Current mindset while ITM and other questions about it

Wellll i attempted to look for this through out the thread *through the whole search feature* and decided ill just ask now before i forget what i wanted to before.

What is your current mindset once youve gotten "in the money" ?

I ask this because i was in the daily dollar rebuy today and ended up getting in the money. Once that happened my mind took a little while to notice that i "was" itm but from then on it was clouded by thoughts of "what if i win 1st place of 2k" and "do you know what the hell i can buy with over 2k????" needless to say i didnt make first place let alone the final table. i got out about 82nd or 83rd place for about 15bucks and some change.

What i have been doing lately *and this will explain why ive been at the final table for about 3 to 4 times in a row* is that ive been convincing myself that "im having fun" "just having fun AND there is no other place id rather be than at this table". So i guess my second question would be "Is this the right frame of mind to have? and if not then what is ?"

Also my playstyle changed for the most part as i then went under the impression that i should be "deceiving alot more" taking chances and playing the awkward cards *your 2/6's* in SOME *but very rare* cases. but in those cases the straights come up. Anyway.....this is coming from the idea that "a person shouldnt care what other ppl have to say so long as your winning". My third and i assume final question is . "Should we be playing like this ALL the time ?" (playing without caring what another person will think of you) since there isnt really a good definition of what proper poker is. *if there is then you could kindly tell me *

Either way feedback as usual is greatly needed as it makes my head hurt thinking about these things

Thanks alot.
-G

SPECIAL EDIT: When im not in the money my head is "almost" crystal clear and the music is blasting but once in the money and more specifically the final table the music is off and my head is clouded with thoughts. I heard from somewhere that i forget where but if i knew where id shake his or her hand is that "Once you start thinking about money in a tournament you LOSE" ...So my "last last" question is Anyway i can keep my mind clear while playing even in the money ?

hey garenka! you seen me play, haha. well, you saw me play before itm too...i think we played on the same tourney on the same table the whole way through till i was gone. it depends on my stack really. shove or fold all the way if i'm not a big stack. i'm happy to be in the money but if i'm still below 10 M's, i'm probably just happy to point and shoot unless i know everyone to the left of me is likely to fold *unless they let me know otherwise* to a raise. i'm not the greatest player in the world by far, so often i'm willing to take that chance rather than 2nd guess myself halfway through a hand. if i'm big stackin, then i still don't really consider myself a bully but i'm out to play good hands i can afford to be a tough guy on. tonight, i played in the sunday grand a doyles room. god, once again, 2nd time i've remembered to play it...what a hee haw disaster that tourney is. i played shove or fold the ENTIRE tourney. started at a table where all but 3 of us were sitting out. one guy took the initiative to min-raise every hand...i don't really care that much so i shoved every good hand back at him. doubled up a couple times. the 3rd guy tried to cold call too much and ended up saying bye-bye. then got moved to another table where i think everyone must have been used to playing alone at a table and it was min-raise city...bad hands, whatever, they don't care. i shoved twice and just met with folds but only an hour and a half into the thing i was in the money. ridiculous. i layed down 88 to an ACTUAL standard raise (i shoulda just let lose at that point since i was short) and never really got another hand and shoved a Q4 right before the BB and of course went bye bye. weird though. aside from those sat's to the daily dollar where you start out with 300 chips, i don't think i've ever cashed a tourney by never playing a hand other than shoving it pre-flop. by the time i was in the money, i didn't care, damned actual standard raise threw me off when it shouldn't have, everyone folded...he probably had KJ or some crap cause that guy wasn't very good anyway, oh well.

Assuming this is an MTT, once the bubble pops a lot of short stacks are going to start shoving, because they've let their stacks get tiny in an attempt to fold to the money and now they are desperate for chips.
So I stay aware of this and hope to make a good call with my K/T'ish hands when the shorty shove son my blind from the cutoff.

For the most part though, I remind myself that I am a long way from the end of this game. There's still a lot of work ahead of me.

