Something to think about preflop. Which can help us all.

[shortmat1444]

IF a lot of people on this site realize that calling preflop for a certain amount of chips isn't the problem. Its the trouble you can get yourself into to the amount of money you can win from the hand that is the problem.

Here something to look at. You got KQ and a guy in early raises to 120 blinds are 20 40. YOu know nothing about this guy or even say you know hes a good player. You got position on him. But you got to ask yourself. Me calling this hand, what does he have, even before the flop. AK AQ pair AA KK. Say he even has a low pair. WHat flop is going to make you more then that 120 he put in.. Almost nothing. Most people don't raise with KJ here and its so rare that it happens that you should still be folding this KQ preflop. Because these hands, unless its a real miracle will not be winning you to many tourneys. Unless you have real discpline to see a flop, and say its Q29. You can fold to a decent size bet, then go ahead take a look at the flop. But i know and you know no one folds these hands. But you should try and be on the better side of this and have the better hand.

And im sorry, but i can't recall the last time that i won a tourney that i slowly chipped it, online that usually never happens becuase of how many people are all in.

I use to be a sit and go player a while back, 6 and 9 player games. I was new to poker really but making a TON of money for the games i was in. Kid you not i folded almost every hand to other peoples preflop raises. And i won. I never called a raise with two paint cards unless it was AK and if i got agood read on a guy AQ. I hardly never played AJ and 99 or lower. And that is to a raise when i didn't have a lot of money to spare to see a flop. I would of course raise with a lot of the hands but i wouldn't call a raise. I guess i looked at it like this. ANd tell me if this might be a good idea.

A guy raising 3x the big blind at the beggning stages or a tourney you really have no clue what he has and how he is playing at this time. SO my KQ and KJ AJ and AQ i really didn't tango at all. i always figure they can have a bigger kicker or a pair which they would only play really hard with a set. Most of the time i am not going to hit this pair, so any follow up bet from the player i am going to fold almost everytime when i have air. So actually folding without seeing the flop can be such a life saver in some situation. In others of course you can hit huge hands and win with anything but those times are so rare that playing like this is a more constant flow of money.

Whats really bad is when people say that they are calling with any kind of AQ or pocker pair for around 10 percent of there stack maybe even 15. I think there is no way you can say taht and the situation has to be right. You know how many times you guys are going deep in tourneys and not realizing that you are calling 10 percent of you stack with 33 to 1010 everytime is hurting you so much more then helping you. In big tourneys i fold 1010 AK and AQ on the regular. And sometimes i re raise with 88.. There is a time for everything and not there is something to do everytime.

Its 3 A.M here and if this doesn't make any sense and i sound like an idiot i am sorry. If some of you guys thnk it is interesting i want to hear your thoughts. Thankss.

[DefyOddz]

i only read the KQ hand at the top but i fold there 99% of the time

[dyehard]

Sounds way too tight. To consistently fold AK or 10 10? I probably would to a 3 bet but not to a raiser, all dependant of course on the situation. I actually think that my ultra tight play has prevented me from going deep in MTT's. My tight play gets me to the bubble or lower cash positions but rarely to the FT.

[Dr Fill Good]

I'd like to think I'm a relatively successful poker player... and I play a lot of these marginal hands. I really like to sink into the ebb and flow of the game and outplay suckers. I do get into untenable situations from time to time, but managing them is part of my skill set I've developed. I'm certainly walking away from the tables up. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with your strategy... just that it is not the be all/end all of poker.

[wreaks]

If you're never playing those hands early on to a raiser, you need to look at your post-flop play. I agree that hand play selection is important, but if you stick to only 88+, AK, and AQs, you're not going to make any money when you DO get a big hand, because everyone will KNOW you have a big hand.

[DefyOddz]

op isnt so crazy, i listed to an interview with menlo after he scooped sunday mills on both sites and he said he folded KK multiple times deep in both tourneys not because he put his opponents on AA but because he didnt want to risk so many chips with a 30% chance to lose, and saw enough of an edge on the fieldto chip up in better spots. Not saying this would work these days but its a diff way to look at things.

[shortmat1444]

I think that is def a smart way to play folding the KK. Pushing it preflop is def a real big risk especially in tourneys like that.

