How do u play at final tables?

spiderman637

spiderman637

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Hello CC members,i need little advice regarding the type of ap0proach one should have when playing at final table...
Lately i have been reaching the final table several times.Reaching the final table is not much of problem for me these days, but ones i reach there, i get stucked by seeing sudden change in the game-style of other players...
I start loosing control on the game and play very badly....
So, if there is any article or book which teaches how to manage at final tables, it would be very helpful for me...Individuals opinions are also welcome...
Thank you !
 
dino

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really TA (tight aggressive) and try to steal pots...and good luck
 
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swingro

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Play poker by the book. Tight at the begining and loose after. Do not bluff for no reason. Usualy at the final table u have enough chips to play solid poker. Do not rush it and do not force somwthing to happen. Remember, last 3 get the real cash. Watch how the opponents play verry carrefull. Do not get yourself involved in the all in situations with highest stacks when u have to w8 for flipcoins. Also learn how to be patient. If the players around u put on a show, u have to let them. Do not limp for no reason cose u are going to lose chips. Remember u have to respect all the players ther cose they got to the final table playing good poker like u did so they are not weak.
 
dwolfg

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Depends on the table conditions and your individual goals. In general, I suggest playing the opposite of the majority of the table.
 
T

Tonawanda

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Good Question - Difficult Answer

All depends on the size of your chip stack. And that is the likely reason you see such a change in the style of play. Aggressive vs loose? It depends on each player's strategy and the size of their stack. Hopefully you have enough chips to see enough hands to evaluate the players at the table. Once you have an idea of their strategy, it will be easier to decide what approach to take.

I like being very conservative early on waiting for good opportunities to add chips. My first goal is to make it to the top 3 places. It is really not that hard if you play extremely tight and take your shots at the right time and place against the right players (not that easy). Unfortunately, you may have to fold some nice hands to get there. I hate coin flips at the final table. Recently, I folded a QQ (preflop) against a raise and reraise all-in. The 2 players showed a AA and KK. Maybe a lucky fold; they all don't work out that well.

Than, you have to decide how and when to get more aggressive. The larger the blinds and the number of players will determine that. Each time the blinds increase, you will probably see a signifcant change in aggressiveness by the other players. You need to do the same.

You have to bluff, you have to steal blinds, you have to fold quality hands, you have to have an idea of your opponents strategy, you have to make good decisions, and as mentioned above, eventually you must consistently find a way to get more aggressive. That means taking chances, eventually big chances, and that's when most of us get busted.

Oh yea, forgot to mention the cards. You have to be dealt cards you can work with, and see some decent flops. Without help in those areas, you really need tons of LUCK.

So that's all there is to it :rolleyes:.
 
cardplayer52

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i'm hoping your getting to the ft with an average chip stack. if not maybe the problem is the play leading up to the ft. anyways my suggestion is to learn how to play 9man SNGs. these will give you lots of ft experience. how to play has everything to do with the actual size of the chip stacks at the ft as wll as the payout structure.
 
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WiZZiM

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depends how deep we all are... the only differance being were looking to now use ICM... you really shouldnt use ICM for any part of a tourney until the final table as thats where the bulk of the money is at...
 
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WiZZiM

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i'm hoping your getting to the ft with an average chip stack. if not maybe the problem is the play leading up to the ft. anyways my suggestion is to learn how to play 9man SNGs. these will give you lots of ft experience. how to play has everything to do with the actual size of the chip stacks at the ft as wll as the payout structure.


^^this.. learn some basic ICM..
 
Snowmobiler

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Play poker by the book. Tight at the begining and loose after. Do not bluff for no reason. Usualy at the final table u have enough chips to play solid poker. Do not rush it and do not force somwthing to happen. Remember, last 3 get the real cash. Watch how the opponents play verry carrefull. Do not get yourself involved in the all in situations with highest stacks when u have to w8 for flipcoins. Also learn how to be patient. If the players around u put on a show, u have to let them. Do not limp for no reason cose u are going to lose chips. Remember u have to respect all the players ther cose they got to the final table playing good poker like u did so they are not weak.


Spell Check is your friend :hmmmm:


Snow :cool:
 
Arjonius

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There's more to consider than just your relative chip stack. Another key factor that has been mentioned is your goal. It's easy to say "always play to win", but I beleive there can be situation-specific exceptions. For instance, if first pays $50 or $100 and the payouts scale down from that, I'm going to aim for a top spot unless I'm so short-stacked that I have no realistic chance.

But if the difference between 10th and 9th is thousands of dollars and I'm not likely to be in that situation again, I might very well play tight to move up even while recognizing this decreases my chances of finishing top three.
 
Elie_Yammine

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I play sit'n gos a lot and the final table is usually not different from the first table...play extreme TAG style at first until you win an all-in and it shows you had absolute nuts!Immediately after switch to LAG style until they are aware of it then switch back to tag and repeat the operation...
 
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AndyMartin

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Depends on the style of play at the table of course. Stack sizes are important to consider as well, as is position.

ICM as well.
 
trewtrew

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depends on your postion and chipstack. Top three is where the money is so if ur in 1st-3rd play very tight early on and only play premiums and use position to steal with decent hands.
 
Egon Towst

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Did you ever follow up with one on heads up play?


Not yet. But I`m not dead yet. :p

I have three more planned "chapters" - Heads-up Play, Changing Gears in Mid-MTT, and Adjustments for MTTs in Other Poker Variants (than Holdem).

At my present rate, that`s at least two years` worth. :eek:
 
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davem86

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If you have a big enough chipstack at the final table what I would do is just continue to play your style of poker and let the other players(short-medium stacks) bust each other out! by the time 3 or 4 players are knocked out start taking down pots and try to steal blinds/antes if so and just play poker...IDK it all depends on the players and their cards and how they are played...
 
spiderman637

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I wrote some stuff on this subject a while back, which you might find useful. :)
Thank you Egon for ur help...
I found it very very useful mate as it deals exactly with my problems...
I feel like i should read this every time i reach a final table and then start playing...
Thanks a lot !!! I really appreciate it...:)
 
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jssc1989

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really TA (tight aggressive) and try to steal pots...and good luck

One way to force yourself to tighten up is to set strict starting hand requirements for yourself. Phil Hellmuth suggests that beginners should play no more than the top 10 starting hands. Since there are 169 possible starting hands, if you restrict yourself to 10 of them, you'll be playing 6% of the hands you're dealt. That's supertight
 
R

RA2000

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Well, many good post above!
Depends on your chip stack and the playing style of your opponents.
Normally tight aggressiv is a good way to play at the beginning and becoming looser at the end of the ft...
But if you are the short stack or the other players all play tight aggressiv the playing much looser could be the right way to play....
Play your opponents and your cards!
 
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hccooley

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At what point during final table play should I start shoving regardless of my cards? Is it when I have 10 big blinds or less, or should I open it up to shove any ace with 15 big blinds? I really would love some advice on this, because I often find myself bleeding chips as the final table plays out.
 
Epik High

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same way id play normally. just play to win obv
 
FTP_TheNuts

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Play to win is good advice

But you really need to take control of the table, steals, 3 bet steals on blin protecters, show you are there to play, you know sometimes when your at a final table and you see that guy playig all the time and dominating the hands and pots, you need to have that impact on the rest of the table, because imo, if your not gonna make top 3 on a final table then its not worth getting there, just constantly building your stack, getting it in good, and hopefully holding up, always play for first aswell.
 
5TR8 FLUSH

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When I get to the final table, I also have the same problem you do. Specially when i'm heads up I always seem to come out second, i'll be checking this thread a few times to get tips on how to improve my final table play. GL :)
 
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