If I'm a short stack myself, well, I need chips sooner than later. There's not much difference between payout levels at this point, so it's best to double-up (even if it means sucking out) before my chip stack dwindles into insignificance.

^^^Everything SP said and some.

I am the opposite of you - I am easily distracted and have a hard time focusing until right before the bubble. But once I am in the money I am in the zone.

At that point you need to be totally focused on the table and watching every move the players make. Make notes on them - even if you change tables you may see them again soon. Look at every player as if they will be on your final table and you want to know everything about them.

Don't worry about just getting to the next level - you want to build your chip stack and get to the final table where the real money is. As SP said the short stacks will be looking for shoving spots so know that their range is huge.

Let your position, your ship stack and your knowledge of the players (and their chip stacks) dictate how you will play. It may not be the same way from game to game or table to table.

If you look at the payout structure you will see that if it pays 300 there really isn't much difference in 200th and 100th or even 30th. There would be a slight difference in the final 27 - but you really have to final table to see much of a gain. And on the final table most of the money is in the top 3.

So most great tournament players are playing to win - or at least get in the top 3. My personal goal is to final table.

Having that goal will change how you play once you get in the money. When I used to play just to get in the money I cashed more often. Once I changed my goal I started cashing less often - but I did hit my final table once for a good cash. That more than made up for it.

everything SP & Debi said and, once im ITM i try to pick spots to Dbl Up to go for the win, but sometimes i will tighten up to gain a few spots at a higher payout,, it really depends on what the players are doing at my table,,if im short stacked ill go allin with any A x,, you need chips to win it, so thats my theory,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, buck

For me, i try and play super agressive right before the bubble and carry it into the money... my thought is i need as many chips as possible to carry myself to a final table... This is probably the wrong way of thinking, but i have found you can really run people off hands when they make the money because they want to make a final table..
Super agressive to me doesnt mean i raise with 28 or anything like that.. but blind vs blind i am raising no matter what i have... i raise with any ace... i like to get caught in a bluff early (nothing insance just donk off a few chips) so i can get paid off later (this wont help in a MTT early in the tournament because you have a limited number of chips and ppl will not remember your bluff... or so i have noticed)... these are my plans and they have worked reasonably well... accept in the FTOPS 24... that went poorly

Once I am ITM in a big MTT, I seem to do best if I keep an eye on the next level, and try to make that, preferably with an average stack. Final table is often hours away, and I can't be thinking about it right now. Set a smaller goal, try to get there.

I try to get into a calm state. I try not to feel entitled to win with the bigger hand. I try to accept that any all-in could be the end of me, and each time I shove, I am good with whatever the result might be. I am grateful when I win a hand -- and sometimes a little confused when I suck out. And the levels sometimes keep changing, and sometimes I am suddenly at the final table and surprised as all get out.

Oh-- and I try very hard not to do anything stupid.

I set makeable goals for every MTT tourney I play

Make the first break.

Make the second Break

Get ITM

Make final table

Make the final 3.

Win the Sucker

And it all depends on how many chips you have at what position and what level you are at.

Something that Debbi's coach said a week ago really struck home with me.(you make real money when you finish in the top 3)

So If I am in the money I will gamble with lesser holdings.

It depends so much on your chip stack

As far as letting yourself drift off and lose focus that is something your going to definately work on. Stamina is crucial in MTT play.

Once Im ITM I usually open my starting range up some , and make my bets much more aggressive. It works to help to start setting the pace for the final run.

Depends how well placed I am in the overall rankings and what other stacks are at my table. Generally, if i have chips I want to play flops rather than blind call all-ins, and bully the short stacks and tight players. If I'm shorter stacked then I want to get all my chips in at some point in a hand with a premium hand preflop or a good hand and/or nut draw postflop.

When there are 2 tables left only, I'll open the other table and have a look at hand ranges and player styles on there and so prpare for the final table.

I try to take pressure off myself by not getting too hett up with thoughts like I haven't won a hand in two rotations or I need more chips and the like. Usually I lose when I start trying to find and play the magic hand that is intended to move me right up the leaderboard.