My First Tournament

[Alaskan]

Hey guys, I've been playing cash games mainly for about a year now but now that I have a steady bankroll I've been thinking of trying my hand at some tournaments. The thing is I need some pointers before I start. I know my patience-is-golden cash game style will not work with rising blind structures and more aggressive play. So what do you guys suggest is a good strategy? How should I play differently? What are some really simple tournament nuances that I should learn right now instead of in my first hour at the table?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Patience is still a key early in a tournament,i try and sit back play solid cards
see what kind of players i'm up against.....as the field get shorter my game gets more aggresive....sometime playing like that i tend to see myself as never a large stack....i just buy my time and at the right moment pounce....
you just have to play and find whats right for you.

Whenever you have a solid hand in a tournament, bet it big and then show it reguardless of whether or not they fold. Play pretty conservative up until you start to get short-handed. You have to find the right times to bluff and when not to bluff. Tournament strategy is much more complicated than cash games.

All very solid advice gentlemen.....I might add though...as I've stated before on these boards...taking down small pots is very crucial....take them down as often as you can.

Also....since survival is the key in tournaments...use that to your advantage....find spots to be agressive and play on people's tightness when you have position.

God, I couldn't agree more with the "small pots" statement. You MUST snag the money when you can get it...and all those little ones you took without anyone noticing make up the one BIG one you might otherwise get busted out on when you DO make a mistake...and you WILL make mistakes.

I'd also note that even though you feel you play pretty tight in your cash game, I'd practice playing EVEN TIGHTER if you reach the final table...at least for the first few rounds. This protects your stack in some pretty remarkable ways, but more importantly opens up some serious bluff and semi-bluff opportunities down the road, which may very well be most critical when you're nearing the money!

[Locohombre]

Originally Posted by Iceman37

God, I couldn't agree more with the "small pots" statement. You MUST snag the money when you can get it...and all those little ones you took without anyone noticing make up the one BIG one you might otherwise get busted out on when you DO make a mistake...and you WILL make mistakes.

I'd also note that even though you feel you play pretty tight in your cash game, I'd practice playing EVEN TIGHTER if you reach the final table...at least for the first few rounds. This protects your stack in some pretty remarkable ways, but more importantly opens up some serious bluff and semi-bluff opportunities down the road, which may very well be most critical when you're nearing the money!

I usually steal a small one once in every 5 or 6 hands, and everyone still mistakes me for a conservative player.