Low Stakes Tournament Strategy. So, I am thinking about entering a $50 buy in tournament at the local casino, just to start playing some live poker a little more. In reality, there really isn't much bluffing in low stakes live cash games in Vegas, but that can all change if you're playing a decent European player. Treat them on a case-by-case basis, but if they tell you playing is a big part of why they've made the trip, it's often a sign they'll be better than the average player in the game. The appetite for live poker tournaments in the $300 to $2,000 buy-in range has probably never been bigger. In the United States, tours such as Mid-States Poker Tour, the RunGood Poker Series, the Heartland Poker Tour, WPTDeepStacks and the World Series of Poker Circuit continue to pull in huge numbers year after year, often expanding by a. Let's say you play a $3.00 plus $.30 nine-man SNG.That provides a prize pool of $27, and the standard payouts are 50 percent ($13.50) to first place, 30 percent ($8.10) to second place and 20.
Table Of Contents
A low-stakes online poker game is the kindergarten period in every poker player's career. It's important for poker players to realize that these felts are filled with unskilled/amateur players and of course, the unrealistically tight regulars. Now, that translates to two things, great winning days and equally bad losing days.
Though there's been much hand-wringing over the years about the 'health' of the game, at least one subsection of poker is healthier than ever. Hilton ponce golf & casino resort ponce 00716 puerto rico map.
The appetite for live poker tournaments in the $300 to $2,000 buy-in range has probably never been bigger. In the United States, tours such as Mid-States Poker Tour, the RunGood Poker Series, the Heartland Poker Tour, WPTDeepStacks and the World Series of Poker Circuit continue to pull in huge numbers year after year, often expanding by a few stops here and there.
Those are the arenas where I get to realize much of my passion for the game, and one of my goals in recent years has been to keep better records of my results. In that vein, while recently flying back from a trip to Australia to report at Aussie Millions, I spent some time filling out my spreadsheets of 2019 results.
Looking it over, several things struck me. I thought I'd go over the highs and lows of the year here and discuss what it can tell us about the low- to mid-stakes scene in the U.S.
The Numbers
Event | Buy-ins | Expenses | Cashes | ROI |
---|---|---|---|---|
MSPT Majestic Star | $2,220 | $169 | $42,349 | |
WSOPC Potowatomi | $6,825 | $440 | $15,833 | |
WSOPC Hammond | $14,825 | $1,150 | $3,126 | |
MSPT Meskwaki | $3,330 | $175 | $0 | |
WSOPC Council Bluffs | $10,475 | $165 | $54,297 | |
Total | $37,675 | $2,099 | $115,605 | 191% |
What a sick year. A 191% ROI!
I wish. In fact, that was just the first four months of the year. Let's see that table again, only with everything else I played from May onward:
Event | Buy-ins | Expenses | Cashes | ROI |
---|---|---|---|---|
MSPT Majestic Star | $2,220 | $169 | $42,349 | |
WSOPC Potawatomi | $6,825 | $440 | $15,833 | |
WSOPC Hammond | $14,825 | $1,150 | $3,126 | |
MSPT Meskwaki | $3,330 | $175 | $0 | |
WSOPC Council Bluffs | $10,475 | $165 | $54,297 | |
WPT Choctaw | $7,000 | $460 | $0 | |
Summer Tournaments | $13,950 | $0* | $2,100 | |
WSOPC Cherokee | $6,600 | $250 | $0 | |
MSPT Meskwaki | $2,220 | $75 | $0 | |
WSOPC Choctaw | $11,200 | $327 | $0 | |
Total | $78,745 | $3,211 | $117,705 | 32% |
*Wasn't actually $0, but difficult to separate from work expenses
Cue the sad trombone. That's considerably less impressive, if still pretty solid.
Takeaways
So, what are the takeaways from all of this?
Well, first off, it's likely that I ran above expectation. Obviously, I'm mostly playing very good value events. Still my understanding of tournament poker ROI is that 20% is considered pretty good. Therefore, even if I have a decent-sized edge — hopefully this is true! — 32% would be an optimistic expectation.
Also, heaters are fun! My spring sun run included a first-place finish in a Circuit re-entry and a second-place finish in an MSPT event.
Even so, it's important to recognize when you are on a heater and to plan ahead for the inevitable downswing. I cashed for about $117,000 last year, and 98% of it came in about 25% of the year. That's not a recipe for having consistent money, but it's a reality of life on the tournament scene. If you're instantly turning around and using those winnings for more action, the downer will hit very hard.
We must put away some of our winnings as an airbag for when we hit an icy patch and skid off the side of the road. If not we may incur serious injury necessitating a long rehab period — building back at smaller stakes — and be unable to continue firing.
