06-25-07, LearnTexasHoldem:

How to play in tournaments with time limits?

Question:

I play in a regular weekly game with a modest entry fee and a chance to win some decent money. The game is a $50 dollar buy in but there is a time limit in order for everyone to get home at a reasonable hour. It averages anywhere from 12 to 20 people whom of the majority are older guys with plenty of card playing experience, not necessarily Holdem.

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The game lasts four hours and after the first two we combine tables with the 3 or 4 largest chip leaders who compete for the pot. On any given day I feel that I can out play at least 90% of the people at the table but here lately I find myself just out of the money in 4th or 5th. I am not a high stakes gambler or anything close to it but last year I kept a record of wins and losses at this one game. By the end of the year I had won a little over $4000.

What I feel are the problems that are posed to me by the game setup and other players. The fifty dollars is insignificant to every player and although most enjoy winning it is just a good time for some. However I feel most play to win. With the time limit I find people putting their money in the pot with terrible hands in bad position. Granted loose play offers a good chance at winning pots but I keep finding myself fighting for the last couple of spots at the final table. Inevitably I find myself putting money in the pot with over cards and good draws. Not the best scenario but usually time is running down and I have to make a move.

Any ideas on how to mix up my strategy or how to get back in the winners circle. Or does the time limit really kill the chances for strong poker play to pay off.

Thanks,

Jared

Answer:

Hi Jared

The time limit favors aggressive play. When you have to be among the chip leaders at a certain time you have to make more moves and generally take more chances. If you feel you can out-play most of the other players I would advice you to play more hands and try to take the pots away from them after the flop. One reason that the results have been worse than usual can as always be a bad run of cards.

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