have QQ again, I make a raise, he shoves and I call to see him with Aces. THREE on the bounce.

About an hour later, I get Aces and find myself in a pot with this guy. He showed 77 and hit a seven on the turn

That's tough going.

I tried out a "new" approach by late registering on Day 2. I normally prefer to start a tournament from hand 1, but there's a school of thought that with a good short-stack strategy, and with dead money already in the pot, it's possible to get into the money fairly quickly and then run up a stack.

So....I bought in, 10 big blinds, 20 minute levels, which on-line, is a good clock. Went according to plan, ran it up to the average stack, then... 4 runners from a min-cash, I 3-bet shoved with pocket nines...and ran into aces. It was either that or fold.

[JollyGreen]

That's tough going.

I tried out a "new" approach by late registering on Day 2. I normally prefer to start a tournament from hand 1, but there's a school of thought that with a good short-stack strategy, and with dead money already in the pot, it's possible to get into the money fairly quickly and then run up a stack.

So....I bought in, 10 big blinds, 20 minute levels, which on-line, is a good clock. Went according to plan, ran it up to the average stack, then... 4 runners from a min-cash, I 3-bet shoved with pocket nines...and ran into aces. It was either that or fold.

I couldn't buy a hand most of the time. When I had small or middle pairs, they seem to come early position or middle at best. I tried to limp, and someone would chuck out a 4BB raise. If I made a raise within the normal range, of 3BB I would almost have everyone in the pot. I just found myself looking at pot odds way below my hand value. I was to the right of one player who would raise almost every time it was my BB. I kept my patience and found KK on the BB. Sure enough, this clown went for a 6BB raise, I had him covered many times over. I shoved and wanted the call and he duly obliged to show KQ OS!! I thought finally I have him. Oops! JT7 flop and A turn and 9 river. I shipped the chips to him. There was another UK player; I lost my rag and re-raised all-in versus this guy. I had AQ suited which I would not shove with unless I was pot committed. He showed KK and I hit an A on the river.

I'm ahead playing $7 and $15 SnG but man it is hard work. You just hope to hit a lucky monster flop from the blinds or get a premium hand in position. You cannot bluff these guys too often, they call irrespective. I can often spot the weak players looking at their stats or watching their play. You can raise with a suited connector and they reluctantly call behind you. I then find a bet in the right place on a A X X flop will take it down because they have two pictures and assume you have an Ace. Yes, it backfires but if you get the bet priced correctly you can often force them to fold. If they call I wait and see what comes, I can always get away from it and I find long term it builds my stack