Chip leader strategy

[troma]

Does your strategy change when you become the chips leader?
Are you systematically becoming more agressive in your betting?

 

[mariale_1990]

In my case I can't always play aggressively at that point, to play aggressively you have to do it well, it's not playing just to play, I play aggressively when I feel like I should play that way, when I think I have the opportunity but I try to be more careful and try use all my patience

 

[SomeRandomDude]

I used to try and be the bigstack bully and aim for a lot of blindstealing and folds...It generally did not work out in the long run. Now I defend my stack more than attack, I still like to raise and 3bet a bit higher than needed though..

 

[mattiebumpo]

Stay playing your game, but be willing to widen your range a bit more in position.

 

[emgesi]

This is how you become a chip leader with aggressive play and control over aggression 🙂🙂🙂

 

[markdias]

As a chip leader, I become more aggressive, especially close to the bubble, I can collect a lot of chips during this period!

 

[kaynbergo]

When I have the biggest stack at the table and allow myself to open many more hands, but at the same time I don't play aggressively, with aggression and weak hands, I can quickly stop being a chip leader

 

[Leandro6803]

Yes, I'm more aggressive at the table and I'm going to open more speculative hands and I'm going to pay more in position to see the flop.

But I've seen a lot of players throwing their chips in the trash, going crazy aggressive, it's really bad, especially at a final or semi-final table.

 

[_420_420_]

Optimally you want to leverage your chips to make some moves on people, depending on where you are in the tournament. A good way to do this is by doing squeeze plays when you sense weakness. Also it lets you make a few speculative calls to float people.
But you must balance this with the ICM value of your chips, and remember that as the blinds go up your advantage depreciates.

 

[pentazepam]

In a normal MTT with a top-heavy prize structure stealing and upping the aggression against smaller stacks are often the easiest way to accumulate even more chips when you are the chip leader. At least if they do not fight back as often as they should.

Satellite MTTs are an exception since you at some point often can stop playing and not take any risk at all - even with AA.

If the payout structure is very flat it can sometimes also be correct to take fewer risks with marginal hands unless you spot a weak player in the blinds.