Messy analogy aside, one thing that heater also brings to mind is that it's critical to work on your short-handed and heads-up games. Leaks in these spots can be immensely costly as these situations come up during the biggest money jumps in the tournament, and it's essential to adjust and fight for every pot so the blinds don't rip your stack to shreds. Securing these pay jumps is crucial to your bottom line as they can be the difference between a comfortable winning year and being in the red.
Perhaps the biggest shock to me was the massive number I wound up seeing at the bottom of the 'buy-ins' column. While playing very much part-time in between working a full-time job, keeping a regular workout schedule, and trying to have some small semblance of a social life, I still spent nearly $80,000 on tournament entries in 2019.
Now, I definitely took some shots, most notably the WPT Choctaw $3,500 Main Event. However, even during just the second half of the year, I spent well over $30,000 with only one small cash.
What that tells us is that we need a fairly sizable bankroll to comfortably play these events. Downswings of $40,000 are relatively routine. Even keeping expenses as low as I did — find yourself a good, trustworthy roommate and grind those short-term rental maps for value — that hits the old wallet pretty hard.
I recall a few years ago someone on Twitter starting a discussion of what sort of bankroll one would need to grind the WSOP Circuit. Numbers like $25,000 were getting thrown around, and to me that's completely unrealistic. I play an admittedly high-variance style, but that would cover two or three stops for me, and it's pretty easy to go that long without a significant cash. If I can fire off $80,000 in a year playing the odd Circuit and MSPT here or there, that's got to be a few months' worth of small-stakes play for guys like Ari Engel and Nick Pupillo.
Basically it's hard out on those live circuit streets to make the numbers work in the end. Maybe if I get a few six-figure scores rolling in I'll change my tune. But I guess for now, I'll be taking Engel's advice: stick to the day job and try to win some poker monies on the side.
Tags
tournament strategylive pokerWSOP CircuitMSPTHeartland Poker TourWPTDeepStacksRunGood Poker Seriesbankroll managementROImental gameRelated Tournaments
World Series of Poker CircuitRunGood Poker SeriesHeartland Poker Tour
Online poker tournaments can be exciting and frustrating for many avid virtual poker players. Staying competitive and also enjoying the learning process of online poker can be hard to accomplish altogether as well. Winning online poker tournaments is a balancing act. It challenges players to apply strategic plays in all their moves, despite it taking place virtually. Not having physical opponents can make online poker tournaments even more perplexing.
Basing your next move on your opponents' play is also tricky. Players won't be able to see their opponents' poker faces and observe their habits to help decide on their applied strategy. Best gambling stories reddit websites. Even so, this article aims to guide amateur players trying to compete in online tournaments. By providing concrete techniques to apply to their poker play altogether
4 Things to Remember when Playing in an Online Poker Tournament
1. Brace Yourself for A Lengthy Poker Session
Just because you are playing on your desktop or mobile device, it doesn't necessarily mean that the streak of the tournament will be quick and smooth flowing. There will be times, more often than not that poker tournaments conducted online can take hours to complete. It is best to prepare by stirring clear of any plans made. If you are competing in a professional online tournament, it is a must to make proper time.
Staying patient with the way online tournaments in poker is important since many technical errors could potentially occur. Staying hydrated and well fed throughout the tournament is a must! Multitasking is key.
2. Prepare for Some Crazy Swings
The number one rule in poker is never to fully predict your opponents' behavior in poker. Putting players with particular habits and determining your move based on their habits can be off-putting but also clever at times.
Popularity in small stakes poker tournaments is due to the fact that there are a steep number of opponents you could have. This makes it difficult to place them on a certain hand. Not to mention the unpredictability that transpires when a huge cluster of poker players playing for recreational purposes are also present.
In terms of long-term plays, such situation is plausible but for short-term plays, it is best to consider trying another strategy. Ensure that there is balance in your bankroll to be able to have a fallback option in case losses concur frequently.
3. Use Simple and Max Bets Plays that are Beneficial to Your Hands
The most important tip that potential poker players can take away from this article is that they should never try running intricate bluffs whenever they want. Most of your opponents prioritize the cards they currently possess and work with what they have until they make it to the showdown.
Live Low Stakes Poker Tournament Strategy 2019
Another useful tip is to make sure that every hand you play equates to maximum value. In low stakes poker, several of your opponents will most likely call your bets. This is an opportunity for you to up your stakes. In terms of high stakes poker tournaments, players make it a habit to fire off 1/3 pot sized bets at their opponents. This is due to the fact that it is more of a struggle to receive a big payout at that level of stakes.
