Hey guys.
I was playing a 3.30 dolar MTT 4.500 players and only 25 left.
As my BR is not a big one. My goal was to earn as much as I can..
but as we aproach de FT, I was going shorter and shorter cause I started to play very tight.
I made de FT. but only with 3 blind.
My question is:
Is this cenario, you think was better to risk some hands or just stay focus on the payjump?
thanks

A lot of the money in MTTs comes from finishing in top 3, so you need to play in a way, which allow for that to happen even at the cost of sometimes missing a small payjump.

Depends of many factors ,definetly you should risk and call/push some marginal hands if you want to make top spots , but sometimes you are just card dead and you cant do nothing about it ..

Most of the pay jumps from 27 to maybe even 7 or so are usually not that large with most money going to the top 3. I think the best thing you could have done in this situation based on the info you provided was play tight until you got to 12 BBs or so and then tell yourself you are playing push/fold. Have a group of hands in your mind maybe A10+, 77+ etc. (I am not saying that is my push range but just saying to have a range in your head) and then just react to the cards you get. Anything that meets your range you will push and anything that doesnt you will fold. Try to be the first one in the pot jamming and not be the caller and then see how the cards fall. The nice thing about push fold is that you should feel less pressure. There will only be one decision per hand and you just make it and go. If you do not do this you will do what happened which is maybe make it farther than you would playing push/fold but you will not have a chance of getting big money.

I think it depends on your hands, if there is nothing at all, of course it is worth sitting until the end when possible, but if you have the opportunity to do all in, with AQ+ or AJo or a good high pair, I think it is not worth throwing out such a hand. Your result is good, if your level is high, you need to fight for the highest places and luck will come to you after your next risk for all in, and you can get a lot more than just sit and wait for the chips to go to the blinds..

Originally Posted by 300HPGOD

Most of the pay jumps from 27 to maybe even 7 or so are usually not that large with most money going to the top 3. I think the best thing you could have done in this situation based on the info you provided was play tight until you got to 12 BBs or so and then tell yourself you are playing push/fold. Have a group of hands in your mind maybe A10+, 77+ etc. (I am not saying that is my push range but just saying to have a range in your head) and then just react to the cards you get. Anything that meets your range you will push and anything that doesnt you will fold. Try to be the first one in the pot jamming and not be the caller and then see how the cards fall. The nice thing about push fold is that you should feel less pressure. There will only be one decision per hand and you just make it and go. If you do not do this you will do what happened which is maybe make it farther than you would playing push/fold but you will not have a chance of getting big money.

This is pretty much it. If you are not picking up any hands, its fine to just fold and watch other players around you bust, which might give you some small payjumps. But when your stack gets down to those around 12BB, you need to constantly be looking for spots to get it in and gamble for your tournament life.

And as you say, it can almost be a relief, because you cant really make any big mistakes with a short stack, if you just somewhat know your push-fold ranges. If someone calls you with a better hand and hold, or if they "suck out on you", it just it, what it is, and you move on to the next tournament. It very rare, that you can finish in top 3 without winning multible "flips" along the way.

[QUOTE=ptracco;5722851]Hey guys.
I was playing a 3.30 dolar MTT 4.500 players and only 25 left.
As my BR is not a big one. My goal was to earn as much as I can..
but as we aproach de FT, I was going shorter and shorter cause I started to play very tight.
I made de FT. but only with 3 blind.
My question is:
Is this cenario, you think was better to risk some hands or just stay focus on the payjump?
thanks[I think that when you are in prize you have to risk more and open the range a little and that hand will arrive that will give you the chance to double up and reach the final table (or leave the tournament), the important thing for me is always to try to stay Among the first 3, which is where the money is and if you don't risk you won't be a long-term winner, that's my opinion. Everything changes if you are playing off the bench and you arrived by satellite where any prize favorably impacts your bank there if I would play to climb at least the first time afterwards if I would risk in the future, luck!]

