Here is why I suck at online MTT's

**D-Nut** · 03-12-2008 11:52 AM

And I am open to any input. So PLEASE give it.

My ROI in SNG's I think is pretty good. I feel like I could make a good bit of money playing these consistantly. But of course the intrigue of the big hit makes me play way above my bankroll should allow in these MTT's.

I have no problem making the cash in MTT's and feel that I make it marginally deep in the money more than my fair share. But as we all know.....the big cash is at the final table. Finishing 30-80 etc. isnt going to do anything for you but keep you afloat.

Here is what happens to me.....one of two things.....and it always happens at about the 1000-2000 or the 1200-2400 level. At this level just about every player who is "successful" in these MTT's plays like this.....So every pot is raised, and I expect this. I rarely limp anyways....so this isnt an issue. But what I notice is that ANY late position raise is interpreted as a steal and you will get played back on 75% of the time. It really makes you not want to steal. So at this level, I am usually crusing along with 20-25BB's and I will go in for a steal and get played back on....usually lay it down depending on my holding....maybe I'll do it again, and low and behold I'll get played back at again. The entire time card dead as hell, so I will never really consider a call. Sometimes, I'll even keep myself afloat my pulling a resteal myself.....but it is never enough to keep up with the rest of the table. Ultimately, I'll find a hand in late position or in the blinds and someone will make a play on me, and I'll get it in with the villian drawing to 3 outs....and they will hit....and now I have no fold equity and then I'll pick my spot and either I will run into something or get drawn out again. I simply cant sustain long enough to make it to the end of the tourneys.

Maybe I'm just not an online player....I can never justify shoving someone around because I assume a late position raise is always a steal. Yea...I make moves in a live game....I resteal all the time, I steal from the right targets, etc. But it seems like these guys are robots.....ANYTIME you raise late, you will get playback....you can bank on it. It makes it tough to play if you arent lucky. I've debated making my steals complete shoves instead of 4xBB or whatever....that way you dont leave the door open for someone to playback at you.....but that sure seems like a donk play....but I see these "successful" guys do that very thing a lot.

I dunno.....online is just frustrating for me. I'm sure that I just dont know what I'm doing.....it is different, I dont care what anyone says. The live games I play, rarely do I ever feel inferior, in fact I always feel like I am one of the best players at any table I play at.....but online, I get around some of these guys, and I feel inferior....I dont play like they do....and I'm not winning so I must be doing something wrong.

Who knows.....

**otbdave** · 03-12-2008 12:32 PM

You have the right idea. Don't steal against a player that has good reason to resteal. If you have 20BB and he has 20BB and your raise to 3BB he has grest reason to steal. If you have 60BB and the blinds have 60BB they will probably fold because they do not wanna just give away a lot of chips by getting in a big pot with no cards. Sometimes the blinds actually have cards.

Anyways, if you are worried about getting played back on, then just think if you raise w a10o and the blinds raise back, GO WITH IT. You are saying that they are always restealing so you should not be afraid to get in with A high. Yes you are gonna be maybe 60/40 at best but THIS is where the tournaments are won and lost. So try to steal with hands you are not afraid to get all in with.

**Chipless Wonder** · 03-12-2008 04:49 PM

First of all, your numbers are better than my numbers. So that means you should use this knowledge to temper any input you get from me.

With that disclaimer out of the way, here's where I think the problem is. I believe that you may actually be TOO SOLID in these large MTT fields.

Let's take a look at the best of the best (99.99th percentile) MTT players on Full Tilt. I'm going to list the player alias, and their ITM (in the money percentage).

heyfreddy = 16%
OnlyPlayRagz = 16%
MoormanI = 17%
GhettoFabolous = 13%
NEONPILS99 = 14%
ScoopAndStack = 14%
da_professional = 17%
ElMastermind = 14%
dsindy = 18%
DumbHick = 18%
jse81 = 12%
darrenelias = 12%
THE__D__RY = 12%

Average = 15%

Now let's take a look at your ITM percentage:

DNutty = 43%

What's the point of this comparison you ask? Well, I think it proves that you're playing TOO SOLID. You're making the money approximately three times as often as the best of the best, but you almost never have enough chips left to get deep into the money.

My interpretation of the above numbers is that you need to take more chances to increase your chip stack. If this means you start busting out three times as often, that's just fine. This is because the times that you do make the money, you'll have enough chips to cruise into the BIG money. And if you give up two or three ~ $100 cashes to make a single $1,000 plus cash, isn't that worth it?

I plan to start testing this theory over the next few months, as I begin to shift my online poker direction.

**goldenchef71** · 03-12-2008 08:23 PM

Dave,

By no means am i a person who feels like i know a whole lot about what i am talking about, but what has helped me tons lately, is maintaining a table image that allows people to give you the respect to not resteal, you have the right idea by not limping. The advice that i was given by a very sucessful online player (WPTHero) is "the best way to instantly improve your game is to stop calling, be the agressor and think about chip flow at the table" you dont want to constantly give/recieve action from people to your left.... think about the way the table moves clockwise, if chips and big stacks are to your left the likleyhood of you getting those chips without a fight from those to act in front of you are decreased the closer the player is to your left. I have obtained alot of information from watching videos at at site called pokersavvyplus.com, that has helped me really think about the meta aspect of online poker. Another thing i have learned is to physically type in my dollar amounts, once you start doing this it will help !!!!