Psychology of late stage MTT play....

quick

quick

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I often play the FT Rush 4.40 135 SnG...at first I was able to reach the money about 1 out of every 3 or 4 games, even had some 2nd and 3rd place finishes in there. After hitting a 12 or 13 game losing streak I took a break from that game...

Came back and found I was easily getting close to the money. But for some reason no matter how big my stack was something went wrong. I'd either bust out around 20th place outside the money or end up spewing chips and limping into the money only to bust in 12th to 15th (lowest paid).

What frustrates me is I'll sometimes be in the top 3 stacks by the time the field gets down to 3 or 4 tables. I don't know if its pressure from the increasing blinds, suck outs, or the fear of busting out early but my play seems to change. I'll either spew chips or just get my stack whittled down...its like I'm playing to lose.

Case in point...last night was my first 4.40 Rush SnG in a few days...started off relatively standard..won some lost some and was at about my starting stack with maybe 80 players left. Started getting KK multiple hands in late position, about 4 times within 10 hands so I shoved All In on all of these. I wont 3 out of 4 of these KK all ins so my stack was growing.

By the time we got to just under 30 players I had close to 28K in chips. By the time we got to 20 players I had about 10K in chips.

Last hand was me on the button with 66 and about 4BB left. Right next to me was the small stack that was keeping me from an 11th place finish and a big stack. I raise it up, small folds and big stack shoves all in. I have less than 3BB now so I call with 66 and see them with 88. They win. I'm out.

I know mentally I was getting the good side of the KK coin flips a lot and I tried hard to play smart in between those hands to keep my stack growing, but i feel like I keep telling myself its too good to be true and of course I'll bust out before the big money and it usually happens.

Oddly enough I'm in grad school for psychology yet I psych myself out.
 
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ben darling

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sounds like ur too worried about the bubble and not convinced enough that you deserve first place.
 
quick

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Maybe I'm having bubble anxiety.
 
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ben darling

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here a tip that might help you. i rarely play 90 to 180 man mtts and do this for big field mtts.... im aware that you probally cant do this with the games you are talking about. i just want to give u this example because it is something that i have found to be helpful for myself.

i make my self aware of when the bubble will burst, but try my best not look at any of the payouts besides the ones for the final table. I do look at them, but try really hard to not keep going to the lobby to see when the next higher prizebracket is coming. I leave that little window where u scroll thru the prizes at the verry top payouts.

I remember- this is what im here for! and not for that bullshit finishing just inside the bubble crap.

This is just me talking, i have no idea if i am correct or not. im prob correct in some ways and incorrect in others. just wanted to throw it out there.
 
bullishwwd

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I often play the FT Rush 4.40 135 SnG...at first I was able to reach the money about 1 out of every 3 or 4 games, even had some 2nd and 3rd place finishes in there. After hitting a 12 or 13 game losing streak I took a break from that game...

Came back and found I was easily getting close to the money. But for some reason no matter how big my stack was something went wrong. I'd either bust out around 20th place outside the money or end up spewing chips and limping into the money only to bust in 12th to 15th (lowest paid).

What frustrates me is I'll sometimes be in the top 3 stacks by the time the field gets down to 3 or 4 tables. I don't know if its pressure from the increasing blinds, suck outs, or the fear of busting out early but my play seems to change. I'll either spew chips or just get my stack whittled down...its like I'm playing to lose.

Case in point...last night was my first 4.40 Rush SnG in a few days...started off relatively standard..won some lost some and was at about my starting stack with maybe 80 players left. Started getting KK multiple hands in late position, about 4 times within 10 hands so I shoved All In on all of these. I wont 3 out of 4 of these KK all ins so my stack was growing.

By the time we got to just under 30 players I had close to 28K in chips. By the time we got to 20 players I had about 10K in chips.

Last hand was me on the button with 66 and about 4BB left. Right next to me was the small stack that was keeping me from an 11th place finish and a big stack. I raise it up, small folds and big stack shoves all in. I have less than 3BB now so I call with 66 and see them with 88. They win. I'm out.

I know mentally I was getting the good side of the KK coin flips a lot and I tried hard to play smart in between those hands to keep my stack growing, but i feel like I keep telling myself its too good to be true and of course I'll bust out before the big money and it usually happens.

Oddly enough I'm in grad school for psychology yet I psych myself out.
You really would or should ask this of our new resident poker psychologist, Jared Tendler. He joined CC recently and this question and issue is right down his alley. He is great! GL, Wally
 
quick

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Thats wild, my first name is Jared and I'm in psychology...thats amazing.
 
Poker Orifice

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When is KK ever a coinflip?

I'd suggest doing some more research on late game play (ie. stack size adjustments, resteals, etc.).
 
appaz86

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When is KK ever a coinflip?

I'd suggest doing some more research on late game play (ie. stack size adjustments, resteals, etc.).

i lost both with KK in two large sized sng's yesterday (ko'd with it infact)

so annoying... once was i raised the big stack (i was a big stack too, i think 5th overall) he re-raises, i re-raised again, he re-raises, i shove

he calls with A10 off suit... hits an ace on the turn

2nd tourny i min raised with KK hoping an aggressive player behind me would re-raise, he does, i re-raise 3x his raise, he calls, flop comes Q73 rainbow. i shove the rest of my stack (just under the pot) he snap calls with AQ off suit, turn comes, ACE

such a joke >_<
 
Kuberr

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In a way, it's like basketball. You have a 20 point lead, and all of a sudden, you end up playing the score instead of the game. Don't let your stack affect how you play.
 
Poker Orifice

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In a way, it's like basketball. You have a 20 point lead, and all of a sudden, you end up playing the score instead of the game. Don't let your stack affect how you play.

Care to expand on this one ^. I'm not sure I'm getting what you're saying.
There's a ton of adjustments one needs to make depending upon the size of their stack in relation to the blinds/antes & other's stacks on the table so I'm not really getting what you're saying here....??
 
tpb221

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In a way, it's like basketball. You have a 20 point lead, and all of a sudden, you end up playing the score instead of the game. Don't let your stack affect how you play.

Care to expand on this one ^. I'm not sure I'm getting what you're saying.

I think it's the same thing as 'playing not to lose' instead of 'playing to win'.
Another thing to consider is that these were new and you had alot of people who were just bad at playing these. As time goes on people have gotten better at playing these.
 
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