BEST WAY TO PLAY THE BUBBLE ?????

chicopaw

chicopaw

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jan 15, 2017
Total posts
7,121
Awards
28
Chips
463
Hi all, we all have different strategyies when it comes close to the Bubble, take when there are 10 players left to go to hit the money,
do you guys actually slow play?? still play position???,or use a combination of theory's as to Bubble Play
Is there reason to Jam it all-in??? wondering what and how we actually look and play this critical spot compared to my own ideals
 
ritmos

ritmos

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Total posts
160
Awards
4
Chips
0
When are 10 and less players left to go to hit the money, I play only with higher cards and only in position. I can do fold even with AA against chip leader if he raises.
 
Matanzima

Matanzima

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Total posts
249
Awards
1
Chips
0
I have two different ways of looking at the bubble:

-With reasonable or good stack, I attack.

-If I have a little stack game at a slow pace and wait for the bubble, even because the game seems to drop the smaller stacks at those times
 
V

Vonick

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 11, 2016
Total posts
219
Awards
1
Chips
2
i follow my instict at that moment cause usually bluffs are often
 
P

PKRNRS

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 5, 2016
Total posts
718
Chips
0
Internet poker online I will pay only the best cards or just sit out depending on my stack size. I don't want to have a healthy stack near the bubble and lose it on some bad play. It's frustrating to say the least to get coolered on the bubble. Some times I am clinging to life at the bubble and will shove any two. If my stack is large enough I will shove on smaller stacks. I try to avoid bigger stacks of possible.
In live tournaments I just fold till I get a big hand and can either shove or just bet.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 16, 2016
Total posts
1,588
Awards
4
Chips
0
First of all, I assess the situation at the table, analyze information about own opponents, which I collected throughout the tournament and estimate the size of his stack.
1. If I have a big stack, I'm more likely to show aggression, try to steal the blinds.
2. With an average stack I play quiet and tight game.
3. If my stack is really short - I play carefully. There were times when I was folding a premium hand.
 
Last edited:
Senneville

Senneville

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Sep 8, 2015
Total posts
543
Chips
0
Thats depend of your stack size. - 10 BB you should raise in early position not in first to act. And also you know you gonna play with big hand so open with monster hand only. Muck your A-2 off instanly. And be patient is the key. GL
 
DougPkrMonsta

DougPkrMonsta

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 7, 2016
Total posts
914
Awards
15
Chips
0
You should approach the bubble the same way you approach the rest of the tournament - take what the other players are giving you.

In theory the bubble shouldn't change your strategy much if you are bankrolled for the tournament... a min-cash is not the goal, just a step along the way. But if you are short stacked getting a min-cash can be an important consideration.

If everyone tightens up and are clearly waiting for the bubble to burst before risking anything then you should be raising A LOT... some tables you can raise every hand (especially with a big stack).

Most tables will play about the same with a few players becoming more aggressive and a few going into a shell. Being aware of these changes will help you to play optimally on the bubble.

Good luck to you!
 
trozolet

trozolet

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 29, 2016
Total posts
33
Chips
0
If i have like 20 or 30bb ill play the exact same way, the only difference is that i will play much more agressive against lower stacks cause they would fold every time unless they have a big hand but even in that case i am more likely to win chips than losing them.

PD: When i say agressive i don't mean that im going to be all in evey hand, i'll just increase my range of hands against them and bet often.
 
Omahahahaha

Omahahahaha

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 28, 2012
Total posts
554
Awards
1
Chips
15
I don't really change too much, just keep trying to make whatever moves have the great +chip ev
 
Gabinho12345

Gabinho12345

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 14, 2015
Total posts
1,290
Awards
24
Chips
0
Put pressure on shorter stacks and play tighter if you are short stack.
 
niphon56

niphon56

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
May 23, 2015
Total posts
2,574
Awards
2
Chips
1
Fold as possible, except packet pair.
ITM is more important than win a hand.
 
shinedown.45

shinedown.45

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 18, 2006
Total posts
5,389
Chips
0
When are 10 and less players left to go to hit the money, I play only with higher cards and only in position. I can do fold even with AA against chip leader if he raises.

3. If my stack is really short - I play carefully. There were times when I was folding a premium hand.

Fold as possible, except packet pair.
ITM is more important than win a hand.

You're telling us that you're happy with the min-cash?
Lets say you are short stacked and you fold your way into the money, just to get knocked out just inside the money.
So you made back your buy-in+change, was it worth the time you spent in the tournament?, probably not.

Folding AA, why?, when you're near the bubble, the only hands calling your all-in are behind, you have a great chance to double up or more, depending on callers.

If you lose, so what, it's only 1 BI, but if you manage to double your stack or more, then you have a chance to make it deeper in the tournament where the money starts to matter.

It's good that you had joined cardschat, you could use the help :)
 
ritmos

ritmos

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Total posts
160
Awards
4
Chips
0
You're telling us that you're happy with the min-cash?
Lets say you are short stacked and you fold your way into the money, just to get knocked out just inside the money.
So you made back your buy-in+change, was it worth the time you spent in the tournament?, probably not.

Folding AA, why?, when you're near the bubble, the only hands calling your all-in are behind, you have a great chance to double up or more, depending on callers.

If you lose, so what, it's only 1 BI, but if you manage to double your stack or more, then you have a chance to make it deeper in the tournament where the money starts to matter.

