[lork]

Early in a tournament when the blinds aren't really worth stealing, how do you play a hand like JJ or even QQ? If you raise low pre-flop to try to get some money in the pot, you are less likely to win. If you raise big enough to only get one or two callers, chances are only people with AK, AQ, etc. will call. In this case, would it be smart to fold to a decent sized bet with an A or K on board, assuming you have no read on your opponents yet, since it's early in the tournament?

[pritz]

High pocket pairs are worth a call at least...

Also, even if the early pots aren't "worth it" chip-wise, they are worth getting to establish a table image. If you are an early pot getter, you can then play a "rush" so to speak and become the table captain.

[razor]

you must take into consideration your position as always. You call those hands but fold to any raise. IN early position you raise with those hands if you decide to play them.

[chris]

In this situation, I like to end things before the flop. So I make a large, but non-committal, pre-flop raise.

Say the blinds are 10-15 and I'm behind several limpers. I'll raise to maybe 200 (assuming I have the starting stack of 1000).

This raise is unlikely to be called. Either everyone will fold, or someone will re-raise all in. And if someone re-raises, they're clearly telling me my JJ/QQ isn't any good. This eliminates guesswork, and keeps me from going broke early in the event.

[johnf]

I don't know, is it worth risking 20% of your stack to steal blinds that amount to just over 1% of your stack? In the early stages of a tournament, I don't care at all about the blinds -- I'm limping in when the blinds are low and hoping to hit the flop hard, otherwise I'm out. At least in the SnGs I play in, there are almost always one or two crazy callers who will go in with QK, AT, etc. and put me at a tough decision when an overcard hits the board, one that I wouldn't want to deal with that early in a tournament.