Bubble Strategy- NLHE

#1 27th April 2009, 9:32 PM

Hi,
In a game when you are nearing the bubble, just 100 or so people to fall away in a game that started with thousands-
and you are very shortstacked (but the blinds have just passed you and you believe you can survive till payouts by folding)-
What strategy do you like more:

when: you pick up a decent hand 10 10

1) fold till payouts
2) all in (just over 1-3 BB)- and risk busting or doubling to a stack that is still short but workable

#2 27th April 2009, 11:47 PM

I am a fish , and I fold and wait. In the past, I have bubbled out a bunch, so this is what I do.

#3 28th April 2009, 12:54 AM

thats a tough decision that is based on quite a few other things, such as position, how aggressive or passive the table is, your table image, etc. Without knowing those things its hard to say what to do.

#4 2nd May 2009, 7:04 AM

IMO, if your using proper BR management hanging on for that cash will only grant you double the money you bought in with, so technically your playing MTT's for big cashes, you dont make your money off barely cashing and then blinded out. If all that is assumed, look for a spot to double up!

#5 3rd May 2009, 5:20 PM

How about you don't wait until you only have 1-3 BBs left to make a move?

#6 4th May 2009, 3:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverslugger33

How about you don't wait until you only have 1-3 BBs left to make a move?

this. if this happens then you are playing way to tight (unless you tried to blind steal and you doubled up someone and got crippled), I would take a peek at other tables with very low stacks and see if they are doing anything. If im near the button 1st to act against other short stacks then I would take a shot. but if you just got blinded and didnt put yourself in this suituation against an all-in then you were playing way to tight

#7 5th May 2009, 3:39 AM

You're right of course. I usually don't wait till i have 1-3 BB to make a move, but the circumstances were interesting (I can't quite remember though- but it was a Turbo tournament).
It got to the point that the blinds were large, and my stack wasn't, so I WAS playing a bit too tight, considering my stack would not scare anyone at the table much. I wanted to wait for a hand that was likely to be the best at the table, and then put my chips in and hope for the best.

#8 5th May 2009, 3:55 AM

I say play as if you had a larger stack. Raise preflop. If you go all in people are gonna assume you either 1. have a mediocre hand since you have so little chips and you're trying to double up 2. that youve got a huge hand.
Either way, its bad since with #1, the only people that call are ones with huge hands that would beat 10 10 or with #2 because then everyone folds and you only get one and a half blinds. I dunno...

#9 5th May 2009, 3:55 AM

if i'm less than 7BB i'm waiting to cash. but also my answer will depend on the pay out structure. the flatter the payout the more likely i am to fold TT. the more top heavy the more likely i am to shove. calling here is not an option IMO. the reason i say <7BB i'm waiting is that i have almost 0% fold equity. and having very little chance someone will fold to my shove i look for hands that have more showdown value TT is a very shovable hand. but i'm more likely to shove it with 13BBs than <3BBs. its just a lot less likely someone will call when i shove w/13BBs than if i got <7BBs.

#10 5th May 2009, 4:01 AM

If the prize payout is top heavy...i would take chances to have a lot of chips when the bubble bursts. But if its a big tourney and there a lots of payout levels, I would play really tight just to make the money.

Its always better to make a little money than lose your buy in.

#11 5th May 2009, 4:03 AM

Also, if you are a medium stack, the only way i would be aggressive is against other medium stacks. You wouldnt want to overplay your hand against a short stack. Obviously a big stack plays aggressive during this period, and I would fold 10 10 in your situation. You may get a lot of callers on your all in and if someone has overcards its 50 50 you stay in.

#12 5th May 2009, 6:12 AM

Shove. I'm not really a big fan of barely making the money. In really big tournaments (thousands and thousands) the first two payouts will pay for your buy-in plus a few pennies. That's not what you came here for.

#13 5th May 2009, 8:09 AM

Well it all depends on what you want. If your trying to get as much money as possible in the long run, you should raise it. I mean the bigger places are the ones that have the most money, and you shouldn't play badly to try to get a certain position. If, however, your trying to get in the money, cause lets say you are playing freerolls like crazy and you want some to be able to chat with the real money players or something like that... well then You can check or fold or whatever you want, but i would advice you otherwise if your working for the money.

#14 5th May 2009, 8:41 AM

I've been in that situation many times. My #1 priority at that point is to make the money. You don't want to play for 2-3 hours and come away with nothing. I fold the tens for sure.

#15 5th May 2009, 9:28 PM

Your goal in a tourney shouldn't be to make the money, it should usually be to make the top 3 or FT, top 3 is usually where most of the real money is.

