Firehouse Tourney

[Replic]

Alright, there's an 18 and up tourney at the local fire house, 60 dollar buy in. Keep in mind I'm underage, and this would be both my first live tournament outside my home games and a huge amount of money for me. I believe I can get others to sponsor me the money, but I'm worried. Any tips for the tournament newbie?

[ballbp]

Only advice I can give would be the same as playing live for the for first time anywhere. Make sure you know the rules that they play before hand. Once there, watch each player carefully and try to see what they bet on and how they bet. The more you play with a certain group, the more you pick on how they play but some people are easy to figure out in a short bit of time.

[racquet000]

Hey wheres this tourney at. Theres one of those by me where do you live :D

[Saso8910]

Hey Replic- good for you! Have Fun. I have thrown a lot of tournaments in the past and have attended some shady ones too. You're going to a firehouse to play- well watch out man. I'm in Chicago and I'm Irish, so basically that means if I'm not a Fireman or Policeman then I have at least 3 family members who are- and I do. All these guys do is play poker- it's really funny. They eat, sleep, put out fires, clean, and play poker in between it all! So, you are already in trouble- sorry. What I would suggest is to take it very easy. I don't know the specifics of this game or payouts and positions paid out- but for only $60 it's worth sitting down and screwing around for a few hours. I am going to suggest to you what most players would consider breaking a cardinal sin- "Focus on getting-in the money, not winning!" It sounds horrible, but when you are new, it always seems that you get unnatural luck! Roll with it a little and play to have fun and a laugh or two. For 60 bucks, it shouldn't be too serious of a game.

1) Play very very very slow. Play only premium cards and play more defensive than offensive. Usually, players will forget about you and focus on aggressive players. When the time comes, any raise you decide to make- will scare the hell out of the other players who forgot you were even a factor. (Remember, in small, neighborhood tournaments players are more interested in showboating/showing off and power trips- than playing for the money)

2) You should watch for players who are winning hands on the river and be very aware of them. As you are being new to tournaments, stay away from these players and if you do have to get involved in a hand against them, never raise- since all they will do is call or raise- but never do they fold! (Hey- if you have the nuts- raise the hell out of em) Usually, you should let the other players get rid of this type of player.

3) Be very aware of the chip stacks of your opponents. If you have a moderate amount of chips and a player moves all in- calculate if calling him/her will really be a big loss to you. The words "ALL-IN" are powerful! Most players can't wait to say it and others hate it to be said. If you really think about it, moving all-in is usually a desperate measure that warrants the move!

Have Fun and Play Tight! Let Us All Know What Happened!
Good Luck--- SASO