Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Are you a wuss like me? Tournament payouts..

Looking at the WSOP main event final table online, and a thought crossed my mind. I think I would be a total bitch and just fold my ass off to climb the payout ladder even one spot. I normally don't play that way at all, but in a significant, huge money event like the ME, I think maybe I would. Here are the payouts for this years ME:


1$ 8,250,000-

2$ 4,840,981-

3$ 3,048,025-

4$ 1,852,721-

5$ 1,255,069-

6$ 956,243-

7$ 705,229











To me these payouts seem pretty standard, but if you look at the differences, they are pretty boggling . Even from 2 - 3 is 1.8M. 1.8M US dollars. Hmmmm.

I hate to admit it, but if I found myself in that spot, I am probably folding my ass off until I move up some spots or the blinds just FORCE me to play.

I have nothing to back this up, I might just end up playing it as I normally would, if I was there in real life. But I have to admit that looking at the numbers, I would be playing to go up a few spots rather than trying to win the whole thing like you are supposed to.

What would you do? (Be honest)

2 comments:

Sushi Cowboy said...

Dunno. When I cashed in a tourney at the Venetian, the payouts were way bigger than I've ever played for. I think first place money was about 6k or so. Once you are comfortable with the buy-in, I think that everyone reverts to their true game. If you normally just try to move up a rung or two on the money ladder then that's what you'd do. If you normally go for first or nothing, I think you'd play it that way. Personally for me, I'd be fine with letting people drop off below me and moving up the ladder a few hundred thou at a time.

Ryan said...

Old topic, but I meant to say...I would totally play to move up a rung or two, particularly if I needed a lot of luck to really make a run at first.

Last year, what's-his-name folds the OESFD in a multi-way all-in situation, and was criticized for it by many, but I would have! Shit, get out of the way and try to make a few million dollars in a pot you aren't even in!

Harrington's "endgame" volume covers this kind of thing in excellent detail. Of course, his whole outlook is, "what style of play maximizes your EV?"

If there is a short stack and you are a mid-stack, and everyone is already in the money, he basically says you have to fold almost everything but super premium hands.