Up until now, as much as I love MTT's, I recognize they are crapshoots for the most part, so I stick with freerolls or low buyins. I've never played in one with higher than a $6 buyin.

This Wednesday though, I will be in a $30 one (as part of the Bluff Poker Tour), which has too many goodies, including entry into another tournament, to pass up.

Next year, the Bluff Poker Tour is apparently lowering their tourney entry fee to $10, which has been the subject of complaints from the tour regulars, which feel like this will attract too many fish that could suck out on them.

So....I guess we can safely say this will be the highest quality caliber tournament I have ever played in, with little or no fish, tight play, and no allin bingo contests.

So I'm nervous. How should I play? Just as tight as I do in waiting out the allin-a-thons on the freerolls, or should I loosen up a bit based on what I presume will be a lot of tightness? How do you play high buying tourneys with quality fields, at least as opposed to freerolls/low buyins?

30/3 is my stock in trade. And although there are no doubt fewer fish than at the lower buy-ins don't give too much respect to the opposition based on the buy-in alone. There's plenty of fools with sufficient cash to play at this level.

I've played most levels of MTT and honestly it's only at $100+ that there is a markedly better quality of play from almost everyone (though some people become so passive it's almost as good as a pool full of fish).

I also don't understand the "more fish means more people to suck out on me" attitude. Fish are good. More fish is better. At least as far as MTTs are concerned.

Simply put play speculative hands in late position on unraised pots in the first hour in an attempt to build a stack with a great hand. Don't be afraid to get knocked out early. If you get a stack, don't be to eager to give it away but don't be too afraid to make it bigger. And most importantly of all, pay attention to the other players, target a maniac and wait for an opportunity to relieve him of his chips.