MTT strategy brought to you by thedoc

[TheDoc]

I through this together, because I've been wanting to get a lot of my thoughts down on paper for a while. I might not be as good as any of rippy/soupie/rada's strategy pots but hopefully someone will take something from it. Here goes nothing!

My thoughts on mtt tournies.

I've played a good share of multi-table tournaments, and have faired pretty well. I'm generally able to make it to the bubble and put myself in a position to go on to win the tournament. A lot of the time I get sucked out when I go in the best hand, but if you get your money in when you have the best of it there is no reason to be upset.
General preflop strategy.

My strategy is usually pretty simple, unless I have a drawing hand in a multi way pot, I want to isolate. I cannot stress this fact enough. Let me say it again ISOLATE, ISOLATE, ISOLATE. It's 10x easier to focus on one opponent then it is 2-3 in a pot. Preflop I play extremely tight until it becomes profitable to blind steal. I like to take control of pots if no one else takes the helm. If its folded or a couple limped to me and im in mid - late position I'm in there raising with suited connectors, suited 1 gappers, any 2 paint, and pocket pairs 8 or higher. I like to only limp with pp's lower then 8 unless im 2 off the button or less. The reason for that is this, It allows me to isolate, and gives me the authority to bet at almost any flop granted there are flops that I will be very cautious about. But generally throwing out a 3x bb raise to a folded to me pot or a limped pot then betting out 2/3 the pot on the flop against 2-3 opponents or less will take down the pot 60-70% of the time. I'll get back to post flop play later on, for now I want to finish discussing preflop. When it's a raised pot I tighten up a lot, I'm only playing pp's suited connectors and hands like: AK, KQ, AJ, AQ suited or off suit. Hands like A10, QJ, K10, Q10 i almost will never call unless it's suited, and then that is only when I have position and it's a pot between me and 2 more players tops. I will not call anything more then a 3x bb raise with axs.

General post flop strategy

If I raised preflop you can almost garuntee I'm throwing out 2/3rd pot sized bet regardless of what I have. The only real exceptions to this are when I have a low pp on a high board or a suited board, or suited connectors on a board that completely missed me or is somewhat scary.

Examples:

44 on a board with 2 cards between ace and 10
suited connectors on a board with none of my suit and without a pair.

Like I said earlier, this will take down the pot most of the time. If it doesn't the general scenarios that insue are as follows. Lets assume you dont have a strong hand. If more then one person calls, and its not really a drawing board I shut down, I'm ready to lay down whatever I have at any real shows of strength and I probably won't bet again unless I smell weakness, this happens if i think someone is holding mid or bottom pair wish doesn't happen too often on a 2/3 pot sized bet. If it's a drawing board (2 to a straight 2 to a flush). If no scare cards come on the turn Ill throw out a strong bet again, if I get a caller I generally won't bet the river unless im positive he was on a draw because the only hands that will call a river bet will have you beat if you aren't strong. The same basic strategy goes if it's versus one person except im more likely to bluff the turn and river on a non scary board, unless I think hes not drawing and has a good hand, then I will be the one looking for the turn / river cards to make the board scary so I can lead out strong into him.

Now unless im on a semi bluff, I will almost never bet again if someone calls my preflop raise, unless im dead set in believing I can push him out. This isn't something I can really explain, it's just an instinct that some people have, and that some people don't.

When I have a strong hand I'm going to play it strong. There is one thing I cannot stress enough though. Unless you have the nuts or a hand that cannot become second best on the next card to come DO NOT SLOW PLAY. I have 2pair or trips with a flush draw on the board, if the blinds are a moderate amount my chips are going straight to the center. The only time i will slow play with with the nuts, or if I know I can get someone drawing to a 2nd best hand (ie I have a boat and letting someone draw for a flush, set with non connected non suited board and trying to let him hit their high pair). This is the easiest way to get busted in a tournament is trying to slow play, PEOPLE WILL PAY YOU OFF if you continously play strong with strong hands. Make people pay for their draws, if I have top pair with a nice kicker im throwing out a 2/3 pot sized bet, and if the turn missed there's a good chance I might over bet unless i get the feeling im behind in the hand, which most of the time im not.

