Copyright 2007 Full
Tilt Poker
August 17, 2007
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Poker Lessons)
Poker Lesson: Playing Large Fields
Author: Howard Lederer
During the World Series of Poker, players are confronted
with massive fields. For example, in the 2007 WSOP*, nearly 3,000
players bought into the first $1,500 No-Limit
Hold 'em event. Throughout the Series, it was common to see
starting fields of 1,500 to 2,000. Many players who are accustomed
to playing in smaller tournaments can be overwhelmed by the prospect
of competing against so many people. Some feel they need to make
major adjustments to their games in order to be competitive. They
play faster than they normally would, playing marginal hands and
looking for opportunities to gamble.
I think this is a big mistake. You should never
alter your strategy to compensate for the size of the field. When
you sit down to play in a tournament, you should concentrate only
on things you can control. Whether you're playing against 200
or 2,000 players, you should be focused on how you're going to
beat the other players at your table. Let the rest of the tournament
take care of itself. If you manage to make good decisions against
your opponents, you'll have the opportunity to accumulate chips
and survive as the field dwindles.
Think of it this way: if you were playing in a tournament
where the blinds double every hour, the difference between beating
a 300 person field and a 2,400 person field is a matter of surviving
an extra three hours. If you manage to stick around, you'll have
the opportunity for a nice payday. But if you gamble excessively
in the early stages and bust out, you've got no chance at all.
In any tournament, the determining factor in whether
you should play a given hand is the size of the blinds. If you
have 10,000 in chips and the blinds are 50 and 100, there's no
need to play A-J in early position. But if you have 10,000 in
chips and the blinds are 1,000 and 2,000, you need to move in
with that same hand. It's the blind structure that should determine
how you play, not the number of players in the event.
In the WSOP* Main Event, I've seen a lot of players
feel pressured by the vast size of the field. But it's a false
pressure. The Main Event has a great structure. The blinds increase
slowly, so you can play patiently and look for your spots.
You can't win any large event in the first hour
or the first day, so don't worry about what's happening elsewhere
in a tournament. Play your game and do your best to beat the players
at your table. It's the surest path to success in any tournament,
no matter the size of the field.
*World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of
Harrah's License Company, LLC ("Harrahs"). Harrah's
does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated
with Full
Tilt Poker or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.
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