Why is it?

[david3103]

That I win tournaments when I go to FT short-stacked, and finish in the bubble (or worse) when I have anything from average stack upwards?

I'm not playing major tournaments here, I don't do Casinos and DTD is a 2.5hr drive so this is just Rileys, but the principle is the same.

In the past 4 weeks I've had two wins and one second place, and on each of those I was either the short stack or close to it.

This isn't a new occurrence. Pretty much ALL my winnings in tournaments have come from a small stack at FT.

What are the questions I need to ask myself?

[DaveShoelace]

My best MTT results tend to be the ones where I get dealt absoloute dog poo and go into the FT short.

I thinks it might be because when short stacked you play with nothing to lose maybe?

[bolt pp]

That I win tournaments when I go to FT short-stacked, and finish in the bubble (or worse) when I have anything from average stack upwards?

I'm not playing major tournaments here, I don't do Casinos and DTD is a 2.5hr drive so this is just Rileys, but the principle is the same.

In the past 4 weeks I've had two wins and one second place, and on each of those I was either the short stack or close to it.

This isn't a new occurrence. Pretty much ALL my winnings in tournaments have come from a small stack at FT.

What are the questions I need to ask myself?

maybe you're just not as accomplished/comfortable playing deepstack poker at the business and of a mtt.

When you are short stacked there really isn't any decisions to make other than shove/fold which is pretty easy as the +EV opportunities become self evident.

Sometimes more inexperienced players tend to feel obliged to start making moves or trying to dominate the table with a big stack because it's what they've seen on t.v or what they understand the optimum strategy to be, even if theyre really uncomfortable doing so, this can quickly turn what should be the best way in which to utilise your stack into a -EV play if the application is wrong

you say you play at rileys where i imagine the standard isn't that so great so i'd stick to playing ABC, even when stacked and not overly concern yourself with conforming to any particular generic strategy but stick to playing hand by hand poker and with experience you'll be able to determine better when(and more importantly how) to take advantage or particularly tight tables with a dominating stack

gl

[Wardonkey]

That I win tournaments when I go to FT short-stacked, and finish in the bubble (or worse) when I have anything from average stack upwards?

I'm not playing major tournaments here, I don't do Casinos and DTD is a 2.5hr drive so this is just Rileys, but the principle is the same.

In the past 4 weeks I've had two wins and one second place, and on each of those I was either the short stack or close to it.

This isn't a new occurrence. Pretty much ALL my winnings in tournaments have come from a small stack at FT.

What are the questions I need to ask myself?

maybe you're just not as accomplished/comfortable playing deepstack poker at the business and of a mtt.

When you are short stacked there really isn't any decisions to make other than shove/fold which is pretty easy as the +EV opportunities become self evident.

Sometimes more inexperienced players tend to feel obliged to start making moves or trying to dominate the table with a big stack because it's what they've seen on t.v or what they understand the optimum strategy to be, even if theyre really uncomfortable doing so, this can quickly turn what should be the best way in which to utilise your stack into a -EV play if the application is wrong

you say you play at rileys where i imagine the standard isn't that so great so i'd stick to playing ABC, even when stacked and not overly concern yourself with conforming to any particular generic strategy but stick to playing hand by hand poker and with experience you'll be able to determine better when(and more importantly how) to take advantage or particularly tight tables with a dominating stack

gl

Do you think that's enough to get your T-shirt campaign back on track?

[Longy]

What bolt said and varience is playing a massive part as well.

[david3103]

That I win tournaments when I go to FT short-stacked, and finish in the bubble (or worse) when I have anything from average stack upwards?

I'm not playing major tournaments here, I don't do Casinos and DTD is a 2.5hr drive so this is just Rileys, but the principle is the same.

In the past 4 weeks I've had two wins and one second place, and on each of those I was either the short stack or close to it.

This isn't a new occurrence. Pretty much ALL my winnings in tournaments have come from a small stack at FT.

What are the questions I need to ask myself?

maybe you're just not as accomplished/comfortable playing deepstack poker at the business and of a mtt.

When you are short stacked there really isn't any decisions to make other than shove/fold which is pretty easy as the +EV opportunities become self evident.

Sometimes more inexperienced players tend to feel obliged to start making moves or trying to dominate the table with a big stack because it's what they've seen on t.v or what they understand the optimum strategy to be, even if theyre really uncomfortable doing so, this can quickly turn what should be the best way in which to utilise your stack into a -EV play if the application is wrong

you say you play at rileys where i imagine the standard isn't that so great so i'd stick to playing ABC, even when stacked and not overly concern yourself with conforming to any particular generic strategy but stick to playing hand by hand poker and with experience you'll be able to determine better when(and more importantly how) to take advantage or particularly tight tables with a dominating stack

gl

Good words and I am particularly aware that this is true "maybe you're just not as accomplished/comfortable playing deepstack poker at the business and of a mtt"

You're spot on, with a small stack my patience increases; I'm not itching to be in a hand to the extent that I step out of my comfort zone of starting cards.
With a big stack..........

Any advice on how to stay away from those daft situations where you call from the Button with A8s and get involved in the hand because you have a flush draw or MPTK...? They always end badly for me when I have a stack of chips and there's still 7 or more at the table.
I seem to handle being CL well ok once we get down to the last 3 or 4


Variance within the tournament or just variance?

btw - I've always wondered, if it's variance that causes us to lose sometimes, what is it that causes us to win sometimes?

[thetank]

If there is just one or two limpers, consider raising with hands like A8s from the button.

It'll help to get you into more heads up pots, where MPTK is going to do a lot better and your flush draw doesn't have to come in as you now have more chance of winning the pot uncontested. (just one guy to fold)

[Longy]

Variance within the tournament or just variance?

btw - I've always wondered, if it's variance that causes us to lose sometimes, what is it that causes us to win sometimes?

Variance is simply a mathematical term for describing how much a sample size of data, varies from the mean. So you can have positive variance when you run good, the term is just used more when running bad as poker players moan about this more and therefore want a reason for it.

Variance happens within tournaments and affects every single hand of poker you play. Your variance in 1 single tournament (regarding how your chipstack fluctuates) will be more noticeable but when you play million of hands online variance will eventually even itself out and your actual skill/ true winrate will be close to your actual profit.

[david3103]

Variance within the tournament or just variance?

btw - I've always wondered, if it's variance that causes us to lose sometimes, what is it that causes us to win sometimes?

Variance is simply a mathematical term for describing how much a sample size of data, varies from the mean. So you can have positive variance when you run good, the term is just used more when running bad as poker players moan about this more and therefore want a reason for it.

Variance happens within tournaments and affects every single hand of poker you play. Your variance in 1 single tournament (regarding how your chipstack fluctuates) will be more noticeable but when you play million of hands online variance will eventually even itself out and your actual skill/ true winrate will be close to your actual profit.

With a BSc which included a lot of statistical theory in it** I have a fair understanding of the concept of variance - my question was a pitifully weak attempt at humour.


** wish i could remember enough of it to make sense of the Mathematics of Poker :-(