Tournament Raising Strategy?

Am I correct that most players raise like this throughout a tourney

Early Stages

3.5-4x

Middle Stages

2.5-3x

Late Stages + Final Table

2-2.5x

I've seen a lot of good players min-raising at the final table. I guess since the blinds are so big it's easily to steal with a smaller raise?

Depending how the blinds are structured, i'm usually 2.25x in the early stages, I want weaker players in pots with me early. When the antes kick in, i usually raise it to 2.5x, then as we get into the real late game i'm fine with min-raising or making a little over a min raise.

(not saying that's correct or whatever, it's just what i do)

I usually raise 3X in early/middle stages and add it up a BB for every limper.

Late stages I tend to keep it at 3X or if I can't do that then it's shoving time. I want to keep my raises strong because hands are already tempted to enter with all the blinds and antes already in the pot.

Final Table keep it at 3X although I don't mind taking it down to 2.5X kind of depends.

I just feel like all raises should be the same and it will be hard to detect when I am strong or when I am stealing.

My impression is that the 2.1 - 2.5x trend comes from the higher stakes games (which then naturally filters down to the adoring hordes at the micro stakes) where play has become ultra-agressive over the last few years with 3-, 4- or even 5-bets becoming common with light holdings.

Players like to raise light, especially from late position, and this is typically correct, since you need to steal blinds to keep your stack growing, particularly as you get deeper into the tourney. As a result, 3 bet ranges have widened up in response.

If you open 3x from the button with 15-20 BB with 30% of your range, and the blinds shove against you plenty, you'll be forced to give up 15-20% of your stack a lot of the time. Raising 2.1x will get you the blinds almost as often, but it's much cheaper to fold if you get shoved on.

That's how I interpret it anyways.

Also depends on the buy-in. It shouldn't be, but it is.
In a micro buy-in, if you raise 3 BB in the early stages everyone at the table, including railers, staff, waitresses and the virtual massage-girl will join you to see the flop.
The hooker backstage will pause her blowjob, to call with biglick and Ayrton Senna will come down to reraise with bigslick.
The drunk in the corner will go all-in with J-Daniels (which is slightly better then J-Q) and the drug-addict will come along and crack your aces within a sniff with a cold turkey 7-2.

So, at least in the early stages of a micro buy-in tournament, I fold everything to make the hooker being able to finish here job and in case I get it big, I go all-in

This would be a helpful thread to new and semi new players, because when your in those MTT games and at micro to low level no one respects a raise, you could raise 7x the BB and some will call anyways so that has always bothered me but i like the advice of keeping the raises about the same level to hide a steal or a strong hand, i will try it out

If you can get away with it, feel free to raise * 7 with premium hands if the fish are calling

Most people just raise whatever the dynamics of the table are, if most people are * 3 then its * 3 or *4 * 5 etc for the really loose games.

Usually the raises get lower as the MTT progresses because you have less blinds to play with. At the start you may have 75-100 Blinds but near the end most people have 1-10 so most raises *3 or *4 become pot commited thats why it tends to become all in or fold games.

Occasionally you get a good structure where there is some play towards the end but not many

Well done, that is a good Raising Map that you've laid out...I do exactly this and no more...Follow it Religiously to a T

I follow the guidelines you posted originally. For the most part, I play turbos so a raise from 2-2.5 is all you need in the late stages. Raising any more then that doesn't do any good. A smaller raise will have the same effect while you're risking less.

Not to confuse anyone, but without any limpers or previous raises I usually raise anywhere from 2.38-2.49 the big blind. I usually bet odd amounts for different reasons. (Odd amounts as in differnt numbers than usually not odd as in compared to even numbers)

Example: Blinds 50/100

I raise in the CO to 239 with lets say 99.

i see people do this from time to time. i think there was some thread about this awhile ago, but i dont remember why people were doing it. maybe because it throws off others and causes those not paying attention to think they've bet more than they really have???

I follow the same chat just about as the OP posted, but sometimes I change it depending on the table. I also agree with loopmeister about the 2bb being able to get away from cheap and taking the blinds just as much without as much risk. I think also it can depend on how big the stacks are relative to the blinds, but most of the time at a FT the blinds are big and the stacks small..so 2x for me in those situations.