Aggressive?

If you are in a tourne or a sit and go and there is only a one or two more people have to get knocked out until you get in the money should you play aggressive or tight? Every one is aiming to get in the money so not many people are willing to risk all their chips. This makes it very easy to steal blinds or small pots. Is it worth trying to steal the blinds or should you just sit back and wait like everyone else does?

It REALLY depends on your chip stack. If your a shorty I could go either way. You DO want to make it into the money, but if you want a shot at getting deep you gotta get in there and mix it up while everyone else is playing scared.

If your a medium stack: tight is right. You are sitting on a decent stack of chips, but you don't want to give any of it away and become a shorty. By all means, play your big hands fast, but don't be trying any moves until after the bubble.

Big stack: RAPE THE SHIT OUTTA THAT BUBBLE. That is your goal in life. You goal is to steal the blinds/antes 2 or 3 times an orbit MINIMUM. Pick on the medium stacks, avoid bigger stacks than yourself, and be wary of the shortys too. Sounds weird I know, but the last thing you want to do is double up a short stack.

Just my advice, I'm sure some others will disagree, but hey, thats what forums are for right?

If you've got the stack, go sick! Taking in the usual factors (the action ahead of you, who's acting behind you, stack sizes, etc...)

If you haven't read it, being aggressive and chipping up nearing the bubbles was seemingly the central theme of Gus Hanson's book Every Hand Revealed.

on my mind, that's true everything depends on your stack, but that also depends on other players'attitude. I already seen some table with some agressive players with medium stack !
All depends on the pay-places, for instance, if it is a double or nothing tourney, then, everyone will play slowly, and then you can be agressive sometimes to steal blinds ...
If it's a tourney with for instance 900 players, 90 paid places (50-90 are just a little bit like 0,10 for a freeroll or 1,5~2 buy in amount), then players are globally more agressive and sometimes I feel better being prudent and only play pretty good hands.

It's only my opinion,
Cheers
Stef

There are arguments for and against being looser or tighter than normal in this situation.

I think the key here is to forget about the money for a bit and play as though the money was far away.

Now would you play excessively tight or loose.. no you would play your normal game.

The reason many people advocate playing loose is that so many people (weak players) tighten up when the bubble is close so as to hang on and wait for others to be eliminated.

If the same situation occured earlier in the tournament, what would be your normal reaction to an excessively tight table consisting of mainly weak players?.. to play a little looser, steal more and respect rasies far more.

So just play your normal game.

I usually play tighter at this stage of a tourney for the simple fact that i dont want to get mixed up in a pot with someone that calls a big raise ,and possibly lose more of my chips,or having to call with a medicore hand because i am commited.
thus jepodising me more for the money.

Have to be aggressive on the bubble, at this stage your opponents stack sizes are usually more important than your cards and its a perfect opportunity to get in the position to win the tourney while everyone else is tightening up trying to finish in the money.

For example, if you played 2 games, you would much rather have one first place finish and lose once than 2 thirds, so its better to start blind stealing when your on the bubble (for a 9 player SnG).

It depends how big your stack is..
If Blinds are pretty big like 400/800, u should play tight if you got low stack.. When you get A A, QQ, KK, A k, you should raise with em / push all in.
With big stack, you can try steal blinds and rob pots, and limp sometimes with Q T for example.. But still dont play too LOOSE.

It depends on the blinds and your stack. If your short, play it aggressively, get to a medium stack, and fold into the money. If your medium, just fold into the money. If and only if you have a huge chip lead play tight-aggressive.

Id say just play conservitive, if you play conservitive then there is more room for other pepople too try and steal blind, or bluff hands that someone will get caught berfore you and you are not the one out

to be honest not a player is aggressive ... very quiet one who stays in the bank to catch but when you get good books in quick tour ... what to do now praise me and I umpic ... so we are Romans!)

Depends on your Goal:

If you just want to make it into the Money:
Tight is right.

That's not saying if you get a great starting hand you shouldn't take what you can and then some.



If you want a chance at Winning the Tournament:
Be Aggressive and Steal what you can. Take advantage of the Situation.

Take Take Take

i would be tight until i hit the the money then i would loosen up a little and try to win, but jsut remember you didnt sit thier that long to win your money back so still play a little conservative but remember the blinds will kill you so get chips when you can.

If you are one of the guys with the most chips, then you should definitly
go for stealing the pots. If your one of the guys with the shorter stacks,
then my best advice would be to lay low unless you know you can make
a move that you wont regret. The reason to steal the pots when your high
in chips is obviously because you ahve the leverrage of being able to
play comfortably and correctly without the risk of loosing with an allin
and the other players know that it could happen to them so they will
probably fold some excelent hands to you. Thats basically all you need to
know.

ok fare enough every one wants to get into the money hole point of the torny and the game but if your scared of losing your money dont play lol or play better i uslay play agressive in sngs because if you play to tight and dont get any luck the blinds creep up on u to fast if 2 low stacked dont let them push you out the hand just because they have a bigger stack i usaly find that the smaller stack usaly come back and gets into the money seen it to often for my likeing lol but just the way it goes

I would think it's situational depending on average chip stack, the action, players style at your table, and so on. Actually as I'm thinking more about it I'm coming up with tons of variables that determine my play in this situation.