So mainly I play under $10 buy in tournies online and will move up to $20 and $30 buy ins when there is a Series going on WSOP. I've had a few small cashes in the $20-$30 buy in range, but am still down over a very small sample size ie maybe 10-15 tournaments. I would say I am probably around breakeven with under $10 tournaments. I should also point out I've had a few "final 4" chops recently live in $140 buy-ins for 4 digit payouts, so I'm not a complete loser. I should also note I recently satty into a live $600 buy in tourny at the last Wynn Series.

Anyway, I won a freeroll on WSOP that got me a seat to todays $320 buy-in on WSOP for their Spring OC Series. You cant rebuy until you are down to 1 chip, so I dont have to worry about people doubling their stack before the first hand is dealt. There is also no add-on. I start with $10k in chips, but the blind structure moves fairly quickly. I've played in this type of structure before except this time the blinds increase every 12 minutes instead of the usual 10 (not a huge difference but it does help somewhat)....but the blinds increase quickly ie the bb goes from 40/60/80/100/150/200/250 etc. I have had zero success so far in the Spring Series with structures like this. I'm more comfortable with the "Deepstack" format of bb's 20/30/40/50/60/80 etc.

Probably should have posted this earlier, but the tournament starts in 1 1/2 hours. Any advice? I imagine the quality of player will increase dramatically and you wont be able to get chips easily at the beginning like one usually can in a $3 or $7 buy in tournament. Is the level of player I should expect playing in this $320 online buy in similar to the players I encountered in the $600 live tourny ie more 3 betting? If so, I can handle that. Or are we talking levels way above that?

Can’t learn how to play $320 BI online events in 90 minutes mate.

Think in ranges. Look for safe value.

I ended up finishing 66th out of 315. Top 50 cashed. Probably was playing my B+ game until the end when I raised the guy in the BB who I had raised a few times recently, this time with KQ. We started the hand about even I had like 11 BB. he had like 10 at 1500/3000 (the blinds really started going up fast when it jumped from 600/1200 to 800/1600). Of course he had KK. Just so disappointed with the way I played that hand I could have gotten away from it and lived another day, especially against this particular player. Just one of those moments where I think I didnt take enough time to think things out. I feel like an idiot right now. However, the only thing right now preventing me from going completely ballistic is the hand I went out on about 5 hands later, QQ, I definitely would have shoved my remaining stack anyway.

EDIT:But yeah overall it was about what I expected. I was just patient and picked my spots. Maybe played slightly too conservatively in a couple of spots but overall I think I played my B+ game on reflection (after cooling down for 10 minutes after getting knocked out). Hopefully this experience will pay off this week with the remaining series.....

On further reflection w the QQ hand I went out on...the guy that won the hand w A6s was even shorted stacked then me, but I doubt he would have folded that hand pre and I would still have been down to fumes ie about 4 BB's. Who knows though. I dunno I probably shouldnt have rewatched that last hand to find that out.

Just looking to try to make myself feel better but obviously I also failed at that.

don't conflate disappointment with self doubt, pro players care very little about any individual tournament and simply seek to make correct decisions in individual hands and leave results to look after themselves

if KQ appears on this shove chart (look at 12.5% ante tab) in SB v BB with 10BB effective then you have not made an error: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...hl=en_US#gid=3

gl and wd on 66/315 in a $320 online - but play smaller, because the other thing pros do is to focus on mtts where they have an edge higher than rake over the field

Uh you arent going to believe this. I dont believe it myself. But I just tried again to do one of these freeroll qualifiers. Um I won it again, beating out 292 runners. This was the first one I tried since the one I won last week. This time for the Sunday Spring OC Main Event $200k guarantee. This time it is a $525 buy in, so even bigger than last time.

Just going to play my game. This time there are 15 minute levels instead of 12 so that is even better. Not trying to get too hyped up for this.....

Play poker the way you know how to play poker and don't worry about the buyin.

GL

Mentally prepare yourself for the most likely outcome of not cashing, play the same way you would any other mtt, and understand that (especially on WSOP) the fish are the same at every buyin level and your approach to playing against them doesnt change. Gl hope you bink.

Ended up going out really early like the 40th one out after 2 1/2 hours. Was basically card dead for really long stretches as I only played 12% of my hands. I dont ever recall being able to play that few of hands in a tournament.

I went back through my hand history and this is how it breaks down w 130 hands dealt:

Pocket pairs: 6 hands QQ, 99,66,55,33,33
Hands w/Ace: 13 hands the best being A10. Only ONE was suited.
Connected hands ie J10: 12 hands the best being KQ (3 times). Only TWO were suited.
1 or 2 gappers 8 or higher: 4 hands Only ONE was suited.
Total suited hands: 20 hands the best being A7s. Next best was K9s then QJs. Falls off really badly from there.


Obviously I couldnt see a flop on all the hands listed due to positioning, the hand flat out sucking (had a lot of unplayable suited hands ie Q6s), or being 3 bet. I just dont recall any tournament I've ever played in where I was this card dead for that long.

I guess it just wasn't my day.