Misc points.

Bet your draws. You have a flush draw or an oesd, bet it. If i get a chance to open the betting on the flop im throwing out a 2/3 pot sized bet. Depending on whether or not I put them on a strong hand if i get a caller dictates whether I bet again on the turn or call/fold. If it's raised to me, unless I have odds to call or implied odds ill lay it down. the only exception here is if i think they are on a bluff or are atleast weak and i have multiple draws (pair + flush, flush + straight), then there is a good chance my chips will be going to the center. The reason for this is it gives me multiple ways to win, if I raised preflop for all he knows I could have aces, it gives me 3 ways to win a pot (kinda): i have a better hand if he calls, he folds, or i draw out on him.


Blind stealing.

Lets get rippy baby. When the blinds start getting high, and if there are antes, you want to start looking to steal atleast once an orbit if not possibly more depending on the texture of the table. If im 2 off the button of less and it's folded to me im pushing out 3x bb almost every time no matter what my hole cards. If i get reraised I will lay down most hands unless I have a hand i think i can crack someone with. If i dont hit a strong hand on the flop im getting out. This is where you must be extremely cautious. I wouldn't suggest continuing on after the flop unless you think they have a low pp and miss the flop and you can bluff them out, or you simply have a stronger hand then theirs (ie top pair with a strong kicker (aq ak with top pair on the flop), flopping a set with a pp, cheaply seeing flush/straight draws, hitting 2pair or trips with suited connectors or whatever you called with, and obviously flopping a straight or better.

Restealing the blinds. I only suggest this in the sb or bb, if you think someone is weak betting into you and just trying to steal the blinds reraised them, and bet the flop no matter what falls almost. If it's a short stack, and you have them well covered reraise them all in. If someone raises 2x bb in my blinds I will almost always push back. If its a 3x bb I will usually only push back if i have a very strong hand or they have been continously stealing my blinds.

Key theories:

Be in control at all times. You want to be the one pushing people around and putting them to tough decisions, and not vice versa.

ISOLATE. When you are pushing people around you want it to be one person not 2+. It's alot easier to beat up one person then a couple.

THINK. If someone quickly calls your raise, or reraises you, take a second to think don't just go on auto pilot or let YOUR cards dictate what you do. Put them on a hand, ask yourself what would make them play the way they are playing this hand.

PLAY TO WIN. Try to put yourself in a position to win the tournament, don't just settle for in the money. Get your money in when you have the best of it or if you have a very good chance to draw someone out. Do not be afraid to put your chips in the center. Play smart, not scared there is a difference.

Hope you liked it, just trying to give back to a community that has helped improve my play immensly.

[Staresy]

cheers for the post doc. This is generally the kind of format I adopt.

however (this is for u or anyone who wants to contribute).......

How do u play early in the tournaments (when the blinds are 10/20, 25/50 etc)? In my experience, making a 3xBB bet still encourages those limpers in front of u to call regardless. Possibly even the SB and BB as well. You know the type, they limp out of early position for 50, u raise to 150 and they only have to stick another 100 out of their 1500 stack to call.

You mention u generally tend to fire out a 3XBB raise. Now, suppose you have position on someone and u are sitting on something huge (AA, KK, AKs) and someone has led out and bet at u for 3XBB say, what is your move here? Are u looking to just call and play from the flop or are u looking to re-raise pre-flop? If so, what kind of re-raise are u looking at?

What are your general principals for when u switch tables? For some reason, whenever I seem to move tables, I always seem to pick up something big (or at the very least, highly playable) in the first few hands and always seem to end up in trouble. Are u inclined to take an orbit or two to have a look at the players/dynamics of the table or do u just come out firing and if u get done, u get done?

I am not knocking your strategy (far from it, as I mentioned, I play very similarly) I am just curious as my play needs some improvement (especially at the moment!!!).

