I'm playing a tournament this weekend with about 50 or 60 of my friends... it's all a bunch of high school/college students from around town, and only a small handful of them are experienced players.

But the buy-in is $15, which means the prizes actually won't be too shabby. I want to take this tourney fairly seriously, even though to most people it's just kinda a social gathering.

So I thought I'd open up a discussion on large but friendly tournaments, where you're surrounded by weaker players. What's the best way to win this kind of event?

My plan is this... I'm going to play fairly tight early on, BUT I'll also keep a very close eye on my opponents' play. Once I can figure out who the weakest players are, I'll start picking on them. Otherwise, I'll pretty much just play survival until I get into the money, which shouldn't be that hard. I'm not afraid to lay down a lot of hands to the other experienced players at the table with me. Then once I make the money I'll open up and start pillaging blinds and antes. I'm hoping to be the table bully by the time the final table rolls around.

What do people think? Will this end up making me too reckless? Too timid? Is there a better approach to take? Post your thoughts.

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"Last night I stayed up late playing poker with tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died."
-Stephen Wright

I've played quite a few of these.

Even more important than finding the weak players is finding the callers and the folders.

There are many inexperienced players who think a straight draw is worth all their chips, and their are others who NEVER want to risk their chips.

how rapidly the blinds increase should dictate how loose you play.

$15 in chips, 5/10 cent blinds for two hours, doubling every hour from then on.

I'd say those blinds are fairly low... although with only one-hour rounds, they could eat me alive later on.

Hmmm. Maybe I should open up a bit BEFORE making the money?

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"Last night I stayed up late playing poker with tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died."
-Stephen Wright

No you can play super tight for 5+ hours!!!! wow!

LoL. I think that is a good bet, rock it early, and open up when the blinds go up. But, this is how I generally play in IRL with friends, etc...

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I'd rather do that than what I play with my friends. We start off with 700 in chips, and blinds start at 10/20 and then double every 2 people that are taken out. Sometimes the blinds quickly increase to 20/40 or 30/60 within an hour. I have tried to explain that 700 is not enough in chips, but they think it is fine. I play it like limp with any decent hand and wait until one hits.

Also, don't be too scared when people are calling your big bets when a scary board is out. A lot of weaker players that I've played with stay in with any pair out hoping to make a 2-pair or trips. Just be wary on the board of 6 8 K when you hold KJ and turn is a 6 or 8.

Um, I'd like to see a lot of flops and really go for a reckless gamb00ler image. When you make the $ with the good players, use it to your advantage.

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“There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking about.” - John von Neumann

^ Agreed...

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With that blind strucure, play rock solid abc poker untill the final table where u might want to loosen up(might). Relish the fact that you can wait for hands and just make your money on other people's mistakes.

the blinds favor YOU.... there is a small blind-to-stack ratio so you can concentrate on outplaying and less on HAVING TO PLAY... i like it

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