Early Strategy for Tourneys

[alanasdad]

My goal, really, in tournaments is to double up or triple up in the first couple of levels to have more chips than anyone else so that I have a distinct advantage starting off. I think it gives me a huge edge to become the chip leader to get tons of chips to be able to knock out the smaller stacks as they become desperate and the blinds go up. And I can just keep chipping up, chipping up, chipping up, and putting myself in good shape.  And then, down the road, when I have 20K and the other guy has 5K or 6K, I can lose that big race, A-K to queens, and still be in the tournament with a ton of chips. A lot of guys, if they play a lot tighter and only play their cards, they get into a big race where both players have 5K and they get knocked out because of losing a coin flip. This style has very high variance but once I get the chips, it actually reduces my variance down the road in the tournament.
I prefer to be done early and go watch TV than sit around just so I can get beaten in the bubble by a big stack who calls my AJ push with 79  :x

What do you guys think?

[underdog140]

Its alway good to double or tripple up but when I play at in tourney for freerolls I just play tight for the first couple off levels untill I get a real hand and push all in but it has to be a decent hand becuse the begening off free rolls are donkey fest with players going all in with any two cards and hopefully I double up and try to play tight untill the most off the donks are gone than it becomes a better game.

[kinghippo08]

My favorite strategy is to the let the loose players attack each other in the first 45 mins to the first hour of a tourney.I usually will only call up to 3x the blind with very good hands until the blinds start becoming significant enough to be worth playing for.

[navuta]

very decent toughts...
But.. How can u get soo good in start if all donkeys goes all in?
will have to be very luck to have a moster hande all the time

[pattie2]

very good advice

Iplay a lot of tourneys and try to make some money in the beginning when blinds are low

lots of patience and a lot of luck to hang in there

[greywind50]

I also play very loose for the first few rounds, any pair, any two suited, any connector,
any two greater than 10. Usually I limp and very rarely call a 3xBB or higher preflop. If the flop
misses I'll just fold to any bet unless I'm in position and I might try to steal. I like to see alot
of flops. Sometimes you do get lucky most times you don't.

[cow344]

Every has it's good and bad side, depends on how it works for you.  I like to play it by ear.  the goal is to be the one with all the chips at the end of last hand of tournament.

Pushing at wrong time will not let that happen.  That is why I have 4 different strategies I use.  I say learn one first then a second and so on for strategies and have a flexible with game plans since the cards govern that! 

[Joolie]

I have no strategy, unfortunately I play purely on instinct, and more times than not I play according to what mood im in...i find myself doing something i know is wrong but, I can't stop myself...I have many bad habbits when it comes to poker...so I need to learn to control my emotions and use my thinking cap...so what is  a person with no self control like myself have to do to have  more control  over their game?

[NELLOB]

Well said, 'Joolie'.  Unfortunately, I fall into the same category.  How many times have I still called a bet knowing full-well that I was going to lose.  The only way to break these bad habits, I guess, is to lose a lot, get fed up with the game and come to the realization that we need to read and study the game more thoroughly.

[puzzykat]

i would love to have a lot of chips early on.  very seldom happens for me though.  i have to scratch and claw for each and every chip i get. 

[spiderman637]

i allow all donks to fight first unless i get a very good hand to involve...
ones the game becomes stable, then i start playing my hands frequently...

[stopko]

I try to play tight in the beginning of my tourneys. I am surprised when I see standings with players having 500% of their starting stacks after 2-5 minutes. I am not sure if my idea is good for winning in the tourneys.