The topic says all.

Just got knocked out as the 28th player in 27 paid tournament.
Was a $1 buying 400GTD at ACR.

Was the least stack in the tournament with about 9BBs.

I had a several good chances to double up but played a bit timid I guess cause there were more than 1 players in the pot.
in the end held on for a while trying not to get knocked out but went all in with
pair of 6s at the small blind. one player at hi/lo jack has called the pot I shoved and he called.
He had Q,Js and caught a Q in the flop.
I was the least stack and the second least was almost double the amount of mine.
Should I have been more timid or aggressive?

I think you are generally in the wrong mindset. At 15 big blinds I'm pretty much shoving with a pretty wide range. If you can get your chips in with two live cards, you are where you want to be. 60/40.

Lots of people use 10bb as a rule of thumb but I think you lose fold equity and move earlier.

The whole idea is to really take more chances early. Yes, you will bust early, but when you run good you will go deep for bigger cashes rather than struggle for a min cash.

Try not play scared around the bubble if the min cash means that much to your bankroll you may be playing too high of a buy in tournament.

When I am in the bubble with a few chips I expect a top hand AA / AK / KK / KQ / QQ, in case none of these hands come I let luck hit, no bets and I hope someone falls. If nobody falls the stacks will swallow me.

In this situation, it makes sense to just wait until someone else flies out. 9BB is enough to wait 15-20 hands.

If other players play more loose then I prefer to wait high pair for play.

If its bigger tournament, someone will be eliminated soon. If you already got into stage where you have less than 9bb, then its better to play it safe just to get mincash. But ideally you want to keep your stack bigger, so you have chance for running deep. You know, its better to score 1 or 2 big wins, than 10 min cashes... So if your stack is moving to 15BBs or less you should widen your range and play with more risk.

It depends on what you care. If you want is ITM, then fold is a better strategy. If you want is to win, then all-in preflop to steal blind is an another strategy.

10-15BBs is time for wider shoving range, even if you don't get any action you're still gaining the blinds and antes.

It seems like you're play main aim is to min cash, I suggest playing a little more aggressive earlier to make deeper runs I. Tournaments as this is more profitable in the long run. But if you have no bank roll management and the min cash means a lot to your bankroll, maybe you should go down a level in the buy ins you play.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by WeenieSVK

If its bigger tournament, someone will be eliminated soon. If you already got into stage where you have less than 9bb, then its better to play it safe just to get mincash. But ideally you want to keep your stack bigger, so you have chance for running deep. You know, its better to score 1 or 2 big wins, than 10 min cashes... So if your stack is moving to 15BBs or less you should widen your range and play with more risk.

I think this is a false statement and is harmful to the player and his bankroll. After playing for one big win, you only increase the variance. You can lose hundreds of tournaments, pay hundreds of BI in the hope of taking the first place. But will your bankroll stand such a marathon?...

Don't be afraid to lose on bubble. Your main goal is to win (or to reach the final table in really big tournament), not to get 1-2 BI back. Play more aggressively and consider that others will frighten and lean on you with cards worse then usually.

Don't try to survive bubble. Pick up solid ranges and go for it. There are generally very good spots to double up as the bigger stacks tend to play very loose in the bubble to their fault.

Remember always "those who protect their stacks too much usually makes ITM, but rarely makes the big prizes". Yes, sometimes you'll bubble a tournament or a FT, but whrn this works out, you set yourself to play for much bigger prizes and payouts.

The strategy changes by how much of your BR is commited to the ITM or how big the payjumps are, or how flat or steep the payout structure is (flatter payouts, tighter you gotta be in the bubble, steeper payout structure, you gotta loosen up your game).

I think the only real spots where you have to play as a nit is where you have either in a sattie bubble (the flattest payout structure), or there are microstakes around the bubble, or you're over average stack but not quite big stack, where a 30-50Bb stack size is worth more than committing yourself to JJ-QQ and AQ+. I'm not sure about QQ, though. I THINK in faster blind structures you can't let go QQ in that 30-50 BB range in the vast majority of pre flop spots, including bubbles otherwise it probably makes virtually impossible to consistently get big wins, if you're ready to let go QQ value because of small payjumps. On slower blind speed it's less bad.

I dont also like open shoving big stacks. Risk outwheights reward imo. Pick solid ranges up and play the game.

Hmm this really seems to depend how many big blinds the next shortest stack player has etc.
If there are 2-3 players each with about 12B, seems likely that you can fold your way to min cash if that is your goal. If the next shortest stack is like 20BB, then you definitely need to be shoving wide, as you will need to double up to have any chance of cashing anyway.

go big or go home simple as that my friend.. dont get stuck in that situation.. dont be scare, if you lose then let it go.. if you win then say thanks to jesus..

Wait for a pair and go with all the chips if not, look for the better hand possible. You can wait for about 10 hands for that. Many players don´t wait until a good hand come and they are scared with they low level of chips, but I preffer wait and get better results being patient.

I think someones probably going to call when you are down to that stack. That's good and bad because you'll either double up or go home. If you start shoving a little earlier when you can make a dint in peoples stacks it's more likely you'll get folds all round unless you run into really good hands or a big stack with an ok hand.

Originally Posted by Andrew Popov

I think this is a false statement and is harmful to the player and his bankroll. After playing for one big win, you only increase the variance. You can lose hundreds of tournaments, pay hundreds of BI in the hope of taking the first place. But will your bankroll stand such a marathon?...

If you dont have sufficient bankroll then move down on smaller stakes or dont play MTTs until you have adequate bankroll for that... To change your playing strategy because of your bankroll is the worst thing you can do.

