Argghh i just wrote a really long reply to this thread and my computer crashed
ill try to recreate it
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Its a great thread youve got going here guys. I firmly believe that the more aggressive players, and the ones who take advantage of "tight" spots in play, like the bubble, are generally the biggest winners in MTTs in the long run. When I say aggressive I do not mean reckless tho. It is preflop skill that predominates tournaments. Whereas cash game players must become proficient at flop/turn/river play, tournament play mainly centres around preflop battles. In the later stages of a tournament if you ever actually do get to see a flop it is usually inconsiquential and mostly a no brainer. TPTK is an
absolute monster for example. It is the preflop battle that is the skill. A good aggressive player here knows just how to work his stack without being reckless. Fold equity is one of the most important things. Picking on the tightest players blinds, or picking on players whos stacks are not so short to HAVE to call regardless of the cards but short enough to know their life is on the line if they call your raise are good tactics. Picking good spots to reraise light in is another important skill. Whereas it may be reckless to reraise an UTG raiser with AJ, a cut off raiser is a prime target for a button reraise by many weaker hands, 22 or A9 for example. The most important thing is to always have good folding equity in these situations. You can reraise with anything but to just call an all in for a large amount of chips, well you better have the best hand as its going to a showdown. Players like gus hansen are masters of this style. Accumulating a lot of chips from their preflop play, when they are finally moved in on and they have to call given the odds they can easily afford it as they have such large stacks. Of course the times they suck out they are moaned at for being luckboxes, however they were basically on a freeroll to start off with due to all the chips they had accumulated from the previous hours play with the same moves.
I have to admit I am not exactly a great MTT player, and infact I hardly ever play them these days but I still firmly believe it is preflop skill that is the crux of them (after the first couple of blind levels of course) - and the aggressive players who capitalise on the other players are the ones who rise to the top of them.
As for the other topics (and the hand mentioned) in this thread. I totally agree on the fact passing small edges which require a gamble for a lot of your chips is a good thing in an MTT. If you held 22 as teh chipleader and the 2nd in chips moved all in for his stack preflop with AK....well thats a fold everytime (I am assuming you have xray specs to see his cards of course
). The good players try to avoid these scenarios and work on situations they have good fold equity in. Of course some times it is unavoidable, and you cant let it get to a point where you can be pushed off all your hands preflop, but you should try and keep these confrontations to a minimum if you can (or put the decision on the other player).
As for the 77 hand in question that is for another reply. I dont think its as quite clear cut as is made out by either side and I would have had a real think about it at the time...however I would imagine A-rag makes up a lot bigger % of his range than is being given credit for at the minute.
Jez