4. Do Not Fear Playing with a 'Balanced Style'
When they say avoid playing using a balanced style, it usually means that worrying about revealing certain playing patterns is unnecessary. Remember keeping variant techniques when playing with big or small hands so as not to appear predictable to your opponents.
A low-stakes online poker game is the kindergarten period in every poker player's career. It's important for poker players to realize that these felts are filled with unskilled/amateur players and of course, the unrealistically tight regulars. Now, that translates to two things, great winning days and equally bad losing days.
Though there's been much hand-wringing over the years about the 'health' of the game, at least one subsection of poker is healthier than ever. Hilton ponce golf & casino resort ponce 00716 puerto rico map.
The appetite for live poker tournaments in the $300 to $2,000 buy-in range has probably never been bigger. In the United States, tours such as Mid-States Poker Tour, the RunGood Poker Series, the Heartland Poker Tour, WPTDeepStacks and the World Series of Poker Circuit continue to pull in huge numbers year after year, often expanding by a few stops here and there.
Those are the arenas where I get to realize much of my passion for the game, and one of my goals in recent years has been to keep better records of my results. In that vein, while recently flying back from a trip to Australia to report at Aussie Millions, I spent some time filling out my spreadsheets of 2019 results.
Looking it over, several things struck me. I thought I'd go over the highs and lows of the year here and discuss what it can tell us about the low- to mid-stakes scene in the U.S.
The Numbers
Event | Buy-ins | Expenses | Cashes | ROI |
---|---|---|---|---|
MSPT Majestic Star | $2,220 | $169 | $42,349 | |
WSOPC Potowatomi | $6,825 | $440 | $15,833 | |
WSOPC Hammond | $14,825 | $1,150 | $3,126 | |
MSPT Meskwaki | $3,330 | $175 | $0 | |
WSOPC Council Bluffs | $10,475 | $165 | $54,297 | |
Total | $37,675 | $2,099 | $115,605 | 191% |
What a sick year. A 191% ROI!
I wish. In fact, that was just the first four months of the year. Let's see that table again, only with everything else I played from May onward:
Event | Buy-ins | Expenses | Cashes | ROI |
---|---|---|---|---|
MSPT Majestic Star | $2,220 | $169 | $42,349 | |
WSOPC Potawatomi | $6,825 | $440 | $15,833 | |
WSOPC Hammond | $14,825 | $1,150 | $3,126 | |
MSPT Meskwaki | $3,330 | $175 | $0 | |
WSOPC Council Bluffs | $10,475 | $165 | $54,297 | |
WPT Choctaw | $7,000 | $460 | $0 | |
Summer Tournaments | $13,950 | $0* | $2,100 | |
WSOPC Cherokee | $6,600 | $250 | $0 | |
MSPT Meskwaki | $2,220 | $75 | $0 | |
WSOPC Choctaw | $11,200 | $327 | $0 | |
Total | $78,745 | $3,211 | $117,705 | 32% |
*Wasn't actually $0, but difficult to separate from work expenses
Cue the sad trombone. That's considerably less impressive, if still pretty solid.
Takeaways
So, what are the takeaways from all of this?
Well, first off, it's likely that I ran above expectation. Obviously, I'm mostly playing very good value events. Still my understanding of tournament poker ROI is that 20% is considered pretty good. Therefore, even if I have a decent-sized edge — hopefully this is true! — 32% would be an optimistic expectation.
Also, heaters are fun! My spring sun run included a first-place finish in a Circuit re-entry and a second-place finish in an MSPT event.
Even so, it's important to recognize when you are on a heater and to plan ahead for the inevitable downswing. I cashed for about $117,000 last year, and 98% of it came in about 25% of the year. That's not a recipe for having consistent money, but it's a reality of life on the tournament scene. If you're instantly turning around and using those winnings for more action, the downer will hit very hard.
We must put away some of our winnings as an airbag for when we hit an icy patch and skid off the side of the road. If not we may incur serious injury necessitating a long rehab period — building back at smaller stakes — and be unable to continue firing.
Messy analogy aside, one thing that heater also brings to mind is that it's critical to work on your short-handed and heads-up games. Leaks in these spots can be immensely costly as these situations come up during the biggest money jumps in the tournament, and it's essential to adjust and fight for every pot so the blinds don't rip your stack to shreds. Securing these pay jumps is crucial to your bottom line as they can be the difference between a comfortable winning year and being in the red.
Perhaps the biggest shock to me was the massive number I wound up seeing at the bottom of the 'buy-ins' column. While playing very much part-time in between working a full-time job, keeping a regular workout schedule, and trying to have some small semblance of a social life, I still spent nearly $80,000 on tournament entries in 2019.