It's good that you had joined cardschat, you could use the help :)
I can consider folding AA preflop when:

I am on the bubble in a tournament, and
More than two players are all in, and one of them WILL bust, and
My stack is such that I could bust out if I call, and
If I fold, I am guaranteed a place in the money.
If ALL of these things are true - to make folding AA is the right decision. There is no other time, in any game, when I folding AA .
 
savaxz

savaxz

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Total posts
521
Chips
0
As you get closer to the final in the tournament will be held automatically balance the tables so that all players are in equal conditions. As a result, you may be in shorthanded. In this case, you need to adjust your game. The main thing that you need to change in your game is the less players you have, the more loose and more aggressive should be you game. Given that you will have less opponents average hand strength will be much lower. So a hand like 9-9 is considered good for a table with 8 players, but the table with 4 opponents is just a monster. This approach is particularly important at the final table, when the number of participants changes after each beating.
 
thetick33

thetick33

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Total posts
1,888
Awards
4
Chips
0
depends on the day or my mood to be honest but I am never scared to go all in from any position. I use instincts they do me well honestly a lot of time is an ace six offsuit and I go all in from first position there is not a whole lotta thought in this scenario just what the voice in my head told me what to do and often more often then not I walk the table.

Last night battle of blinds itm but wanted bigger stack made a move right move they caught it happens is poker:) never be skeered
 
flatron40

flatron40

Rising Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Total posts
21
Awards
4
Chips
0
we must be careful and wait for a good hand
 
Lerts

Lerts

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 24, 2017
Total posts
580
Chips
0
if you are short stacked and playing on the bubble on a huge field you can fold 1-2 hands and 90 percent of the time you would make the money, huge field tournys usually have a short period of bubble play so you'll make it with your short stack by folding a couple hands. If you are deep stack at the bubble this is the opportune time for you to pick up some blinds, so be aggressive as players would be looking to fold regularly so they would make the money. Some short stacks might pick up prem hands and decided to go all-in, these would be prime candidates for you to increase your stack, some of them might be coinflips but once you are deep enough your stack would be able to take a couple knocks down if you were to lose these coinflips. Thing is, if at bubble play and a short stack goes all in, you have to put him on a big hand, their range would most likely be -> (A10, AJ, AQ,AK, JJ, QQ, KK, AA, and even 88s, 99s, 1010s), so if you're calling do it with that in mind and you probably shouldnt call with any old rags. GL sir :icon_thum
 
naruto_miu

naruto_miu

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 31, 2007
Total posts
12,123
Awards
5
Chips
1
Too many variables In your question.

1) What's your stack size/how many BBs do you have?

2) What's the smaller stack sizes, stacks? Are any of them gonna hit the blinds soon?

3) The players at your table, how aggressive are they? How loose are they? How tight are they? How many stations are at that table?

4) When certain players call, how do they play post flop, In and OOP vs you?

5) What's the avg field game play like? Do they think? Do they just mash buttons? In short are you better than them? If so than why are we "Trying to Increase variance vs a field that we're better than"?

6) Where are the aggressive/CL Maniac players at? Are they on our table?

7) Is the game a turbo? Is It reg speed? Is It 6max? Is It 9max? So many different things to take Into consideration before even trying to really answer this question, so In short It really depends on many different factors
 
AizenFalck

AizenFalck

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Jan 16, 2016
Total posts
1,409
Awards
10
Chips
14
I try not to change the way Ive been playing. Usualy when I change it I end losing my temper and saying goodbye to the final table haha
 
cranberry

cranberry

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 16, 2016
Total posts
1,588
Awards
4
Chips
0
You're telling us that you're happy with the min-cash?
Lets say you are short stacked and you fold your way into the money, just to get knocked out just inside the money.
So you made back your buy-in+change, was it worth the time you spent in the tournament?, probably not.

Folding AA, why?, when you're near the bubble, the only hands calling your all-in are behind, you have a great chance to double up or more, depending on callers.

If you lose, so what, it's only 1 BI, but if you manage to double your stack or more, then you have a chance to make it deeper in the tournament where the money starts to matter.

It's good that you had joined cardschat, you could use the help :)

I wasn't trying to say that I'm happy with a min-cash! In my case, I consider only tournaments freerolls.
Folding a premium hand or not, depends on the opponents. If the opponent is a maniac or a very loose player trying to steal the blinds of course I go all-in with a premium hand or with a middle pair.
Spending time at tournaments, I can say one thing - if it is possible to minimize their losses, then why not!!!
 
pescaofish

pescaofish

Academic Poker
Loyaler
Joined
Nov 8, 2013
Total posts
2,027
Awards
10
PA
Chips
97
I will play in a soft mode and only call with top cards, unless my stack is large and then I will shove on smaller stacks. Fold any medium or not top hands. :)
 
N

Narcizzist

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Total posts
99
Chips
0
It depends entirely on how many blinds I have.

Anything in and around 10bb and I'd shove with anything decent. If I'm the big stack then I'd play more passive and wait for my spots.
 
P

PW300

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 24, 2016
Total posts
105
Chips
0
All depends upon stack size. If you have a good stack size you can apply pressure to the smaller stacks by raising and c betting if necessary. If I'm short stacked, I use up as much time as possible.
 
vse i sra3y

vse i sra3y

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Sep 30, 2015
Total posts
292
Chips
0
If the stack is a large play aggressively. If the stack is small, I only play monster hands and pull time.
 
Top