Just wrote this on someones DON post..
this is all my own opinion and my own strategy, if you do not agree please say where you do not agree and if you have any suggsetions please post... I will take any constuctive criticism as im not an amazing player and my strategy may not be correct, but in the case of DON's it happens to be a winning strategy at all levels.. from the lowest $1 +$0.10 all the way up to $100 +$4
ITS AN ESSAY so get your comfy chair out before reading

okay here are my starting hands... i feel that you will gain nothing from knowing this as you will probably never play me on a DoN as most of you are from USA and im from UK... and i probably play too high for most people (as i have terrible BRM)

So yeah! starting stack 1500 chips
blinds 10/20
15/30
20/40
25/50
range of hands AA KK QQ JJ AK AQ AJ KQ (raising 2.5x to grinders - 3/4x to fish)
If someone raises 3x/4x I only reraise with AA KK and probably raise to 3.5x their original raise + the extra chips from callers.
So like this, UTG raises 60 to 80total.
UTG+1 calls
UTG+2 calls
Me raise 3.5x 80. so 280 +80+80, so 440 total i raise to.
thats 1/3 my stack on the lowest blinds going, that clearly shows i have AA or KK and tells them to fold. If they ship it, im calling. AA over KK so be it.

If they flat call i put them on AK KK QQ.

When the blind levels get to about 50/100
75/150
the game changes for everyone and you have to take this into account. As everyone with 1K chips has just turned into a short stack, with this in mind the ranges change completely...
Well mine does, and so does the grinders partialy...
Fish= most fish dont understand how the game changes and so they do not adapt to the new strategy.
Grinders=play the same way everytime and know exactly what is happening.
Myself= ehh your getting it lol

Right so blinds are at 50/100 and my range is now this
lets presume i have 1500 chips still...
blinds +antes = roughly 320 assuming 8/9 players still in.
so 320 is rather a lot for my 1500 stack. Im probably going to open raise about 2.8xBB with AA KK QQ JJ 1010 99 88 AK AQ AJ (maybe A10 A9 KQ)
If someone has raised, i would probably ship it with AA KK QQ AK AQ (depending on the player, a loose player i would ship AJ A10, KQ also. A tight player tightens my range)

If im in the CO and we are still 8/9 handed... for instance if the BB and SB are grinders, Im just going to ship it to them with AA KK QQ JJ 1010 99 88 77 66 AK AQ AJ A10 A9 KQ KJ QJ...
this is for the sole reason that, if you open raise about 2-4xBB the grinders range gets looser and their going to ship light because they think your trying to steal and that they can get you to fold your hand.. where as If youve shipped it already, they have to have a big hand to call you with (their range would usualy be 88+)

when you get to 100/200 ranges are crazy...
You have to note down what hands people have been playing (grinders only usualy) If you know their only playing huge hands at lower blinds, and their open folding the Button, then you know their only playing monsters and not playing hands such as A9+ etc... So if they open raise, your range has to be super tight...
oh yh remember to ABUSE THE 100/200 LEVEL...
most people do get rather tight as their scared of going busto (fish only) so really do abuse them, they get rather tight instead of loose and this is why they loose, the tight players keep folding and blinding out, the loose players win all the blinds and end up cashing !

If you notice a grinder is open shipping with about 1000-2500 chips then you need to know their range-
UTG to MP would usualy be 99+ but some grinders do make the odd ship with ATC when they only got 1200 chips.
when MP-CO their range becomes rather large, they could ship ATC.
for my sng life i would call with AA KK QQ JJ 1010 99 AK AQ AJ A10 A9 KQ QJ.

as for 150/300 and the next few levels of blinds (usualy goes up to 500/1000 at most) the ranges stay the same... UNLESS.
if you are 6 handed then most grinders will ship ATC (any two cards) for many reasons.
a few are:
BB is weak
BB is short stack
they are short stack
the blinds are going up next hand and its their BB next
If everyone folds to BB, he will no longer be short stack, and instead the pressure would be on the grinder...
They know it will be a coin flip either way
AK vs 4Jo is still a coin flip and so ATC is live and kicking.


So now weve covered ranges...

We move onto a small section of Betting, Usualy and i would say about 80% of the time a grinder would cbet the flop if you flat call pre flop. If you min raise a wet flop, they usualy fold.
If you float the flop and bet the turn once they check, they either fold or IF THEY RE RAISE YOU, get out of the hand. If they flat call the turn bet from you and then they check the river, unless your hand has increased dramaticly and you now have nuts or close to nuts, then i suggest you check back at them as they have realised your going to be the aggressor in this hand so theyll let you hang yourself..
most grinders play either a certain way, they let you hang yourself or they bet and hope your good enough to call. (asuming they have it).
Most grinders are playing ABC poker which is basicly betting goog hands,folding bad hands) as because their on about 12 tabels +, they do not have time to mix it up and get tricky on you...

Obviously i have so much more to say... but i hope this helps, if you read it lol i know its a lot to take in, but if im honest im not amazing at poker, but this strategy works for me and i cash about 9/10 times on DoN's unless i get a bad beat...

if it doesnt make sense, or you have any questions just ask ill be happy to help..
if you want a short answer just say, i can re write things shorter... im usualy on here everyday, but not so much lately as not playing poker so much

The reason you're not getting replies is that your post is too long but most brits I've met tend to be long winded so there it is huh?

As I read and then re-read your post, I kept thinking nothing really new here and that I've seen this style (over-ag) a fair bit. If I had played you a lot previously and had notes and tracking data on you (guaranteed) I figure your style was pretty predicable and TRAP friendly!! Shoving when not short or about to become short is overly-ag and prone to trapping with NO EXIT strategy! I do play tight(ish) although my stats are still +/- 30% VP$IP b/c my tight vs loose changes with position and opps = tighter earler than late and more playback vs maniacs than rocks. Against your DONs I'd look to trap a lot vs playing ABC since I can count on you over-playing your hand - that's how tighties dbl-up and get ITM..

Originally Posted by atila

I personally start stealing earlier then it is obvious, that everyone starts stealing (75/150). Generally, you can easily get a bigger stack by playing agro on the early levels, since everyone is soo tight

In most tournaments it is only at the early levels (1 & 2 and occationally 3) that stacks are deep enough to play spec hands which for most means playing looser than tighter. Once blinds start cutting a stack to below 50-60 BB, spec hands don't play very well and although these higher blinds are forcing players to loosen up their starting hand selection, it's still showdown hands they should be looking to play and not low-mid connectors (although mid suited connectors can still be played from position with over 20BB with the understanding that the whole stack will likley go all-in if the flop connects for a draw).

If early agro means lots of hands, plenty of raises, bluffs and steals then it becomes trap-easy and I personally love to dbl-up vs these players.