Now, I definitely took some shots, most notably the WPT Choctaw $3,500 Main Event. However, even during just the second half of the year, I spent well over $30,000 with only one small cash.
What that tells us is that we need a fairly sizable bankroll to comfortably play these events. Downswings of $40,000 are relatively routine. Even keeping expenses as low as I did — find yourself a good, trustworthy roommate and grind those short-term rental maps for value — that hits the old wallet pretty hard.
I recall a few years ago someone on Twitter starting a discussion of what sort of bankroll one would need to grind the WSOP Circuit. Numbers like $25,000 were getting thrown around, and to me that's completely unrealistic. I play an admittedly high-variance style, but that would cover two or three stops for me, and it's pretty easy to go that long without a significant cash. If I can fire off $80,000 in a year playing the odd Circuit and MSPT here or there, that's got to be a few months' worth of small-stakes play for guys like Ari Engel and Nick Pupillo.
Basically it's hard out on those live circuit streets to make the numbers work in the end. Maybe if I get a few six-figure scores rolling in I'll change my tune. But I guess for now, I'll be taking Engel's advice: stick to the day job and try to win some poker monies on the side.
Tags
tournament strategylive pokerWSOP CircuitMSPTHeartland Poker TourWPTDeepStacksRunGood Poker Seriesbankroll managementROImental gameRelated Tournaments
World Series of Poker CircuitRunGood Poker SeriesHeartland Poker Tour
Online poker tournaments can be exciting and frustrating for many avid virtual poker players. Staying competitive and also enjoying the learning process of online poker can be hard to accomplish altogether as well. Winning online poker tournaments is a balancing act. It challenges players to apply strategic plays in all their moves, despite it taking place virtually. Not having physical opponents can make online poker tournaments even more perplexing.
Basing your next move on your opponents' play is also tricky. Players won't be able to see their opponents' poker faces and observe their habits to help decide on their applied strategy. Best gambling stories reddit websites. Even so, this article aims to guide amateur players trying to compete in online tournaments. By providing concrete techniques to apply to their poker play altogether
4 Things to Remember when Playing in an Online Poker Tournament
1. Brace Yourself for A Lengthy Poker Session
Just because you are playing on your desktop or mobile device, it doesn't necessarily mean that the streak of the tournament will be quick and smooth flowing. There will be times, more often than not that poker tournaments conducted online can take hours to complete. It is best to prepare by stirring clear of any plans made. If you are competing in a professional online tournament, it is a must to make proper time.
Staying patient with the way online tournaments in poker is important since many technical errors could potentially occur. Staying hydrated and well fed throughout the tournament is a must! Multitasking is key.
2. Prepare for Some Crazy Swings
The number one rule in poker is never to fully predict your opponents' behavior in poker. Putting players with particular habits and determining your move based on their habits can be off-putting but also clever at times.
Popularity in small stakes poker tournaments is due to the fact that there are a steep number of opponents you could have. This makes it difficult to place them on a certain hand. Not to mention the unpredictability that transpires when a huge cluster of poker players playing for recreational purposes are also present.
In terms of long-term plays, such situation is plausible but for short-term plays, it is best to consider trying another strategy. Ensure that there is balance in your bankroll to be able to have a fallback option in case losses concur frequently.
3. Use Simple and Max Bets Plays that are Beneficial to Your Hands
The most important tip that potential poker players can take away from this article is that they should never try running intricate bluffs whenever they want. Most of your opponents prioritize the cards they currently possess and work with what they have until they make it to the showdown.
Live Low Stakes Poker Tournament Strategy 2019
Another useful tip is to make sure that every hand you play equates to maximum value. In low stakes poker, several of your opponents will most likely call your bets. This is an opportunity for you to up your stakes. In terms of high stakes poker tournaments, players make it a habit to fire off 1/3 pot sized bets at their opponents. This is due to the fact that it is more of a struggle to receive a big payout at that level of stakes.
4. Do Not Fear Playing with a 'Balanced Style'
When they say avoid playing using a balanced style, it usually means that worrying about revealing certain playing patterns is unnecessary. Remember keeping variant techniques when playing with big or small hands so as not to appear predictable to your opponents.
Live Low Stakes Poker Tournament Strategy Payout
Competitive Play at its Best
Poker tournaments in itself are already challenging. Online poker tournaments where poker faces are invalid can be twice as challenging. Staying at long poker sessions online can be draining but also rewarding once you master certain strategies in the process. Learning how to balance your methods when playing cards dealt to you and also maintaining proper poker etiquette, can be doable with the right determination and skill at hand. Join W88 to experience poker tournaments online today!
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