How does the blind structure affect your poker game?
Filed under: Gambling
24 May 2009
Sidewalk Muthaf*ckin SUUUUUUU!!! asked:
In no-limit, when the blinds go up every 15-20 minutes I find my self going all more then I want to and being way to aggressive at times because are rapidly going up blinds. I find this to be more gambling then playing poker.
In no-limit, when the blinds go up every 15-20 minutes I find my self going all more then I want to and being way to aggressive at times because are rapidly going up blinds. I find this to be more gambling then playing poker.
How do you play?
Some more info. Most tournaments live or online only give you between 1500 to 3000 chips and blinds starting off at 25/50
Edit: I am not asking you how to play but how do you play with the blind structures like this.
Just to be clear I am asking how do you approach this situation in your own way. Not asking for the best just wondering whatever one else does.
May 27th, 2009 at 8:36 am
blinds are meant to speed the game up a little and encourage betting
May 29th, 2009 at 2:42 am
When the blinds go up rapidly then you need to play a slightly more aggressive game. This is not to say that you should play recklessly. But open up the hands you’re willing to start with. At Full Tilt, in a regular tournament, the blinds go up every half hour and you start with 3000 in chips. For the first handful of rounds I’ll only play aces, kings, queens, big slick, big chick, and wired KQ (more or less, it’s a general rule rather than an absolute). For the sng’s when you start with 1500 chips and the blinds go up every 15 minutes I’ll play any pair, suited connectors, and suited face cards. I also come in for more raises. Long, slow tournaments favor skill, the faster ones start to favor luck. In a fast tournament you need to see a few more flops than you would normally, and hope to make a hand. But never be afraid to throw a junk hand away. See flops, and if you make a hand then make your opponents pay. If you get nothing throw it away. These aren’t absolutes of course. In a fast tournament you’ll see more people going all in, which you have to take into account. I always ask myself before betting, “What will I do if player X pushes all in on me?” If you do manage to double up to a decent chip stack then put the brakes on and start playing it like a normal tournament.
May 30th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
you definitely have to change the way you play based on the blinds, but you shouldn’t go by just the structure, you should take into account mostly what the blinds are compared to your chip stack and your opponents’ stacks…when i am deep stacked, i like to raise a lot of hands and smooth-call raises before the flop most times, hoping to outplay my opponents in small pots after the flop
however, when you or all of your opponents have short stacks compared to the blinds, you need to change what you do for sure…when this happens i like to get tighter and more aggressive, calling raises less often and doing some more re-raising before the flop
and you are correct when you say that the higher the blinds go compared to an average stack, the more it is gambling compared to actually playing poker…the deeper the average stack compared to the blinds, the more skillful the game becomes
May 31st, 2009 at 3:31 pm
depending how many are playing on fridays when there is many every half hour
on tuesdays when we have few 20 minutes
ours start at 1000/2000 in chips and then double from there
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:14 am
Simply, I don’t really change my style much at all. I call the blinds a little more in the begining if I can get away with it, and if my stack is short I just wait for a premium hand to push with.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:01 am
I myself play aggressive as i can at a table where not only the blinds go up very quickly and the structure is set up to play fast. These kind of tourneys should be played aggressively. I am more willing to push all in with a hand like 8-8’s, even when i know i am up against a hand like A-K. I live in Vegas and i try and play tourneys that are more suited to my style. The one at Cesar’s palace has 40 min rounds and they start you off with good chips. Or i play in tourneys around Vegas that are bigger buy-ins that offer better structure. The Orleans casino in July is having the Orleans open, and they start off with 1 hour rounds and a very good structure set-up. I always find that the more aggressive players do better in short tourneys then players who play on the tight side. Or you can also play in cash games where the blinds never go up at all, i play a lot of cash games and tourneys, and you will always have more of a shot of making money in a cash game, then you will in a tourney. Tourneys are such a crap shot, so don’t put much stock in these quick tourneys, just do what you can, but you may be playing to tight to win in these events. good luck.