Tournaments or what?

[SnoT_III]

Want to try and make some big cash. What kind of tournaments should I buy in to? I've been thinking about playing in some 1$ qualifiers. (big cash for me would be like 500+) My bankroll is around 170 and I can supplement it pretty well grinding it out on sit and go's. What do you guys do when you want to win some big money? Rebuy tournies? Satellites? Thanks for the help.

[Rondavu]

Want to try and make some big cash.

Who doesn't

If I were you I would play $10 buy in No Limit cash games with 20/40 cent blinds. That would fit your bankroll, and it's a hell of a money maker on a loose website. Click on the FTR Poker C hamps link. Always loose action there, and they have automatic rakeback.

If you play two tables at once you can average $20/30 bucks a night. I don't recommend violating your bankroll restriction. Don't be a gambler. Be a poker player.

If you really wanted to stretch it, Party P oker has some pretty delicious steps tournaments. You buy in to a one or two table tourny for $5, and if you get to level 5 your playing for about $10,000 dollars if I'm not mistaken.

[chardrian]

Want to try and make some big cash.

Who doesn't

If I were you I would play $10 buy in No Limit cash games with 20/40 cent blinds. That would fit your bankroll, and it's a hell of a money maker on a loose website. Click on the FTR Poker C hamps link. Always loose action there, and they have automatic rakeback.

If you play two tables at once you can average $20/30 bucks a night. I don't recommend violating your bankroll restriction. Don't be a gambler. Be a poker player.

If you really wanted to stretch it, Party P oker has some pretty delicious steps tournaments. You buy in to a one or two table tourny for $5, and if you get to level 5 your playing for about $10,000 dollars if I'm not mistaken.

What FTR Poker Champs link? Automatic rakeback?? Tell me more.

[ihategnomes]

about $10,000 dollars if I'm not mistaken.

That is for normal steps, mini-steps which have the $5 starting level pay $2k for first me thinks.

[SnoT_III]

I figured I would try a few 1 dollar tournies before stepping up to the 5 dollar ones since my bankroll is only 170. Each time I didn't catch any cards and next thing I know two people at my table are sitting on like 10000 chips. Do you guys play tight in these big tournies or do you need to take a lot of risks to get a chipstack early?

[SteveO]

Lots of variance in MTT games. Especially if you have limited experience. So I would stick to the 5 sng's or even 2or3 table SNG's.

You can easily blow through $170 on $20-30 MTT's without winning a dime, even if you play well. MTT's are tough. Play tight and get your hands on some chips. Don't do anything stoopid while the blinds are low. You can get a little cute when the blinds kick up like after 1 1/2 -2 hours. Basically, you want to be Dan Harrington and "survive", meaning you maintain and average or sleightly below or above average stack the whole time. If you are lucky you will run hot and get lucky and get your hands on a ton of chips. Then it is a balance of punishing the smaller stacks and avoiding pissing away a great chip lead with stoopid plays. Usually if things are not going well, you are playing the short stack.

I would avoid mixing it up in MTT's until you get a bigger BR unless you are playing $5 buy-ins or freerolls. You are better off with the SNG's.

[Rondavu]

Generally, the answer to your question is you're not going to make a ton of money fast. Hate to break it to you. This is a longterm game. People that make a steady income at it simply have a large enough bankroll to play at higher money levels and just barely outplay the competition for a living wage each week. These people are semi-professional poker players. They eat you for lunch when you sit down with them, when you don't know what you're doing.

Just sit back, play low, and gain experience. You'll know you're able to handle the higher level competition when you put in the time and build your bankroll high enough to justify sitting down with higher competition.

[vegaas2]

I have been alright on the MTT re+ad by following Harringtons and Cloutier's advice. I play fairly tight early and start to loosen up as the bubble approaches.
I know alot of people say play for the win, and I agree to a cerain extent. You should always play to win, but; I play to get close to the money, then play for the win.

I havent won a MTT yet, but I have only played ten, and I have been ITM 4 of those times. Not bad for a fairly new player.

Just my two cents