Is there such a thing? I live in a small town with the nearest casino being an Indian casino offering weekly tournaments. These games are pretty much what you expect with 20 min blinds at retarded increases. I've tried a few different approaches strategy wise lately and have no decent results to show. It really seems to be about just getting good cards and running super hot. I've started playing play-money tourneys online just to help replicate the tilting experience of witnessing plays that make no sense and trying to survive the shovefest's that ensue. Is there any point to this or should I just stick with the cash games? Any thoughts of beating these types of games?

Response is pretty clear clear. I guess I just wont play them.

If if it were me, I'd definitely go with the cash games. Some of those live tourneys have ridiculous rake. Probably still beatable but variance will be super high with like 1 orbit per blind level.

On days where these things run, I'd be the cash games get real juicy as players start to bust from the donkament so go with that imo.

Yes Cash Games are better than Donkaments.

But if you want to win donkaments, play conservatively. Good cards, few bluffs until u reach the bubble, etc... And accept the higher variance.

Obviously you need to get lucky to make a deep run, and the variance is hell, but from my experience the players are so bad that they are beatable.

Early on play a lot of hands and just nut peddle.

Towards the middle, there will be a lot of opportunities to steal blinds and steal pots post-flop as players will be mostly playing their own cards.

Then before it even gets to the bubble, most everyone is shortstacked but don't realize they're short stacked. If they started with 10,000 chips and now they have 60,000 they feel like a big stack but the blinds are 3000/6000 with a 500 ante, so they're going to make a lot of mistakes not realizing how you should adjust your game with a 10BB stack.

Easy, play a solid 45 man turbo strategy, but adjust because your opponents wont be playing like its a 45 man turbo, they will be limping in with under 10 blinds, not calling shoves enough or too much. Old men playing live semi turbo tourneys have too many leaks, it is very beatable.

We talkin live or online?

Lots of passive players, loads of limping, tough to get hands heads up. So what i would suggest if you cant beat them, join them.

What i mean rasie with your big hands from any position (88+, AJ+), limp around the button with playable hands one and two gapper connectors, suited connectors, small pairs, and broadway cards, basically any hand you feel comfortable playing IP.

If you hit a flop favourably bet the hell out of it, to be fair thats what i have done in these casino donkments for years and have won thousands. There have been times when i have played loose, but i have found it more productive to play this range, and sometimes tighter.

Early: Be patient, open shove, have it.

Late: Shove light and call only with premium hands.

Boring, but it works.

don't play the local tourney for a month and save up the money to play a bigger buyin comp with a nice deep structure somewhere.

I think the variance is so high in these sh*ty structured comps, but when you're playing live with deep stacks, soft table and a long clock I think good players have a huge edge.

:S

use your $ for low stakes checkers...