Hey all,

Just wanna float out a theory I wanna impliment in my game but wanna see what others think before trying. I played a lot of 1-2 cash this weekend and had a lot of success iso raising players in position near button to big amounts (6-8bbs pre) where I see a lot of pots 1 way and few 2 way where I just run over table when I Cbet air. Almost always I can get poor hands with hit board poorly to fold. People I’ve realized play super obvious and will never continue without big draws or pairs that are 2nd+ etc.

Should I try iso raising to big amounts in mtts early? When I go standard sizing lately in mtts like say 4x with one limper or slightly bigger with more than one limper, I normally get called multi-way and find c betting tough to win with as people are more sticky when you see flops multi-way.

I feel like changing to a cash game style raise early will lead to more 1 or 2 way flops. Should I try iso raising to 6-8x like cash games early in mtts? I feel it will work much better than what I’ve currently done but just wanna hear thoughts? I dislike playing multi-way flops without hands that can smash boards like suited connectors/pocket pairs where we can shut down easily without a set? As a note, I raise the same amount whether I have a weak hand like a suited 3-4 or aa/kk/ak value type range to balance.

Thanks for any feedback on this thought. I play 200-400 dollar mtts so I feel what works at 1-2 nlhe would prolly work just like this at smaller buy in live mtts. I would obviously size down as stacks get shallower to avoid bloating pots with shallower stacks.

You have my permission to make large isos early in tournaments.

Haha I just wanna see if anyone does this though? I’ve never tested it out live. I do feel it will make early stage play easier.... higher variance no doubt but I feel it will make accumulating chips maybe easier.

I’m consider changing my open size to 4-5x when 150-200 bbs deep in early stages also. This maybe be very incorrect but I feel opponents tend to think big opens are stronger in early stages so if I open my whole range big, I feel I will get less callers pre generally and easier spots postflop and I’m cbetting at a high freq. when we get to say 120bb>, I’ll sizd down with opens.

I’m going to test this out in my next few tournies to see how it goes. I feel it will make post flop play easier.

One difference I noticed with MTTs is that some people are more splashy. Once they pay the entry fee and get "tournament" chips, many lose sight of the $value of the tournament chips. The larger bets don't tend to work as well against players with tournament chips as opposed to chips with a direct $ value.

For instance, in $1/$2 if you raise to $12 that is $12 real dollars. If instead the first level of an MTT you raise to 300, that is not real dollars to them. They already invested the $100 to play.

Yeah, people are very splashy in small stakes liveaments early on, especially rebuy tourneys obv. I usually always open first in to 4x in early levels, and iso at least 5x, and squeeze like 7-10x depending on the situation.

So I do support the idea, OP.

Tournament players love cash game players applying cash strategies in a tournament almost as much as cash players love tournament players utilizing tournament strategies in a cash game.

I think this depends on number of limpers.

I do think 4x with a limper is too small. But not by much. 8x with 1 limper is asking for trouble. But with 4 limpers 8x would be fine.

As to raising 5x first in, if you do it consistently I don't think it will work well. When called, you will be facing better hands mostly. Only at the beginning will people think you are opening big pairs (TT+). After that you will be pegged as a long ball player and the bigger pots will be against players with a lot of equity.

I can guarantee you that if you were doing this at my table, I and probably at least one or two other guys at an average table would start stalking you as soon as we deduced what you were up to.

If you are okay with having 2 or 3 guys actively trying to trap you on every hand then I say go for it.

Pair of twos wtf does this even mean. Based on a large open size you are going to be like yas time to start deviating from my standard ranges to actively get involved vs large opens?

Playing 1-2 I have yet to really be trapped and I’ve put in 28 hrs. I feel bad live players will limp 3 bet in mtts with monster hands so it makes folding pre simple if I iso big. I’m going to try it out this week to see how it goes. I tend to have trouble building a decent stack unless deck hits me I’ve noticed in mtts.

My standard is to iso like 4x to one limper If I have position and solid hand. I’ll prollg just bump it up slightly.

And I’m a mtt player first. Just getting into the live cash grind to see if I can win at it. My experience was insane mtt volume as a backed player online prior to Black Friday. I feel cash game type strat will work early in mtts when everyone has 150+ bbs.

I’ll get goofed on here but I would rather open semi trashy hands vs a hand like aa that I get nervous illl get cracked with or somehow make a bad lay down post flop if someone plays back at me when flop, turn comes. I just feel I have trouble in multi-way pots bc I Cbet too often when I open pre. I like multi-way pots with hands that flop huge draws/ big hands such as a low suited connector or jh10h. I just feel I crush in headsup pots in position (no real insane idea here as everyone knows this makes post flop play easier).

Btw 2of2s this happens already. I tend to raise a lot and play a very tag game. I’m young looking + raise a lot tends to irritate live mtters I feel
Mr Rick, yea 5x is way too big. I’ll prolly make it 4x but go down to 3x as stacks get shallower (100-150bbs)

Anywayz op ur plan is fine and a decent/good exploit of the low mid stakes population in live mtts who limp and call with an inelastic range no matter what the sizing.
I do this a lot just try and find the largest size I will still get action with and lol as people limp/call the 8x with 58s and 108o