Late stages of MTT

Hello I’ve been on the MTT grind about a year now and I’m having trouble in late stages especially final 3 or 4 tables as the final table bubble approaches.
Now all the fish have popped and it’s mostly just good players going to war with one another. This is not a situation I’m too familiar with since I would normally just table change in a cash game

Well I’m mostly just looking for practical advice here since I really just want to improve the close rate.

What are the top plays u like to make in this stage of a tournament?

I would get aggressive with my weaker hands and then trap with your good hands. You can start stealing blinds from the tight players who are scared they are going to bust on the bubble. Then you work in a trap with your stronger hands and when someone loosely raises you, you shove and stack em.

Start by playing the way that got you there--assuming it wasnt just luck. Then adjust if necessary by observing the others at your table and their tendencies.

Sometimes it just comes down to luck when the blinds are high relative to stack size. In that case you just gotta shove and cross your fingers. Like last night on the FT I lost with A6 vs A4 AIPF. Usually that is a chop.

Late stage is the easy stage. Quit over-thinking it. You (and everyone else) are short stacked. Look to isolate pre-flop and try to get it all in when you have the best of it.

blueskies said:

Start by playing the way that got you there--assuming it wasnt just luck. Then adjust if necessary by observing the others at your table and their tendencies.

Sometimes it just comes down to luck when the blinds are high relative to stack size. In that case you just gotta shove and cross your fingers. Like last night on the FT I lost with A6 vs A4 AIPF. Usually that is a chop.

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So here is the thing with MTT, especially live. You want to adjust to other players later in the tournament. This of course depends on your chip stack. If you have an average to smaller stack, you want to play more conservative or patient. If you have a big stack or chip lead, you can dabble with medium holdings, such as suited connectors or 1 gappers, or small pockets.

It also depends on your table draw. If you have a table that's super active table that have players playing every hand, take a back seat and wait for your for your monster hand to crack them.

It is important to build your stack early so that in the later stages you can take out/bully the short (with good hands or good reads) and even build the stack more. Being short in these stages will force you to make moves you don't necessarily want to make.

In these stages of the tournament you have to play more aggressive, to try to reach the final table.

be selective..

Look to be aggressive, but also be more in tune to position, and taking advantage. When not on the button, be aggressively selective. Start playing J10 Q8, see how it goes. You might have gotten to the end by being right, careful; but better to take a chance, get carried off on your shield, than getting blinded out.

If you're playing low stakes MTT's there will be plenty of fish left at all stages.

You shouldn't really need to adjust too much until short-handed play begins during the final two tables, but here are some general suggestions.

Don't be afraid to put pressure on tighter opponents' blinds and you should be willing to challenge loose openers with hands that dominate their ranges.

I'd definitely suggest opening more hands in late position if it folds to you (at least until those on your left start playing back at you).

Your chip stack and position should be the main factors dictating your strategy.

Good luck!

There is no need to be afraid of being knocked out of the tournament. Play more hands. It is better to use the opportunity to improve the stack than to wait until the blinds eat it. The goal is to win, not to live out the prize zone. Therefore, it is better to look for an opportunity to improve.

Hello.
It is very important to always remain patient. Patience is a key skill that is inherent in winners. Your results will improve if you learn to be patient enough.

TheDude6622 said:

So here is the thing with MTT, especially live. You want to adjust to other players later in the tournament. This of course depends on your chip stack. If you have an average to smaller stack, you want to play more conservative or patient. If you have a big stack or chip lead, you can dabble with medium holdings, such as suited connectors or 1 gappers, or small pockets.

It also depends on your table draw. If you have a table that's super active table that have players playing every hand, take a back seat and wait for your for your monster hand to crack them.

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TheDude wrapped it up perfectly & Lena's suggestion is also quite elegant. I just re-iterate patience and position. Tighten up and play premiums - don't fall into the small stacks shove A/rag trap unless you are holding premium. Let other players bust - unless you have the hand to bust them, and don't call preflop shoves if you don't have to. top 3 is a lot better than busting out with A/Q off when the chip leader calls you down with pocket 5s.

dompoker said:

In these stages of the tournament you have to play more aggressive, to try to reach the final table.

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I disagree with this. Aggression - just because - is a rookie recipe that results in min-cashing and bubbling the final table. Controlled strategic aggression (TAG) is much smarter and will result in a higher win rate.

63burner said:

Look to be aggressive, but also be more in tune to position, and taking advantage. When not on the button, be aggressively selective. Start playing J10 Q8, see how it goes. You might have gotten to the end by being right, careful; but better to take a chance, get carried off on your shield, than getting blinded out.

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I tend to agree with 63 especially about position - except the hand range stated. If you are one of the top 3 big stacks then yes - maybe if you can afford to loose some bb and still be comfortable. Those hands are alright in late position without shove in front of you and big stacks behind you, but without the big stack - I'd stay away from draws - because others are getting it in good with premium and pocket pairs, and small stacks are shoving with A/x - draws are not good unless you can get to the turn cheaply - and nearing final table - that is less likely.