I have been using Kowboy's two articles on MTT strategy in recent weeks with improved results. They have made me change the way that I think about a large MTT event, and, in particular, how you can use the different stages to your own advantage, has been invaluable. This has increased my own attention to the texture of the tournament and at the table at any given point, which is massively useful in spotting when I can steal those extra chips that might have eluded me in the past, in particular. What I find most challenging using this strategy is amassing sufficient chips to make the requisite tight aggressive/ lag moves when needed.

The following hand came up from an Ultimate Bet $10 MTT with 256 entrants. It is indicative of a wider problem that I seem to run into, and I would be grateful for any comments.

Just after the first break. Blinds are 50-100. 125 people left. I have 3100.

I am in in first position with AKs. I raise to 400. Player to my left with 7K+ smooth calls. She has been aggressive to this point pre and post flop, but has only gone to showdown with big hands.

Everyone else folds.

Flop is Q 3 3. There is 950 in the pot.

I bet 1000. She calls.

Turn is a 7.

I have 1700. Pot is 2950. At this point, I am thinking that any big pocket pair would probably have raised me preflop. I am worried about a medium pocket pair, esp 77, but anything else she would find difficult to call an all in bet at this point, except QQ or AQ, but less so, as I would expect a re-raise on the flop. I also think that if I check this to her, a bet will force me to fold. So I push all in. And she calls. With AQs. And I lose.

Thinking back over this- I don't like my raise in first position. I wonder if I would be better limping and calling pre-flop (too weak tight?) or putting in a significant over bet to about 1000. In the latter case, she would find it tough to call with AQ, although perhaps not.

Incidentally, I also really like her smooth call on the flop, which is destined to make a sucker like me pay her off.

I obviously also hate my all in on the turn in retrospect. However, if she folds and shows me 10 10, it is a move of genius, and I have stolen a pot of 3K! Would everyone have gone into check/fold move and save their remaining 1600, as TK's strategy would advocate, had i followed it?

AK from EP. Man, this hand is hard to play. Do you limp, raise 4X the BB or Raise enough so your either all in or pot committed? Like everything in poker it depends on the table.

In this case I think both limping and 4X the BB are correct. I don't like all in from EP.

Why is limping correct? You have players playing aggressive behind you. You have what is the best drawing hand. As with any drawing hand there is nothing wrong with playing it multi-way.

I also like your 4X the BB. You isolated one of the aggressive players. Now you have to hate that flop. You didn't say but unless it hit 2 of your suite I don't like your pot size bet after the flop. You are playing a aggressive player so if you check she is going to bet with any 2 cards. 2X the BB will give you the same information as 5X the BB bet will.

Now lets look at the information your post flop bet gave you. Smooth call, your thinking not much info. But there is a ton of info. All of a sudden an aggressive player becomes a calling station. Light bulbs has to go off. If the turn is blank I'm now in check/fold mode. What can you beat? The best hand you can beat is AJ. Are you smoothing calling any bet with AJ or worst with that flop? So if I don't like your 5X the BB bet you know I hate your all in. Why because players right now are not letting hands go. That player would have called you with pocket 10's and still beat you. For whatever reason maybe because they have been bluffed to often any pocket pair is going to the showdown.

Why do I say she would have called with pocket 10's? Because you told her you can beat queens and she didn't care she was calling.

I had a hand simular to yours. I bet the pot after the flop with AK when the board was QQx. One caller stayed. I bet the pot again he still called. I had him covered and put him all in on the river and he still called. What did he have? Pocket 6's. I had been playing very tight aggressive only showing down good hands up to this point.

It's funny how one hand can decide your whole trny.

i limp EP there w/ AK.....i like doing this for a few reasons.....

1.) You don't have to play the aggressor out of position
2.) You can sneak up on someone and take a stack
3.) If you end up showing down your monster, people will take notice and be less inclined to raise with you limping early = allowing you to play more hands for flops....

PS: I shut down after getting called for 1k on the flop or I make a smaller bet on the turn, if she is drawing, she'll be scared im trying to extract, if she comes over the top, she has the Q....