In my opinion , if you have a decent stack before final table ( 25-40bb stack) you should increase your stack and put a lot of presure on short stack players . If you have like 10-15 bb you should wait for good spots and ship it . But yoi should never fold into the final table and then reach the final table with 3bb cuz money is top 3 .

ok it was worth it in this case because you could be among the top three but after I am ITM I start to risk a little more but precisely for that to try to win the tournament or the first places

I think you did everything right then, if your targer was to get as much as you can, but not mustly win

Originally Posted by ptracco

Hey guys.
I was playing a 3.30 dolar MTT 4.500 players and only 25 left.
As my BR is not a big one. My goal was to earn as much as I can..
but as we aproach de FT, I was going shorter and shorter cause I started to play very tight.
I made de FT. but only with 3 blind.
My question is:
Is this cenario, you think was better to risk some hands or just stay focus on the payjump?
thanks

This is a discussion on playing for the short term vs playing for the long term. In the short term, the money might help you now. In the long-term, tightening up and now going for the win is an EV-negative play.

Sounds like you achieved your goal, but make sure you don't fall into bad habits.

Originally Posted by ptracco

Hey guys.
I was playing a 3.30 dolar MTT 4.500 players and only 25 left.
As my BR is not a big one. My goal was to earn as much as I can..
but as we aproach de FT, I was going shorter and shorter cause I started to play very tight.
I made de FT. but only with 3 blind.
My question is:
Is this cenario, you think was better to risk some hands or just stay focus on the payjump?
thanks

Good day!
Of course, when there are 25 people left and the final table is very close, you need to play carefully to get to the final table where the biggest prize money is. However, you need to adjust to the dynamics of the game at the table and make sometimes risky decisions. You need to understand that, for example, the table chip leader will open wide and try to push everyone else. Are you short stacked? No problem! Play push or fold strategy! Fortunately, there are a lot of charts (which will naturally help) on the Internet
We all want to earn as much as possible! Poker is a game of skill, as one pro gambler says, but luck shouldn't be forgotten!

FUNDIVER and 300HPGOD are bang on with their advice. When your shove works and you add to your stack your move puts a lot of pressure on the smaller stacks. You will sometimes see them try the same strategy but because of the pressure to make a move they will use a wider range than you did. They'll crash and lose their stack while you sit back and watch. So sometimes using a oush fold strategy can produce added dividends.

until the FT you need to still play good solid poker. Nutting it up with 3 tables to go will not do you very much good since you will be relying on the run of the cards - or luck of the draw - instead of playing a good strategy - which involves a skill edge. 20bb stacks aren't too difficult to play - you either have alot of open folds, raise-folds, raise-call offs - or raise-rejams. Basically - you are either getting it in preflop or not - and if you get to the flop, play accordingly and use dynamic bet sizings - no need to bet half of a 6bb pot when you have 14bb behind after a raise and call preflop - if you are cbetting because the board has hit your range better than your opponents and are targeting bare hi card combos -- then 1/4 pot in those scenarios works pretty well. Point is when we do get raised or called and have to shut down - we lose much less. So - play well - win pots you are not supposed to win, chip up when you find the right moments - picking up the blinds and antes when you are on 15bb or less can be huuuuge for you as things move on.

I under focusing on wanting to maximize your return on this tournament -- but its going to be tough for you to win coming into the FT with 3bb - so set yourself up to win! I don't change strategy very much at all until the FT comes. Players tighten up near that bubble and I print moneyby keeping my foot on the gas while they are overfolding.

In conclusion - don't tighten up so soon- set yourself up to win - and when you do make the FT then you will have a chance to make the most of it!

I don't think folding down to 3 big blinds should really ever happen.

Don't concern yourself so much with making the tiny pay-jumps.

Instead work on maintaining and growing your stack with well-timed aggression against loose openers and steals against tight players.

The players that make more deep runs and put themselves in position for big money finishes have more profit at the end of the year than the min-cashers and pay-jump chasers.