And it def isn't the way to play poker its just something i realized that made me a lot of money.

And i am not saying to consistently fold AK and 1010 preflop. You just really have to know when tofold them on the flop. And the post flop action has to be much tighter then it is. Playing your sets and two pair verse the donks that push one pair all in is def a lot better then playing one over pair when someone can easily have AA or KK when you have your JJ.

In mtt i really think folding a lot more then you think is right is a great way to play. Overplaying hands when the blinds are very small is one of the worst things i do and many other players do also.

I am reading Jon TUrney book and you have to see what he might lay down and hands that he does not play according to what people honestly could have. Its a really good book and can really help your postflop decision, becuase that guy is really the best when it comes to that.

Wreaks i played a 45 person two nights ago. I played 4 percent of my flops, taking down some preflop hands with AA and KK so i was around 1600 with around 19 left. My image is TIGHT TIGHT TIGHT. Now blinds are pretty big at this time 120 240. First position with around 7 or so at the table. I push in first position with A10 for the 1600. A guy in the big blind with around 2400 calls me with A9 off. Now. If people payed any attention to the way i was playing. THis is an insta fold. Online is a bunch of bad players who can't fold 1010 JJ QQ AK and AQ preflop. Thats most players. SO even if you don't play one hand. You are getting called all in with your AA and KK no matter what people have. They don't look at how you play because everyone now a days is playing 10 15 games. SO no one ever knows how good you really are. People are only paying attention right on the bubble and during the cash thats about it. I think this becuase of the plays that people make during the big MTT tourneys and 45 persons.

Now i do think that toward the end of a tourney people tighten up and stealing the blinds and playing big stack poker is def necessary. My whole post was basically talking about when the blinds are low and folding these hands that in the end most of the time get you in trouble has really provided me with the bankroll i have had.

I think pre flop decisions are the most importent part of the game and in tournament play is honestly where you make and lose most of your money....

[cardsfan04]

You're talking about the GAP theory basically. Gap theory says you need a stronger hand to call than you do to raise because somebody has told you they have a good hand if they raise, but w/o a raise nobody has shown any strength.

In theory you are completely right about folding KQ, etc. to raises. However, you are too extreme in your practice of it. I will fold AJ/AT/KQ/KJ to a raise frequently, but not always. In a SNG, it's more correct to do that because SNG's are won by people who are good at playing PF. MTT's however, have a little more PoF play, so to just fold AQ because somebody raised is way too tight. There are people I would fold that too, but I'm generally going to be raising/flatting.

While it's good to avoid tough spots, you shouldn't try to hard to play extra nitty. Adjusting to the situation is crucial in poker.

[shortmat1444]

I think that is true in live play... That playing to tight during live play is really bad, but during online play i don't think you really can play to tight. If you read any books its really all about live play.

Example. I went to play live in AC for the Borgata winter open. 300 dollar and a 500 dollar buy in. I have around 7k in chips while the play who opens has around 35k. she opens for about 1500 with blind 200 400. I push all in pre. She sat there for around 5 minutes thinking before making the call. Turning up QQ. While doing so shes like i really should fold. I had KK and she was right.

Online. No one folds this no matter what. Another situation live i have 24 in the big blind 3 limpers. I check with two checks to the button. We have 30k in chips with the blinds 200 400 no raise preflop. flop J33. He bets 800 i raise him to 2400 with air. He thinks thinks thinks. Look at me and says you got that 3. Turn is a 8. I bet 2k he folds. Turning up QQ.

How about this which i never saw before in my life. Flop is 678 two hearts. Its check bet re riase guy re raise who checked and the guy who initialy raised is thinking. The guy folds his hand flipping over 910 and says. I don't want you drawing to a heart lol.

Now this happens live butwill never ever happen online. Its two diff games and the tighter the better. THats in my opinion. And i am talking about the first part of these MTT when you honestly have no clue what many of the people at the tables mindset is. Unless you see a reckless idiot. That you know if you have JJ QQ you are golden.

Even towards the end of tourneys. Flatting all in with QQ KK and AA. You will probably get called with AK down to 88. No one is really folding these hands. Everyone online loves to gamble and your big hands can really be payed off.