Problem with starting chip stack in proportion to blinds. m

Last week I was in a live MTT for a $30 buy in. We started with 20 tables and everybody started the tourney with 2500 chips. However, the blinds started at $100-200 and increased every 15 minutes. To me, it seems like I would have been just as well off spending $30 at the slot machine given the blind structiurein proportion to my chip stack.

Lets say you make a 3X BB preflop raise at the first level to $600, you get 2 callers and you make a pot sized continuation bet at the flop, you're esentially all in the very first hand you play. To me its a total waste of money to get in to a tournament push all your chips in the middle for what is normally your standard NL hold 'em bet, flip up your cards and hope you win.

I was able to blind steal and fold my way to the final 3 tables, then was big blind with about 2500 in chips, blinds at 500-1000, there was a min raise and I pushed with A/J suited and lost to pocket kings.

When I left I got to thinking about the guy sitting next to me and his strategy seems to be, limp in preflop, then push at the flop. When I got knocked out he was sitting at about 50 or 60K in chips. Should I have picked up on this strategy earlier and tried it, since I was their anyway?

I do not think I will play this tournament again, but what is optimal for blind structure in comparison to your starting chip stack in anMTT freeze out tournament? Thanks for any help or comments. I realize I'm half venting here, but if I can get some idea of what I should have done, and what I should look for in good tournaments in the future, it would be great.

Just like the end of an SNG - push or fold pre-flop, unless in the blinds, then you can call/check and push flop (or check/fold)

If your stack is around 10bb, it's time to push or fold. Don't do 3x raises or limp. You have to push if you want to play your hand. It's all about stealing the blinds or doubling up.

I under stand the conbcept of being short stacked and pushing or folding any time you have less than 10X the BB. I'm usually playing from the short stack anyway.

I think my main question is what do you do when everybody starts the night short stacked, and since I don't really feel like waisting my money on tournaments set up like this where everybody starts with about 10X the BB of the first level, what is the optimal chip stack proportion vs blind structure that I should look for. Is it good to start a tournament with 20 big blinds, or more? In short, what can I realistically look for and hope for to start with a good sized chip stack in realatio to the blinds? Thanks

I personally like near 100 BB however these are somewhat difficult to find

Most of tournaments that take place at the bars($20-$40FOs) around here are in the 25-50bb range so I guess somewhere in that range sounds reasonable.

Originally Posted by fender55

I under stand the conbcept of being short stacked and pushing or folding any time you have less than 10X the BB. I'm usually playing from the short stack anyway.

I think my main question is what do you do when everybody starts the night short stacked, and since I don't really feel like waisting my money on tournaments set up like this where everybody starts with about 10X the BB of the first level, what is the optimal chip stack proportion vs blind structure that I should look for. Is it good to start a tournament with 20 big blinds, or more? In short, what can I realistically look for and hope for to start with a good sized chip stack in realatio to the blinds? Thanks

Man you'd be pushing from the start wouldn't you.

Originally Posted by D3scride

I personally like near 100 BB however these are somewhat difficult to find

Most of tournaments that take place at the bars($20-$40FOs) around here are in the 25-50bb range so I guess somewhere in that range sounds reasonable.

Thanks! I really thought it was stupid to be starting with 12.5 big blind for the first level. I'm going to have to start calling the casinos before I show up to the tournament to make sure the stacks are reasonable. I just feel like I'm wasting my time and money playing a tournament where you have 3 people per hand that are going to push pre flop right from the get go first hand. In tournaments with better chip stacks, you have to get lucky at the right times yes, but a tournament where you have 12 big blinds to start, you have to get lucky every time you decide to play. I'm glad I have a better idea of what is more optimal, look for at least 25 to 50 BB to start if I can't get something like 100 BB. Right on, thanks.