Good luck!

You said you don’t have big bankroll, and you decide to take much money as you can. There is your answer. You did everything right. You are on the final table and I think you should be satisfied. Even with 3BB, with little luck, you can finish in the top 3 spots. Yes, with a little bit looser play, and push-fold strategy you could have bigger stack, but also can finish earlier you tournament life. So it’s all on you, what strategy will you implement. My thinking is, in your situation I will do the same, take much as I can, and bild my bankroll that I can play how ever I want.

Originally Posted by ptracco

Hey guys.
I was playing a 3.30 dolar MTT 4.500 players and only 25 left.
As my BR is not a big one. My goal was to earn as much as I can..
but as we aproach de FT, I was going shorter and shorter cause I started to play very tight.
I made de FT. but only with 3 blind.
My question is:
Is this cenario, you think was better to risk some hands or just stay focus on the payjump?
thanks

to risk some hands, and in fact it also depends, in my case I always want to get first so I will risk some hands, but it depends on you .... if you got to a point in the tournament and realized that the best thing to do was to move up , so he did it right, but the best option is to play to win .... if he gets eliminated it happens and let the next one come !! : D

It depends...When I don't know what to say, I say this: "it depends" . I learn that from the forums. But yes, "it depends". Depends on your hand. You can do some other things, you can use "tanking", you can look at the other tables. Do they play fast and aggro. How the big stacks see this situation. Are they play loose or tight...ICM...This all is "ICM".

thanks so much to all you guys... really!!!!
GL to us all

Originally Posted by Jon Poker

I don't change strategy very much at all until the FT comes. Players tighten up near that bubble and I print money by keeping my foot on the gas while they are overfolding.

I think, it depends on the structure. In MTTs on 888 Poker the min-cash is usually fairly significant, but after that the payjumps are small, until you get down to the final 6 or 7. So if 15 places pay, it is kind of important to not always be the guy, who goes out as 16-18 and lets someone with almost no chips cash instead.

When the bubble has burst however, ICM-pressure becomes much lower, until you are down to those 6-7 players, and that is then the time to take on some more risks again. Of course it also depends on your stack size. If you have a big stack, then by all means use it to bully smaller stacks near the bubble. But if not I tend to do quite a bit of stalling near the bubble, and I also take off some of the most marginal spots. This is not the time, I want to make some light rejam with KJs and get snapped off by AK.

If on the other hand we are talking about something like a 180 man SnG on PokerStars, then places 19-27 basically just get their money back, while the winner gets almost 50 times his money back. And in such a format the bubble really does not matter much. You need to keep your foot on the gas until the final table and even a little bit there as well, since only top 3 really matter in the long run.

I will slightly disagree with the members above. You need to stay tight in early position, and even tighter when facing an open. If it is folded to you in CO or Button, you can open up your range. But understand that the lower your stack, the more likely someone will call your shove. And under 10BB is shove or fold.

Once you are under 5BB, you will almost always get called. Wait for a hand to double up. This can be Ax, any pair, or even Broadways. From early position, AJ+, 77+, and suited broadways are sometimes good.

It gets frustrating waiting for a good hand once the cards go dead. Just keep watching the others get knocked out, and wait for playable cards. If you can win one set of blinds and antes each round, you can stay in the game forever.

I think you need to choose a tight style at the beginning of the game, a tight-aggressive style of play in the middle and late stages of the tournament.

Originally Posted by ptracco

Hey guys.
I was playing a 3.30 dolar MTT 4.500 players and only 25 left.
As my BR is not a big one. My goal was to earn as much as I can..
but as we aproach de FT, I was going shorter and shorter cause I started to play very tight.
I made de FT. but only with 3 blind.
My question is:
Is this cenario, you think was better to risk some hands or just stay focus on the payjump?
thanks

for me, the usual retention of my position in MTT is always in the first place, and we all come up to 1 place over time