Having troubles...

[Muso-Tim]

...with tournaments.  Having avoided them in favour of cash games until recently I have started to play MTTs on Sky Poker (not the main ones, side tourneys).  Whereas I find that I can normally turn a (fairly) steady profit in cash I am finding it hard even to finish at the bottom of the money.  Ok, so sometimes it is suckouts that make me lose chips but much of the time I find the play of the oppos to be completely different from anything I have encountered in cash.

I have experienced serial limpers but tend to find they respect healthy (5BB) raises.  Not so much in tourneys.  Also, serial raisers, who come in with a 3BB raise on every hand.  While this is great if you hit a hand and the flop, what if you don't?  Also makes it very difficult to sneak in with pocket pairs.

I play a (fairly) tight aggressive game, respect raises, don't hold onto the blinds for dear life, steal blinds from the button etc etc.  I see a lot of players who 'seem' weaker playing some really unusual poker.  And they have bigger chip stacks than me and last longer.

Should I expect this variance in MTTs?  Should I just abandon tournaments (which I have to say, are a lot of fun) and go back to cash?  Or should I just stop whining and get on with it?  (I hear the difference between dogs and poker players is that dogs eventually stop whining).

Your advice is much appreciated.

[Colchester Kev]

STRUCTURE, STRUCTURE,STRUCTURE.

When choosing MTT's, you need to pay particular attention to the structure that best suits your game. You say you like to have time to wait for a hand/position to make chips, but you cant do that if the MTT that you are playing has a fast clock.

There is plenty of choice on T'internet, my advice would be to look at other sites and find the kind of game that will give you the optimum chance of playing the game that you are comfortable with, and not one that forces you to play fast and furious.

[RED-DOG]

My advice would be to take Kev's advice.

[LLevan]

My advice would be to check out the Blonde Poker MTT section, plenty of variety of stakes and structures etc.
PS Kev now please flick the lever for me ty in advance.

[Muso-Tim]

Thanks.  I have been playing the "Slow Boat" tournament (15 minute blinds, 2000 chips, blinds raise REALLY slowly).  Maybe I will look at playing 10-handed tournaments with slow blinds.

[ericstoner]

I don't think your doing much wrong,and you seem to have grasped the basic tenents of tournement poker.Stick with it, and it'll come right in the end.Remember keep within your bankroll, don't tilt,accept varience happens,and finally enjoy what your doing............It makes it all worthwhile.

PS. Try some live turnements with good structure, you may find these are whare your talent may lie.

[kinboshi]

Thanks.  I have been playing the "Slow Boat" tournament (15 minute blinds, 2000 chips, blinds raise REALLY slowly).  Maybe I will look at playing 10-handed tournaments with slow blinds.

Are they 6-seater tables?  If they are, then it's not really that slow a structure. 

[matt674]

Thanks.  I have been playing the "Slow Boat" tournament (15 minute blinds, 2000 chips, blinds raise REALLY slowly).  Maybe I will look at playing 10-handed tournaments with slow blinds.

thats a standard structure on most sites, some even give 3000 chips. Also take into account how much the blinds go up each time - on some sites after you've played 2 hours you'll be on 200/400 with maybe an ante - on others you can be high as 600/1200 just because of the way the blinds jump, quite a big difference.

shop around and try a few places, find the software and structures you feel most suited and go from there