Playing too tight?

Speaking of mtt I feel as if I may be playing
too tight in the mid to late stages. Should I be calling to see a
cheap flop on stuff like 9 10o, or limping in on smaller suited connectors?
My early game I think is pretty solid, but I feel like I'm missing out on oppertunities to build my stack sometimes.

Mid to late game is more about re-stealing and shoving than it is limping for implied odds value.

NO ... Simple ... Dont Limp
If you want to widen your range a little more, that should be fine, but, I still wouldn't limp in at this stage of an MTT, or even a SNG.

I get the re-stealing, but shoving should be done with which hands? And in what position?

when to shove

For having less than 10 BBs:

You should be taking notes on which players are likely to fold to a shove and which ones would call with King Ten offsuit. Shove wider pre-flop in position if you have less than 10 BB i.e. any Ace, King Queen, Queen Jack, 77 +. Do not shove in MP or EP, unless you have less than 3 BBs. A 2.5x BB raise should do the trick.


For having between 10 and 20 BBs:

Raise 2.5x BB preflop and then bet half pot on the flop, or call his bet. Then shove the turn. I do this with JJ+, and AQ+.


For having between 20 and 30 BBs:

Open your range slightly to include 77+, AT+, or KQ. DO NOT PLAY KING JACK. Always c-bet about 3/4 pot. Then either check or shove the turn, and always bet pot or shove on the river as long as the board is dry.


For having more than 30BBs:

Tighten up your range to QQ+ or AK. No need to run into a more powerful hand or get sucked out on.


Hope this helps! -David

Thanks for the tips. Can I assume that if I'm chip leader I should always tighten up but play extra aggressive?

RVladimiro said:

Thanks for the tips. Can I assume that if I'm chip leader I should always tighten up but play extra aggressive?

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No.
You want to adjust your play to what is happening on your table.

^^ +1

mid to late there is a lot of fold equity and a lot of desperate stacks and people wanting to limp and so on. Be aggressive

If I'm chip leader I will often raise a much wider range in the cutoff or button, by a wide range it can often be any two cards based on if it's bubble time and the blinds are so tight. Many of times on the bubble I will often ship a massive wide range if I have a substantial chip lead in the cut off, players will very often fold even A,10/A,J hands on the bubble not wanting to become bubble boy when they know they can fold in to the money. You will often find at the low stakes people will be folding into the bubble if they have a stack that is above the shortest stacks. It's great to abuse so many at bubble, the best part of a tournament.

Being short stacked poses many problems and if you're short on the bubble/mid stages then you will have to pick a spot and shove, no limping unless you are getting good odds. If there are big stacks who have limped, don't bother shoving unless you have a monster because you will find you will often be called.

I guess in short, it's playing postion and finding the best time to shove on the right players. Don't shove into a big stack who happily calls massive ranges or you're in trouble - unless of course you have a monster hand then you want him to call all day.

RVladimiro said:

Thanks for the tips. Can I assume that if I'm chip leader I should always tighten up but play extra aggressive?

Click to expand...

I find this possibly the worse play. The last thing you want to do is happily sit back with a big stack because sooner or later you will become an average stack so end up being bullied yourself.

You need to be extra aggressive in position against tight players who you know are playing extra tight. The amount of chips you can pick up during this stage is unreal, most people don't want to go to war with big stacks.

No, you really don't need to go crazy with a big stack. Most of the time, having a big stack allows us to apply a bit more pressure and steal a little more, but it isn't a license to go crazy and start spewing off chips. If anything, having a bigger stack actually allows us to wait a little more for better opportunities.

It's really about playing you're opponants. If you are trying to bully a table full of calling fish, then your bound to spew off your stack. Now if you have a few people at your table with shorter stacks, or perhaps they are tight, then sure go ahead of pick on the weaker players with your stack.

clarify with an example

A short stack is considered to be 30BB or less by traditional thought. In turbo tournaments, however, the average stack is often around 20BB or less at bubble time.


In this type of situation, most hands will be won either preflop or right after the flop; hence my suggestion to cbet the flop relative to your stack size. Any time a cbet or a standard pre-flop raise would cost you more than 1/3 of your stack go ahead and ship if you have position.


Example:
Blinds are 400 / 800 ante 100 at a nine-handed table, you have 10,000 chips and pick up JJ in the hijack seat. You raise to 2,000 and the Small Blind, who has 30,000 chips, floats. Flop comes King, Ten, Eight with two spades. Small Blind checks.


At this point you have 10,000 - 100 ante - 2,000 raise = 7,900 chips. There is your 2,000 + the SB 2,000 + the BB 800 + 900 in antes = 5,700 chips in the pot. A standard cbet would be half pot, or 2,850 chips. Your stack 7,900 / 3 = 2,633 chips, which is less than half pot. Go ahead and shove.

NO

Elivo said:

Speaking of mtt I feel as if I may be playing
too tight in the mid to late stages. Should I be calling to see a
cheap flop on stuff like 9 10o, or limping in on smaller suited connectors?
My early game I think is pretty solid, but I feel like I'm missing out on oppertunities to build my stack sometimes.

Click to expand...

Poker Orifice said:

No.
You want to adjust your play to what is happening on your table.

Click to expand...

^^^^^