Based on the little I studied in theory and YouTube videos, I came to a simple conclusion.
In MTTs, patience is key at the start, and choosing the right moves later is crucial. Playing too many hands in the beginning often causes problems, and waiting too long when your stack is short can be even worse.
I'm still learning, but trying to balance those two things has helped me more than anything else so far.
In MTTs, patience is key at the start, and choosing the right moves later is crucial. Playing too many hands in the beginning often causes problems, and waiting too long when your stack is short can be even worse.
I'm still learning, but trying to balance those two things has helped me more than anything else so far.
A common problem in tournaments is losing chips slowly by playing too passively. Try to be more active, especially from late position, and look for spots to steal blinds. Don’t wait only for premium hands, because the blinds will eat your stack. Also, pay attention to your stack size — when you get short, switch to a push/fold strategy instead of making small raises. And finally, try to review your hands after sessions, it really helps to improve over time
What I do in tournaments is play very tight- passive in the early stage , starting with 100BBs , and play the top 5% of card combinations (10s to Aces , A10 to AK , cuto off , and button if I am first to bet i'll try to steal the blinds with suited connectors and above, but always cautious )
Middle stage is where you have 20-50 BBs left and the goal is to get in the money, and where you start to be more aggressive than in the early stage , play the top 10% of the top card combinations , and when first to act on cut-off , button , SB , always steal the blinds and put pressureon the short stacks
Bubble/ in tha money stage , is where you will have 8-15 BBs and is a ladder stage , you become tight aggressive , ( all-in or fold type of scenario) here is where you are put in tough spots where you might have to fold good hands just because to many people comitted to the pot and your chances of winning the pot are getting diluted. Usually in this stage is where you double up 2-3 times and go to the Final table Bubble period
top 12-18 stage of the game you swithc again your gameplay , becoming aggressive to consolidate your stack for the final table. put massive pressure on the blinds and on the short stacks
Middle stage is where you have 20-50 BBs left and the goal is to get in the money, and where you start to be more aggressive than in the early stage , play the top 10% of the top card combinations , and when first to act on cut-off , button , SB , always steal the blinds and put pressureon the short stacks
Bubble/ in tha money stage , is where you will have 8-15 BBs and is a ladder stage , you become tight aggressive , ( all-in or fold type of scenario) here is where you are put in tough spots where you might have to fold good hands just because to many people comitted to the pot and your chances of winning the pot are getting diluted. Usually in this stage is where you double up 2-3 times and go to the Final table Bubble period
top 12-18 stage of the game you swithc again your gameplay , becoming aggressive to consolidate your stack for the final table. put massive pressure on the blinds and on the short stacks
First, master the preflop hand rankings, the different phases of the game, and the various positions.
Then, focus more on CO vs. BB and Bu vs. BB—what ranges they might have since they can 3-bet.
Also, watch the tables and how others play; if an opponent 3-bets a lot, I’ll play tighter
If they’re very tight and sitting there with a 15Vpip, I’ll try to steal more blinds from there by raising wide
MTTs are an incredibly difficult and complex game; the mental aspect is the worst part. You might play well, but after 500 tournaments, the big win still eludes you—that’s the hardest part for me
Then, focus more on CO vs. BB and Bu vs. BB—what ranges they might have since they can 3-bet.
Also, watch the tables and how others play; if an opponent 3-bets a lot, I’ll play tighter
If they’re very tight and sitting there with a 15Vpip, I’ll try to steal more blinds from there by raising wide
MTTs are an incredibly difficult and complex game; the mental aspect is the worst part. You might play well, but after 500 tournaments, the big win still eludes you—that’s the hardest part for me
I think you're doing the right thing by trying freerolls. The game is different than high stakes MTTs, but the atmosphere is similar. You can also build up some capital if you're persistent and patient. With a few chips, go all-in with any pocket pair, especially from late position.
Do you have any recommended charts. I currently am trying to look for more spots from BB and D early but it feels like I always get it in good and am consistently getting rivered. I know thats poker but its discouraging knowing that even if I am playing what feels like decent isn't getting rewarded but the random open jams w garbage is consistently rewardedSergioV said:
sob67 said:
If you’re getting it in good, you’re already winning — variance is just messing with you right now. I’d stick to solid GTO charts for BB defense and early positions and not adjust too much based on short-term results. Those random jams won’t hold up long term.sob67 said:
I think good improve in start of your career is books of poker, watch video, play with real money and learn on school of poker/ Good luck in your edycation
Poker just take minutes to learn, but a lifetime to master. Don't get discouraged but instead remember those times where the river was in your favor. My tip is to keep grinding & analyzing the experiences real time to find ways to improve. Binge the forum & adopt those tips that brings results & disregard the rest.sob67 said:
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One thing that helped me a lot in MTT was to better understand the stack size.sob67 said:
When the stack is short, you can't keep calling, you have to adapt to the push or fold game. Many lose chips trying to play “normal” even with few blinds.
Another tip is to play tighter at the beginning and release more as the blinds rise.
And in freerolls, patience makes a lot of difference, because a lot of people fall fast playing any hand.
I think if you really want to improve, you should watch videos or study on your own, especially how to play preflop depending on your stack size and your opponents’ stacks. I also think it’s very important to pay close attention to your opponents, since they often play in predictable ways, and understanding those patterns allows you to exploit them.
sob67 said:
- Learn push/fold – under ~15–20 BB it's often all-in or fold
- Pay attention to stack sizes – same hand ≠ same play with 50BB vs 10BB
- Play tight early – freerolls are chaotic, let others bust
- Steal blinds once antes kick in (late position is key)
- Position matters – play more hands on the button, fewer early
- 💪😎