Playing Tight Early?

[harleydexter]

I play looser early to get chips if I am in a rebuy since donks come out early, if I am playing a larger tourney then I sit back for a little while

[Swickster007]

I often play tight early...but it's hard to not get a little anxious when you get a good hand. But I just got knocked out real early with pocket aces cuz pocket 9's hit their set.

[tdeuel214]

I try to do the same thing harleydexter but it's tough not to try and get an early chiplead.

[Detroitjunky]

you should play loose early because the chip value is high - as you progress through a tournament each individual chip loses value - meaning if you play tight your stack size may stay relatively the same but the value of your stack shrinks - if you start with 2000 -play tight - and stay at 1800 by the break - it is almost no different than if you play loose and have a 1400 stack at the break (if you dont win anything that is) BUT if you catch some cards and turn that into 4000 at the break than thats a huge difference - now this doesnt mean you should be playing 72 each time you get it but you can widen your playing range a bit.

[Detroitjunky]

the problem becomes that if you play tight early and dont catch good cards - you must play loose later because you will get blinded out - and then you become a target because your small stack (compared to the rest of the field) is no threat to anyone, and they will more often than not pick you off

[Donka]

Playing tight early is the rule, not the exception, IMO

[pharaoh57]

I think you play just like you would a regular tournament, maybe opening the hand range depending on how the table is playing.

[zayzoo]

Tourneys, you switch it from how you normally play depending on the table. If its too hard to bluff, tighten up, if its easy too bluff bluffit.

[Musicmannn]

Pre-flop play is the most important skill you should develop early in your development. Position, blinds and table dynamics will determine how loose or tight you should play. Buy some books or get an on-line poker training site to get your opening ranges down. commit them to memory until it becomes automatic.

[buonafide]

early tourney is deep stack plays. Loose preflop and very tight after the flop is how to double up early.