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Joined: Feb '10
Location: Mexico
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 89
i have been playing many tournamnt lately and i've read in some other poker forums that if u have a bigstack u should be playing agresive when the bubble is being played (hand to hand) so i don t know why but when i do that i leave as the bubble boy or may be i am getting a very low cash price, so i think it is better to play slow there to get at least my cash safe, and then i can push if i got the nuts (some good pokets like AK AQ...
If i have a big stack then i pick up chips left right and center. In general antes have been introduced so a steal is worth much more. And often because the tables are so much tighter you can bet a little less and still get as much respect.
I tend to do 2 and a 1/2 BB bets on bubbles and 3 BB bets the rest of the tournament. And i find i get more steals on the bubble. However i have to be about double average to feel happy doing it with any 2 cards. If my tournament is on the line i feel in the long run it is more profitable to play it safe and cash and then go a bit nuts after the bubble than to lose all your chips so close to cashing.
Word of warning i dont advocate sizing your bets by strength. If you start deciding to try steals with 2.5 BB raises it means you will let players in cheaper with your value hands. This may not be a horrible thing because if you charge them more short stacks often get commited to hands that they have not paired in. This being great when you flop a pair but horrible when your stealing with J9 and they have AK they cant let go of
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6786
Depends on your stack compared to the stacks of the other players at your table. If you are one of the bigger stacks, try to steal as many blinds and antes as possible.
Joined: Nov '08
Location: Norway
Age: 50 (M)
Posts: 69
I used to play aggressive at the bubble but soon enough found that a badbeatbonanza was all I got. The amount of bad beats I've seen on the bubble....geez....makes you think about the rest of the game from time to time. Now (depending on chipstack) I usually just sit back and wait - let the smaller stacks wipe each other out and go for the occasional steal and double up. Also...just after the bubble - the push-with-any-two-cards-fase for the lesser stacks - I make myself a snack or read up on some news unless those rockets stop by
Joined: Mar '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 6714
Depends on the table. Its a great time to start picking up some blinds, but if your at a table were your stack can be damaged by making risky moves it might be wise to play a normall game. The bully approch is well known and not all stand for it, as an AV stack I use the bullys to get me a winners stack. If you go the bully road, then dont abuse it, wont take too long b4 you find yourself SS.
Joined: Mar '10
Location: Greece
Age: 54 (M)
Posts: 505
If I'm shortstacked and I'm on the bubble, I think I'll try to shove every hand with a face card, or anything that seems to have potential... but if I'm not shortstacked and I'm not the one who's ready to finish out of the game, why be aggressive?... I think it's bad tactic to push your luck begging to go all-in while there others that are in danger... anyway, most of the times, the bubble aggro player with a good pocket pair tends to get a bad beat, so I don't wanna be this guy...
***************** #I looked under chairs / I looked under tables / Tried to find the key / To fifty million fables#
Joined: Jan '10
Location: Moldova, Republic of
Age: 50 (M)
Posts: 239
All depends how big your stake and what players are on the table. If my stack is big and players most tight I play more angrecive, if my stack is not so big I play only good hands. If im very short I play push or fold.
Joined: Feb '09
Location: Canada
Age: 47 (M)
Posts: 241
if I'm the short stack I use to play it safe and try to make the money but over time that will cost you money so I really try not to pay to much attention unless there is bigger prize money involved
Joined: Oct '09
Location: Spain
Age: 60 (M)
Posts: 2851
I think it mostly depends on your read of the table. I've tried putting pressure on the bubble, but apparently I wasn't the only one at the table, and that gets risky. Got kicked on the bubble the first time I tried it.
Sometimes the table tightens down, and sometimes, players are going nuts, I get the impression. All the ones that read about getting chips on the bubble, I guess...
Like everything in Poker, it seems to me to be a "situation/players read" thing. IMO
Joined: Feb '08
Location: Belgium
Age: 64 (M)
Posts: 751
play your hands in agressive way but keep on focus on your opponenets and your position at the table . don't do something stupid as going all in with some stupid hand and if you are not feeling comfortable playing agressive at that stage of the game than don't and stick on you game because you did well so far .
Posted by shokaku: Depends on your stack compared to the stacks of the other players at your table. If you are one of the bigger stacks, try to steal as many blinds and antes as possible.
I do the same. If I've got a big stack, keep on pushing shorts ( and not only ) to get prizes and to increase because many players are very careful in bubble zone-
Joined: May '09
Location: Spain
Age: 49 (M)
Posts: 1331
Hi!!
If i have a good stack, as agressive as i can. Always vs shorts waiting to be in the money. If i´m one of the shorts i wait for a good hand,and then, push.
Joined: Mar '10
Location: Peru
Age: 32 (M)
Posts: 30
It really depends. Try to steal when you are on the dealer and pushing shortstacks, but only if you are very HIGH in chips, if not, play tight. Yes, I answered tight.
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Australia
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 6483
I used to have weak bubble play, where I was more interesting in being ITM than winning the MTT. However, the fact of the matter is MTT prizepools are VERY top heavy, even in a 400+ player tourney often only the top 10 places are worth playing for. Even then, generally only top 5 or even top 3 are really good prizes (based on the entry fee).
These days, when it get's to bubble time, if I'm big stack then I'll play very aggressively and generally pick up a LOT of chips. Don't be dumb and remember that if you trap a pot-committed short-stack, they generally will call (if they're smart). But as others have pointed out, once there's antes on the board a pre-flop steal is worth a lot. And if you're called and in a flop, you can bully the F out of a mid-stack opponent. Mostly if you've been playing for 2-5 hours already and it's nearly cash time, you can get a mid-stack opponent to fold a massive range of decent hands post flop. Try to minimise the 'allin' move though, it looks weak and generally your opponent either has the nuts or will fold a pot-sized bet. They're not going to throw tourney life on a marginal hand here. So if you shove and they call, they'll probably double up, where as if you just put in a pot-sized bet and they call, you know they'll most likely call any bet you make here. As they're probably either prepared to fold to almost any bet, or prepared to commit their whole stack.
Now, if you're not big stack, but a mid-stack. This is a great chance to double up and become a big stack, you can still steal from the small stacks and be aggressive towards other mid-stacks. Just avoid big stacks unless you have the nuts. Don't be afraid to get your chips in if you're fairly sure you're good. This is the easiest time in the whole tourney to make your moves, even as a mid-stack you can exploit the fck out of people playing just to be ITM.
If you're short-stack, my advice is don't be a p***y.
