Hi Poker Friends!!

I've been having an issue with going very deep in 1k+ entry tournaments, but start to fall off after we make the money. I'm not sure if my play should change once I get so deep, but some insight would be helpful. I'm right there!!!

In large field MTTs you typically need to go back to a rather aggressive style, once the money bubble has burst. If for instance at that point its 150 players left, you are still very far from the final table, and getting the next payjump is typically not very important. So you need to get it there and battle, and of course most of the time this will result in you not reaching the final table. This is just the way, math works in those big fields.

Since I started playing on 888 Poker again back in may 2020, I have played a large number of their 5,5$ "big fish", which typically see 800-1.000 entries, and I have yet to make a final table. In their smaller field MTTs however I have made a bunch of final tables and also won several. Just this latest session I played 6 MTTs, and with several rebuys in some R+A events, I made it to the final 6 in two. Those however were events with around 100 players rather than 1.000. So frankly the best way to get more deep runs is to play in smaller fields.

I agree that you need to get back to an aggressive manner of playing after the bubble but I would add that you should pay attention to payouts and stacks. To start you'll see small stacks shoving with huge ranges because the next payout level is too far off for them to survive the blinds. If you're thinking of playing a hand near the bottom of your range you should think twice if a small stack is yet to play. IF you aren't prepared to call the shove fold preflop. As you get close to each pay jump you will find the medium stacks will tend to play conservative because they have the chips to reach the next pay level but are afraid to gamble that away, You can often get them to fold after the flop with a normal raise. Finally, avoid tangling with the big stacks unless you have a premium hand. In other words play a game that puts its focus on targeting players a lot more than you did earlier in the tournament.

Late in tournaments you need to not only be more aggressive but also open up your range a lot. There is a lot of money in the pot. I start to 2.5x a huge range of hands from 67s to J10, KQ, A8, ect. Really doesn't matter. I'm looking to play a lot of smaller pots, take a lot of blinds. Keep in mind, not looking to call raises with a lot of these hands, but I'm willing to bet these hands.

Get more active as the blinds and antes grow. You cashed, time to start playing for 1st, but you will never get there waiting for AA,KK .

Very much depends on the tourney structure, your stack size, when you reached the money, your opponents at your current table, their stacks and style. If you were doing well until the money, it is a bit easier, you can choose the short-stacks at the table and try to haunt down them even with weaker hands, as you will have the odds, at least, as it is common sense, I do it like this. If I am short-stack or at least under 15-20BB I try to choose the cards for playing what I think good for all-in, even if I just mini-raise, never fold for pre-flop raise, even on the flop try to pull in for all-in some opponents. Yes most of the time you relegate, but if you do not play you definitely relegate before FT - or wait for total monster hands. If you relegate mostly in the last 2-4 tables phase, then you probably keep up this style in that phase, too. In that time, I try to set back for tighter play, if I have enough chips, still stealing blinds, but rarely want to go all-in. Depends on tourneys, as you can't play it in a faster or turbo tourney, but in deep structures, 10+ minutes blinds, it is okay for me.

Of course, at least 10-15 times I relegate before FT, sometimes it is like 50+ ITM tourney, till I reach an FT again, but you play for FTs and top 3, at least me, especially if I am in the money, then the FT the target, then top 3. My problem is the heads-ups on the FTs, I lose 65-70% of those, and it is not because of variance, cards, as I have 200+ MTT heads-up, I am not good in that.

Recommend you, try to look at 200-300+ tourney, where you reached money, at least, probably more, there is a wild 'variance' in online poker, RNG, definitely wilder than in live poker. And take attention what tourneys you play, with what structures, try to select the best for you, and avoid the rest - I still can't do it all the time, and register for tourneys, what I know, I shouldn't.

Good luck!

Share your stat, if you have enough tourneys played for a real sample.

Originally Posted by karl coakley

Late in tournaments you need to not only be more aggressive but also open up your range a lot. There is a lot of money in the pot. I start to 2.5x a huge range of hands from 67s to J10, KQ, A8, ect. Really doesn't matter. I'm looking to play a lot of smaller pots, take a lot of blinds. Keep in mind, not looking to call raises with a lot of these hands, but I'm willing to bet these hands.

Get more active as the blinds and antes grow. You cashed, time to start playing for 1st, but you will never get there waiting for AA,KK .

Interesting thoughts.
How correct is this approach? I would like to hear the opinions of experienced online tournament players.

Originally Posted by fundiver199

Since I started playing on 888 Poker again back in may 2020, I have played a large number of their 5,5$ "big fish", which typically see 800-1.000 entries, and I have yet to make a final table. In their smaller field MTTs however I have made a bunch of final tables and also won several. Just this latest session I played 6 MTTs, and with several rebuys in some R+A events, I made it to the final 6 in two. Those however were events with around 100 players rather than 1.000. So frankly the best way to get more deep runs is to play in smaller fields.

Sometimes i also play these tournaments with tickets won in satellites. So far i have played about 5 tournaments. The best and only result of ITM is about $13.
Today i almost got into the TOP list at the second hour of the game )) But was not luck, an unlikely club flush came...

Today i decided to play a $200 daily freeroll along with the Big Fish tournament and went deep into it. And from Big Fish i was knocked out before ITM. The opposite would be better! )))
https://ibb.co/nDTvw2W

Originally Posted by gryphon3005

I agree that you need to get back to an aggressive manner of playing after the bubble but I would add that you should pay attention to payouts and stacks. To start you'll see small stacks shoving with huge ranges because the next payout level is too far off for them to survive the blinds. If you're thinking of playing a hand near the bottom of your range you should think twice if a small stack is yet to play. IF you aren't prepared to call the shove fold preflop. As you get close to each pay jump you will find the medium stacks will tend to play conservative because they have the chips to reach the next pay level but are afraid to gamble that away, You can often get them to fold after the flop with a normal raise. Finally, avoid tangling with the big stacks unless you have a premium hand. In other words play a game that puts its focus on targeting players a lot more than you did earlier in the tournament.

I think it's better to be aggressive before the bubble bursts. You can grab a lot chips for free as everybody is playing tight. When you are in the first third of the field when the bubble bursts, you can relax and watch all these small stacks go all in 4, 5 or 6-handed. Stay away from that battles and wait to take the chips from the winner.