I just dont seem to start a tourney well lately..i been finishing ok so the start doesnt matter much but it makes it hard

Perhaps play for smaller pots in the start.

Yeah same with me, play reserved and wait for your spot.

Play low, wait patiently for a good hand to show up to you.. Slow play.

I think picking your spots is obviously a big part of it. But table dynamics should also impact your decisions.

I try watching player and if i don't know then i like see what hands they play.if i can see the hand after it over check out there cards and watch the bets Theres a lot to keep your eyes for new players.See if they bluff or how they try to. On the net u can writes all kinds of notes on playerand u can bet if your trying to bully the table its the same they are watching uto see the same thing this just my thoughts NINER 187

I always try to win the first hand that I go into , this doesn't necessarily always work out but I try . Sometimes it means being very patient & waiting for the right opportunity to present itself . I like to keep the pots relatively low & stay out of the big raised pots & all-in hands . Nothing is worse then playing catch up right off the bat & then not being able to call a hand because it puts you very short stacked if you lose & if you go all-in , maybe out of the game . This also gives you a tight table image that you may be able to use against your opponents later in the game . It also gives you a chance to watch & maybe figure out what opponents are doing & when they might do it . The deeper you can get in a game , the better your game will become because your seeing more hands that you are playing & you are seeing more hands that your opponents are playing against you . Good luck on the felts .

No tournament is ever won in the first hour only lost(:

It really depends on the blind structure for me - is it a turbo, is it deepstack etc etc. I may try to set up a loose image at the start with the small blinds allowing a bit of play. Oh and it definitely depends how many beers I have had - HEEHAW! GLGL to you.

Totally depends on atmosphere conditions. Is your phone ringing off the hook, or do you simply block any call while in a tournament? Today, I was interrupted because I had to sign a leas, lol. Oops, kinda forgot.

My Strategy stays the same threw out the whole tournament. Win

I try to be patient at the beginning waiting on the monster to get started. It does not always work because I'm not a very patient fellow.

Be patient!!!! Wait for your hands to come. At the start of the tournament you need to play smart and not give up your chips. You will have plenty of time to gain more chips if you play smart since the blinds will be small.

Slow play always screws me over. When you hit a good hand, you can play it slow, but not too slow, especially on sites like merge where rivers kill me. I always have the mindset that many small pots make a big pot, so I make small planned moves to do so. I do this by either waiting for a hand or making an occasional blind steal. But keep in mind the risk/reward in the back of your head. If you have to push a bunch in for 30, it's not too worth it. Just have to get in that groove

Depends on turney structure.... if is turbo play all the good hands agressive
if is deep with 15 or 10 min levels slow play 1st H... and when the ante and blinds gets big I start again agressive

That can definitely depend on the tournament. But generally, I play fairly tight near the beginning of a tournament, knowing that many players will still get into very big pots with me when they hold marginal hands, despite my tight play. However, I do tend to limp in some spots early on holding good drawing hands, since I can get in so cheap. For the same reasons mostly. If/when I am shorter stacked later on a in a tourney (vs the blinds), I tend not to mess with those types of hands.

Im a hybrid i can really mix it up early.. and i pretty a pretty solid/aggressive game with some occasionial steals.. deffienately always aiming to keep my chip stack healthy & play for the win

I almost always try to jus play certain hands or my position only especially in the beginning of a tourney. Otherwise if I tend to play multiple hands my chip stack has the potential to get low quickly and as the blind levels rise it doesn't help any. Everyone has different strategies I'm sure as I have seen people try and bluff lots in the beginning and get caught, as well as double up and take people out within the first few hands. Good luck to you in the rest of the session. *hugs*

I like to win the first hand out of the gate but not always possible. Generally though I will start slow. Take some time to see what others are going to do and try to formulate a statagy according to what I see. Sometimes I may go 2 or 3 rounds playing only the blinds if I can see the flop cheap.

When I start a tourny I really lay back just because of what you said about getting short stacked. I have folded for 30 mins before I had a hand worth calling with. Seems to work for me I've cashed 5 of the last 8 tournys. The cards will come

I stay tight and when I have a big hand or am blessing with a good flop, I pounce big time. But then If my opponents see am tight, i will start to loosen up.

Well if you get lky with big pps and a player bets big i say go for it if he has bigger pp so be iut..or u might get lky especially if its me with bigger pp..i seem to lose that way oiften lol.

Yes yu have to chooseyour spots,but i usually fold first few hands

I usually start tight and dont play a lot of hands
but there are tournaments that i dont play like that it depends on the sum and the importance of the tournament
every tournament has is own rules