Originally Posted by WeenieSVK

If you dont have sufficient bankroll then move down on smaller stakes or dont play MTTs until you have adequate bankroll for that... To change your playing strategy because of your bankroll is the worst thing you can do.

Going to lower rates in MTT? But then the win in a cheap tournament will not pay off already paid expensive BI. This advice is also not too good, alas ...

Then it is understandable why 90% of the players play in the minus. Poker rooms are of course beneficial - because rake is always paid ...

Play to win big and not play just to be ITM.
If im the least stack and i get a good enough hand and in a good position, i would shove preflop to try and scare them tights and steal some blinds. If someone calls then thats the time to call on ladyluck.

Hi I think you should have started to steal more blind when you saw that the table was being passive and you saw that nobody wanted to see the flop, and in the bubble many times it is difficult because not only we will think that we should steal the blinds, More players trying to do this, that's why we should look for the player with the stack of chips more similar to ours and attack his blinds and if he responds our rise will have to act more aggressive and go all in and place it in a situation you or me, If you win you will have double the chips and you will have eliminated a rival, this has to do with hands of category 4 or better to have a little opportunity and that we are not who we lose. I hope you serve, good luck at the tables.

I'm not only trying to cash but cash big. 20BB I'm going to look for a spot soon to start shoving with a range of hands that's more open. 15BB I'm expanding that range even more. 10 BB it's "any two will do" at this point there is only "chip and a chair". I would definitely shove when there's more than one person in the pot. You're going to want to get as much value for your hand as you can. The more players in the pot then the less powerful those big pairs will be. I have been on or near the bubble more times than a bathtub. It's part of the game.

Originally Posted by Andrew Popov

Going to lower rates in MTT? But then the win in a cheap tournament will not pay off already paid expensive BI. This advice is also not too good, alas ...

Then it is understandable why 90% of the players play in the minus. Poker rooms are of course beneficial - because rake is always paid ...

Mate, what the hell are you talking about. Ofcourse in MTTs is the biggest variance. Thats why you should have at least 200BI if you want to play them. If you have like 30BI and you play them, you are just calling for trouble. And if your ultimate goal in every MTT is to mincash first and then with 10BB left after bubble hope for miracle, then you are done.

90% of players are in minus, cause they play bad abc poker, they dont know how to adjust during different stages of game, they dont know how to adjust to different types of opponents. They just play same hands same way. They are affraid to make a move (in right situation). And since only 10-15% of players get ITM in MTTs and mincash is not even doubling your buyin, ofcourse they will lose in long run.

Lets say that you will play 1000 MTTs. There will be 1000 participants on average. You can mincash in half of them (which is basically impossible cause of variance) and you would be still in minus... But if you will get couple of top5 places in those games, you can be big winner.

No professional MTT player is playing to mincash. They all play for win.

My friend, you did not understand me (my English is probably to blame). I mean, if closer to the bubble, the player has <10BB, then he should focus on surviving and getting ITM in this tournament to minimize his losses, since the game on the TOP-place failed. And even in this case nothing is lost. Literally a couple of weeks ago I played a tournament where I stayed with 160 chips in the middle of the game, but finished as a result second. Poker is not predictable. You have to wait for your card and do your game. The statement that you need to play very widely with a short stack on the bubble is not true, you will only become easy prey.

Originally Posted by Alucard

The topic says all.
Should I have been more timid or aggressive?

This all comes down to you as a player and what you think is more important in this situation.

If your goal is just to min cash, then tighten up and fold on the bubble until it breaks. Just know that just min-cashing might not be profitable for you in the long run (if you aren't cashing often enough). And if it is profitable, it probably won't worth the hours you're putting in each game. Especially if the goal is to build a BR and move up in stakes. Just focusing on min-cashing might not achieve that, or it might take a long time.

On the other hand, not even worrying about the bubble and looking to build a bigger stake for the later stages will have it's risk, but the overall reward is much greater. Giving up some value at the bubble in order to build a big stack for the final table is definitely worth the risk. And not even just on the bubble, but pre-bubble, too. Take risks and flip spots in order to build a big stack at the FT is definitely risky and but, again, the reward is much greater (in the long run) than just min-cashing.

Originally Posted by Andrew Popov

In this situation, it makes sense to just wait until someone else flies out. 9BB is enough to wait 15-20 hands.

Honestly, if you're just going to tight up and wait 20 hands in hopes the bubble breaks so you can just min-cash and maybe triple your buy-in, then proceed to play with no chips, you're better off just playing cash games.

Unless you like spending 3-4+ hours playing so you can pick up and extra 2-3 BIs. Or less.

check out an app called snap shove. This will tell you when and what to shove. Super powerful app and a must have for short stack play.

Originally Posted by TheNutz4You

check out an app called snap shove. This will tell you when and what to shove. Super powerful app and a must have for short stack play.

thanks. will check it out

The main problem is in question actually. I've already posted a couple of times that your aim in MTTs mustn't be to hit ITM. What you get, a possible double buyin? Anyways, if you find yourself in situation like that, you should play exactly how you did in this specific situation, ofc push with pocket sixes if you are under 10bb. You were unlucky tho, but around 50% for you to win the most important hand just isn't enough...bubble phase is where YOU take adventage over small stack, push them harder and you might finish at the FT more often.

If you were aiming for a min cash then I would have waited but I know the tourney you are talking about and they tighten up around the bubble. My advice would be to wait until the table folds to you preferably in later position and go all in with any hand down to 108o. It is a gamble and it is tough to pull the trigger but you have to make a move and if you wait too long the entire table just might call killing your chances even with AA. Good luck on the felts!

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SHERMSTICK

It was an unnecessary risk that you took ... you should have expected a strong hand like AA KK QQ AK to try to bend your stack ...