So like most of the others said, don't get into this situation. You should be exploiting the others who are clinging on and taking their blinds and antes during the bubble.

#16 8th May 2009, 5:51 PM

If u are in this position in a tourny I would personally fold this hand 99% of the time.
If the buy in is low and the bubble money isnt much but at the final table etc its amazing i would try to dubble there.. only situation i would go whit it.

Bubble = worst thing in the world of poker my opinion ! (:

#17 9th May 2009, 1:11 AM

I can't see why you wouldn't pop the P10's all in. What else would you be waiting for?

#18 9th May 2009, 3:01 PM

I'm shoving every time with 10 10 it's a HUGE hand when you're that short. I'd never be that short unless I had an accident anyway.

You should never just want to cash it doesn't make any sense. You get double your buy-in and you're only going to cash 1/3 times if you're good.
I'm shoving every single time with tens, i'm doing it with j 4 tbh.

#19 9th May 2009, 3:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ludo90

If u are in this position in a tourny I would personally fold this hand 99% of the time.
If the buy in is low and the bubble money isnt much but at the final table etc its amazing i would try to dubble there.. only situation i would go whit it.

Bubble = worst thing in the world of poker my opinion ! (:

Personally i'd rather bubble than go out 16th or similar. If you bubble, you either got unlucky or you were trying to build chips to make a run for the FT. If you go out 16th you were so close to the big money it hurts more than being close to gettin gyour buy-in back.

#20 9th May 2009, 4:23 PM

I was totally card dead in the tournament I played last night. Put money into the pot myself twice before the money. Thankfully I won both hands and scraped together enough chips to last a little longer. So even though I was around 12 BBs as the cash came real close, I just called it not my day and took the cash. So I am not ashamed to say I folded AQ with no action behind me in the hand. Normally I wouldn't advocate that, but I made an exception.

#21 9th May 2009, 4:45 PM

i've found when i play satellittes and payouts are the same, for instance 1st thru 9th, i don't push too hard if i'm in a comfortable chip position. it's only when i'm shortstacked and i can get blinded and anteed out i start pushing.
you also have to pay attention to the shortstacks or the opp's with lesser chips, since they want to get ahead.
good luck and peace

#22 9th May 2009, 4:52 PM

Just bubbled 12 from the money with a 30bb stack and QQ. It hurt but it happens.
Min raise, min re-raise and I shoved on the squeeze and the second player had AA. Oh well, at least i played for the win.

#23 9th May 2009, 5:27 PM

whats bursting the bubble mean in a superturbo?

#24 9th May 2009, 6:13 PM

10 10 is a pretty decent hand, but at this stage you will most likely get called by a big stack if they have even a half decent hand.

It's a tough spot, but a couple of double ups and you'll be flying.

Alot depends on position and who has yet to act in the hand.

If I was in mid to late postition and had short to mid range stacks yet to act, I would shove and hope for the best.

#25 9th May 2009, 6:21 PM

I played in a tourny, last week, had 10-10 it was my BB and I was 31st/31st, top 27 got got payed, I only had 4 or 5 BB left, and I shoved all in, everyone folded apart from chip leader who called with A4, got an A on the turn and knocked me out, but I think it was the right decision, I don't think I would have made the top 27 if I waited, others had much more than me, and were thinking the same I guess. 3 hours of playing, good experience, learned a lot.

#26 9th May 2009, 6:25 PM

at this point i think im all in .. any pair ten or above....i feel 1-3 bb's is enough to build a huge stack in this situation...u have to figure most ppl are tightening up at this point..so i would be taking advantage of that fact and jammin pots to steal blinds....

#27 10th May 2009, 1:23 AM

What I do, and it's not a very smart decision, is I play the way I was playing all along. Sure, I might get double what I brought in, or I might lose. You can't see it as "Oh, i need to hold on a bit longer" or you condemn yourself to a negative mind set. You need to be assured of your own strength in times like that and you must never fear the unknown...Double it up, rob the blinds, play the person and not the cards...Make them type in capital letters...If you're pissing someone off, you're doing your job

#28 10th May 2009, 4:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DravenUmbra

What I do, and it's not a very smart decision, is I play the way I was playing all along. Sure, I might get double what I brought in, or I might lose. You can't see it as "Oh, i need to hold on a bit longer" or you condemn yourself to a negative mind set. You need to be assured of your own strength in times like that and you must never fear the unknown...Double it up, rob the blinds, play the person and not the cards...Make them type in capital letters...If you're pissing someone off, you're doing your job

i couldnt agree more

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