Late bubble playe against big stacks

How do you play when very close to making the prize pool. Say you have a big enough stack to easily make the prize pool with few left in the bubble. The chip leader is a maniac but see him knocking people out L & R . I know there are certain hands you will never fold, and yes it looks like a easy double up knowing the range of hands hes playing, but at what point do you just avoid the big stacks Knowing they will make a big enough raise to make you pot committed.

I'd like to say I play strictly according to the ICM model but I'm not that knowledgeable so I'll say instead that I WILL play strictly according to the ICM model when I've learnt enough.

Steve

If he's calling wide jam tight, lots of high cards that dominate crap he calls (e.g. Q9 dominates 98, K7 dominates 78, etc etc)

just play premium hands against him, sure he might put you all in but you'd have a great chance to double up, and if you lose it happens. it all depends on what's more important to you, winning or placing

Well, if it is real close to the paid places, I don't play against the maniac big stacks because it's incredible how they can beat any hand at those times. I've seen so many AA, KK, QQ lose for a very weak hand.

Well at least some of this has some value in it.

If you have around the average tournament stack size, you could tighten up to only the premiums and only with position on the maniac. With a stack like this you are sitting good and are in no need of a double-up.

If you have a shortish stack, and feel you might just make a mincash, I would suggest adapting your range to where you feel you have his range dominated and go with it. There is always a chance you will lose to a dominated hand, or that the maniac might wake up with a monster, but this is not to be really worried about as it's just a part of the game.

Just determine what your goals are (does the mincash mean a lot your roll? are you going for the big W?), make a plan and go with it.

If you are that close to the bubble, remember that you need to pee, and fix a sandwich......maybe even check the mail, kiss the wife and pat the dog.

Then come back and curse yourself as you check the history to see what you missed and find you missed a chance with 44, 66, and TJs............

You can not win the bigger money if you don't make the bubble, and granted, the little money is usually not much, but a whole different games starts when the bubble breaks, and while a big stack is nice, we all know that the big stack at the bubble seldom wins the big taco....I think I have seen that fewer times than I have seen shorty at the bubble come back and win it.

So IMHO, get paid first, then work it so you give yourself a raise, and another, and another till that pretty damn good situation comes along and you make your move.

There used to be the general thought of shooting for deep runs and ignoring the bubble. There is some gray areas and some various situations. It really all depends on what cashing means for you at that time. Maybe you sattied into a big buy-in tournament and even a min. cash is a lot for you. If a min. cash doesn't mean much than ignore it and exploit others if they are fearing bubble.

Just be sure to not make your intentions obvious to the table. If you see a spot where you are uncomfortable of where you are at don't tank fold or similar because it will give away your intentions and then you can be exploited. If anything act as if you are incredibly card dead.

If you are looking to exploit the table find ways to risk as little as possible. Min raise in any position where the BB in the current hand has shown he really needs to cash.