A Little About My Game and the Mookie

One of the biggest changes in my game since the beginning of the year has been my approach to the tournament game. I’ve always been a tight play but I was dependent upon good cards at the right time for me to make a deep run in any tournament that I played. I used a Dan Harrington style that while allowing me to get near the money on a consistent basis, It didn’t allow me to be in a position to win unless the deck hit me in the face. So what are some of the changes that I’ve made to help me make some deeper runs in MTTs?

One of the things I’ve improved upon is my ability to change gears. It has always been important to understand the image that you are portraying at a table and I think I’m using that image to accumulate chips when needed instead of waiting for premium hands to pay me off. I will use my image more in the middle stages of a tourney to win some small pots that I would have left alone in the past. These orphaned pots add up over time and can make the difference. A draw back is that someone may be trapping so you have to be able to get away from a hand that has nothing to offer.

Another area that I’ve improved is using pressure poker. This can be used in many ways and can help you to accumulate chips at many different stages in a tournament. When using pressure you have to know the table well to understand who is a calling station and who can get away from a hand. This being said you could use it to your advantage vs. any type of player depending on their tendencies. The calling station will pay you off on your big hands while other players may fold to your aggression. The trap is still a possibility in any case and there will be times when you look like an idiot but gaining chips during the middle stages of the tournament is going to give you the ability to make a nice run when it, is all said and done. Cash just after the bubble is not the road to financial success so you must use the pre-bubble to your advantage so you can hit it big.

The last area that I’ve seen my biggest improvement is in determining where I stand in a hand. I’m watching betting patterns more closely then in the past and using my betting patterns to disguise my hands better. Being willing to make a re-raise to define my opponents hand has helped me to escape bad situations as well as take some pots that may not have been mine to hold. These bets can cost you some chips at times but being able to get away from a marginal hand or even a hand that you think may be good is what makes the difference in a deep run and an untimely exit.

Overall, my game is at a level that seems to be better then any point in the past. This doesn’t make me a great player but shows that there are ways to improve your game and to become a winning player on-line.

Now if I could only turn my self into a cash game play maybe I could make some better money.

And don't forget to play the Mookie tonight. The password is vegas1 as always and starts at 9:00 central time. Help to send this Wednesday night event to a new record.