Lucky Dog Poker by Russ Scott

A new player in California mostly competes in play-money no-limit hold 'em tournaments online but is running into trouble when the antes kick in. This advice should help.

Q: I play a lot of freeroll tournaments online and do fine until the antes start. Then I lose my stack, even though I am playing good hands. What's a good strategy for that level of play? — Lee E. in Modesto, Calif.

A: The most common philosophy, Lee, says you should be more aggressive once antes begin, especially pre-flop, in order to take down pots without a fight and build your stack.

This tactic is good in theory for tournaments with a cash buy-in, but doesn't work as well in freeroll tournaments where no money is on the line. With nothing to lose, most freeroll players simply won't yield to normal betting pressure.

Consider these points:

— Increasing your aggression after antes kick in can alter your playing style into one that's less comfortable for you. Normally, mixing up betting patterns and starting-hand choices is an optimum playing style, but not if it puts you in difficult situations post-flop and causes poor decisions.

— Most opponents may shift into a higher gear as well, trying to capitalize on the bigger pre-flop pots. If that's happening, your best option is to play a little more conservatively than the others and try to benefit from their aggression with traps, slow plays, etc.

— Choosing "good hands" to play is a big step in the right direction, but it's not the whole story. With blinds up and antes kicking in, more players will compete for pots with a wider range of starting hands. That makes it much harder for your good hands to hold up — even premium starting pairs.

So what should you do?

Because more opponents are playing fast and loose, one easy solution is to just pick your spots and be willing to take big risks.

However, you seem to prefer a more thoughtful playing style, so here are some tips:

— Be patient. Unless you're very low on chips, antes represent only a small percentage of your stack. Maintain a mostly conservative approach to your starting-hand selection.

For example, muck most ace-rag offsuit hands in early or middle position. With A-x suited, try to get in cheaply and flop the nut flush or at least two pair.

— Play A-A and K-K hard, betting enough pre-flop so you're likely to get just one caller. Smooth-call with all other pocket pairs unless you believe you can force everyone to fold with a big bet.

Keep in mind that many online players, especially in a freeroll, just won't muck high-card hands such as A-10 or K-Q. That means your pocket J-J will have to dodge a lot of overcards to win.

— With many players entering pots, your suited and unsuited connectors go up in value if you can get in cheaply. Be wary, though, of chasing a small flush draw (with 8-7 suited, for example) after the flop. You could make your flush and lose to a bigger one.

— When you decide to raise pre-flop with a strong hand (usually in late position), a standard raise of three or four times the big blind isn't enough because of the ante-inflated size of the pot. Instead, bet at least four times the total size of the pot.

— Don't fall in love with A-K. It's a good hand heads-up, but against a full, loose table, A-K will need to improve to win. So, often you should just see a cheap flop and try to nail someone playing A-x when an ace flops.

Antes can be your friend in tournaments, Lee. They put pressure on short- stacked players to make desperate moves, which you can pick off. Plus, they make you play smarter.

Have fun, and good luck!

E-mail your poker questions and comments to russ@luckydogpoker.com for use in future columns. To find out more about Russ Scott and read previous LuckyDog Poker columns, visit www.creators.com or www.luckydogpoker.com.

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