[TheDoc]

If its real early I might up my standard raise to 4x, but i really dont care if I think im beat I haven't lost much money and if I hit big then I'll have a lot of people in the pot to donate chips.

like I said earlier, I do not slow play. The only time I will just call a raise with aces or kings is when its shorthanded and I know the hand will go heads up, or only have 2 people besides me in (6+ people its always a reraise for me as well as AA KK QQ JJ 1010 AK - jj and 10 10 because I'm confident in my post flop play). Even with kings in this situation I will most likely reraise. What I will do is limp in early position if the table seems to raise a lot then reraise. Other then that I don't like to slow play with out a monster that won't get cracked.

[TheDoc]

I don't change my play too much when I switch tables, unless that last table had caused a deviation from my normal play, then I will just resume my normal play.

[r8ed]

Great post. Your strategy seems to be a common theme with the succesful tourny players here.

I'm playing in a $5000 freeroll tomorrow night. As you probably know, freerolls play out a little differently from regular tourny's because it costs you nothing to take a shot with an all-in. Do you think I should apply your tactics in such a tournament? I was thinking of playing tight until halfway through and then going with what you say. Just because all the loons will be calling everything and may pull something crazy on the river.

[LeFou]

freerolls play out a little differently from regular tourny's because it costs you nothing to take a shot with an all-in. Do you think I should apply your tactics in such a tournament?

Doc's tactics will work to some degree. In a freeroll, the 3X or 4X raise doesn't get the job done. Consider upping it to at least 6BB when you've got good stuff.

Very important freeroll point that I just learned:
If raised big on the river, you need a 5-card hand or top set.

Let me elaborate: yes, it was stupid for opp to let you in from the BB with your Q3. Yes, you were lucky to get two pair out of it. Yes, you should bet out the river.

BUT

If you get a big raise back, fold your two pair. Opp has a set.

Maybe it was stupid for opp to limp a pp, because he let you in with your crappy cards and you got lucky. But that's exactly what he did.

The ONLY exception I can admit is when you know opp is a ragged-ace player, and your twopair is Aces with the second button.

[Sed]

i have multiple draws (pair + flush, flush + straight), then there is a good chance my chips will be going to the center

This is something I've noticed about soupie's play. Whenever he puts his chips in the middle post flop, it seems that he either has the nut or a hand that is of mid-strength but can improve to the nuts... Usually its something like middle/top pair with a nut flush or straight draw... the more outs you have when you push the better.

- sed

[TheDoc]

Sed, the best thing about doing that is it gives you more then one way to win. I had a flush draw and a pair and I almost got someone to lay down a flopped straight on an all suited board. He ended up calling, and I missed my draw, but to be able to get someone to consider laying down that strong of a hand shows the power that this move has. Say I have a mid/bottom pair and a high flush draw. Im even money against anyone with top pair, but the time to make this move is in a pot that is pretty big already, I will occasionally put all my money in over the top of another raise if I think there is a chance they will fold or I have betting authority from raising preflop.

[TheDoc]

Great post. Your strategy seems to be a common theme with the succesful tourny players here.

Well actually I think rippy is a lot looser then I am. His style works for him, mine works for me. If I had a stronger bankroll I would probably loosen up more, and lean more towards a rippy style of play as I think it gives you a better chance at getting first in a lot of situations. A lot of people have problems with rippy's strategy because they don't implement it well enough in the right situations, and well they don't have bowling balls for nuts.

[scgolfer]

Great post, Doc. I know alot of theme's you have stated have made me very successful in just the 3 weeks I have been concentrating on Mtt's. I think being properly bankrolled allows you to be more aggresive and that allows you to finish in the $$ and have a better chance to win a Mtt, which is the objective. As you said there is a difference between smart and scared and that difference allows you to be successful.

[TheDoc]

You made yoda your bitch... I hope some of my advice the other night helped during the tourny, you played so well considering you got horrible cards for almost an hour. I was really impressed, winning 5k+ is a great feeling huh sc.

[TheDoc]

there are a couple more things im going to add this weekend to the strategy