Re-occuring problem!

I keep having the same problem!I play mostly 45 and 90 player MTT'S with a few larger tourny's thrown in.My problem is that although I am ITM 33% of the time;I usually go out shortly thereafter because I'm so short-stacked as a result of wanting to get ITM(rather than going out on/or near the bubble!)Help!!

I think you ar answering your own question here.

You have to either play to make it to the money or play it to win it and risk not making it to the money.

Read Harrington Volume 2!

Yea, you really should read that. The whole book is about the endgame, and that is what you are really needing help with. Once, you start getting shorter stacked, you need to start paying more attention to your opponents stacks and their M{(BB+SB+Antes)/ Stack Size}. You can find articles that better describe M, but by calculating your opponents M, you can find out where to pick your spots to move in and steal some blinds. There are a lot more strategies in Vol. 2, so you should really invest in it.

your problem is that you tighten up on the bubble and throw all your chips away to the point where when you make it in the money you have nothing left! so instead when the bubble is coming look for the people that are doing the same and try to bully them. at this point you will have more chips to do more damage with than you would after the bubble. and your opponents will be tighter than they will be after the bubble.

Good work to get in 33% of the time though. You must be doing something right. Even when i play tight my luck usually gives up in 9/10 tourneys if not more.

As Stu pointed out. Your either in it to win it,or cash. Playing more aggressive- Marginal hands- early on allow you to pick up a hefty stack by doubling up early and pressurising the smaller stacks with exit from the tourney.

Some people would rather build a big stack early and risk marginal hands(when they have invested little time) rather than build up slowly and get kicked out before on or just after the bubble for a little bit of money just over what you paid to play and 2hrs wasted.

Conservative play helps to make the money but going out on the bubble to win the tourney is a pros play. (well in my book anyway)

Id rather cash something than nothing myself, but i need the cash to keep playing

instead of playing too tight when close to the bubble loosen up a bit and steal the blinds of others who think like you do.

You are waiting too long to attack. I find that the ideal time to attack is one -third to one quarter times the bubble plus the bubble number . At that point most players are begining to see the money and are in a tight mode.

Playing aggressive near the bubble though only works if the people in the hand with you don't have a significant chip lead over you. If you have 2 large stacks behind you you can really only be aggressive if you have decent hands because they are always going to call you with just about any ace, pr. suited connector etc. Sometimes when you are short stacked and near the bubble you just have to be ok with making the money. You've invested a lot of time allready and depending on how short you are making something is better than being hasty aggressive and getting nothing.

I have that problem too, when the bubble is near, i sit out if i think my stack will make it itm (yes im a chicken) and when im in the money im usually always the short stack but thats when i start playing very aggressive and i start going allin a lot preflop before the blinds get higher, i will usually move allin on the other shorter stacks or a tight player's blinds.

that has worked for me, i have come back from the short stack to win 1st place on two CC freerolls.