Really? I started out playing in minimum entry sit n’ go’s, and when I had won enough chips, I started to play in MTTs as well as 10K and 25K sit’n’go’s. I liked to play the Hijack tournament which starts at 7:30 p.m. Eastern US time each day of the week and costs 25K to enter and usually attracts about 60 player and is usually finished by 10:00 pm.
After winning this a few times, I gradually passed landmarks like 1m, 2m, 3m.
I then entered a tournament called Ruthie’s Roundup which is 250, 000 chips to enter, and was fortunate to win at the first attempt, and doubled up my chips to about 6m. Fairly recently I entered a tournament that was 1m chips to enter, and finished 3rd, thus doubling up my total chips again to about 12m.
Here are screenshots of recent results.
The vast majority of tournaments I enter, I don’t win, or simply don’t have the time to properly concentrate, so many tournaments I play are just for fun or experiment with plays. I tend to get better results in the higher entry tournaments, because I don’t enter them unless I am likely to be able to play to the death, and not be cooking meals for the children while playing.
So there is no mystery! You just have to parlay your winnings at lower levels into higher value tournaments and find the types of tournament that you like. For example I prefer tournaments with six players at the table to nine player tournaments, but will play both. Look for MTTs with a guaranteed prize money and few entrants, as they may offer a better return on chip outlay.
Actually winning tournaments, as you may have found already, requires a combination of patience and luck. For exampe in my last foray in the Hijack tournament, I got all in with AQ against AT on an A hight flop, he called my shove, and the turn gave him 2 pairs–and I was out. I don’t regret the hand, because I was all in against a hand that I dominated,and if I had won, would have be well placed to make a run at winning the tournament. But it was not to be.
In many ways the higher entry tournaments may be easier to win, as the players tend to be a bit more rational and will fold when they are behind.
So if you go below 10BB, it is best to be first into the pot and shove to win the blinds, double up, or be eliminated. Sometimes you may even get lucky and treble up and you are right back in the tournament.
Now what is your winning power move?