Live tournements.

[duck season]

Every Tuesday there's a live MTT nearby my house. It's for free and anyone can join in. You get $1000 worth of chips and the blinds start off at 25/50 and move up to 50/100, 100/200 and so forth. It's 6 to a table, until there's like 8-10 people remaining to make the final table. Usually 50+ people turn up for a go.

Alright, I went tonight and once it got under way I was playing pretty tight, as usual; I wasn't getting too many starting hands anyway. Occasionally I would limp in with suited connecters with not much luck. Pretty much everyone on the table (every table for that) will limp in with any two cards; rarely will there be a raise preflop. Only until the blinds get pretty big will people be selective. Anyway, pretty soon the blinds are raised, and then raised again. By now I've only won like two small pots and I’m looking down at my chips and there's like 5BB left. So I'm thinking it's now or never. Sometime in the next few orbits I need to double-up or at least get some blinds. Nothing! No wins! I don't not what went wrong. Soon I found myself with like 2BB, going all-in in the big blind. Of course everyone called and I soon was out.

So! Clearly I need some help on my game! Was I being two choosey with my preflop cards trying to steal? In the whole night my best two cards where pair 10 and rarely did I see a pretty picture card. Did I leave my charge too late? Also, I rarely bluff. It’s not that I can’t keep a straight face; it’s just that I don’t know any appropriate times.

Does anyone have any advice with how I played, where I went wrong and what I should have done? It would be nice to make the final table consistently.

[Rondavu]

It's for free and anyone can join in.

Now there's your problem right there. Actually, your problem is that everyone is playing every hand, since it's free. This is not a game for someone serious about poker. This is a game for someone who's knitting a blanket while calling huge raises.

[Laeelin]

By now I've only won like two small pots and I’m looking down at my chips and there's like 5BB left. So I'm thinking it's now or never. Sometime in the next few orbits I need to double-up or at least get some blinds. Nothing! No wins! I don't not what went wrong. Soon I found myself with like 2BB, going all-in in the big blind. Of course everyone called and I soon was out.

Sounds like you almost had the right idea.. you were ready to push all in with 5BB's ... but problem is you never pulled the trigger...

With an M of about 3 you were not waiting on a big hand to push, you were looking for a pot folded to you, and then push with any two.

going all-in in the big blind

This should only happen when you push and get called by a stack that is 1BB shorter than you...

Push with 72o if need be while you still have enough chips to apply preasure...

[duck season]

This is a game for someone who's knitting a blanket while calling huge raises.

Well after a few hands some guy just pulled a meat pie out of his pocket and then just starting eating it while playing.



And thanks for the help Laeelin. After lurking the boards for a week I new I needed to push, I just didn't know when the best time for it was.