What is the best strategy for the final stretch of a tournament?

MikeCarasone

MikeCarasone

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what is the best strategy for the final stretch of a tournament?

I am definitely following this discussion. Seems like no matter what I do I am cursed at the end stages of any big tournament or hand. I know it’s variance but it never seems to end lol. I often get tense, hesitant, and tighten up due to the fact that every big hand I am in never seems to go in my direction. I have gotten deep many times only to face an all in and my AA , KK, QQ and AK (seems like I am cursed by AK, if I have it it fails and facing it with JJ-KK always flop or river the ace lol)seem to get sucked out on. Variance hurts lol. Obviously I’m happy to go deep but most tournaments are so top heavy that 10-27 aren’t paying much. I try to avoid big pots because of this awful run in these bigger hands. But I don’t think folding to bigger shoves preflop is plus EV. Hoping to learn to be better in end game strategy so I have a better stack and can absorb some of those shoves instead of being eliminated or crippled. This is a great topic and I hope some of the more advanced players offer some good insight.
 
Katie Dozier

Katie Dozier

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Sometimes I hate that the answer to almost every poker question begins with “it depends” but in this case that’s perhaps even more true than normal.

Late in a tournament, ICM becomes very important. ICM dictates that our ranges should tend to widen when we’re the ones applying the pressure to other player’s stacks, and to tighten when our stack is being the one that’s threatened.

In general that will mean that we should loosen up when we’re the big stack in order to apply pressure, and tighten as a mid-stack as we face the biggest ICM tax for going broke in this scenario. We’re the least effected as the short stack and should be on a wide range (assuming standard stack depths for late) because we’re short and therefore most likely to bust next anyway.

Hope this helps! :)
 
AizenFalck

AizenFalck

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As Katie says, there is nothing truer, it all depends on the stack you have, if it is large you will play loose if it is medium or small you will play tighter, it all depends on that, it also depends on the number of players left in the tournament and on the players at your table, how many with more stack than you and how many with less.
 
nikolaevich87

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Hello! Thanks for the advice !
 
manzanillo53

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You can not say either or, it depends on how the others are playing. You play different for each situation. I just won a tournament yesterday and had to play different depending on the people in the pot. Mind you it was my first win in quite some time. So I am no expert.
 
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praevus

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Better answer is depend.
I like play tight but sometimes is better play loose.
Depend yor stack, how your table play and many other things.
 
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dorynel7

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I like play tight but sometimes is better play loose and play very agressive but depends of your stack, how your table play. Many players in the late tournament play tight, but me i like to play agressive put the presure on players with the good hands. Best of look!
 
roger perkins

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I agree with Katie but I also like to see what the ITM players are doing. A lot of times right after the bubble players get really crazy and you will see all ins with 3 or 4 calls. When people are reckless I sometimes just sit back and let other make the mistakes. I pound the very premium hands but if I have a fair stack I might watch as other eliminate themselves.
 
Katie Dozier

Katie Dozier

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I agree with Katie but I also like to see what the ITM players are doing.

Thanks and I like your point about making sure to adjust to how the other players are behaving as well! :)
 
nuttea

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In the late phase, it is very important that you enter the game first, and as tight a player as possible is sitting in the big blind. These factors are much more important than the cards that are in your hands. Therefore, we will not give standard charts for this and later stages: almost all the decisions that you make in this stage are opponent-dependent. This does not mean that you need to play something like 64 from an early position. You must still adhere to certain standards, as After you are still sitting a lot of players. In the late stage, drawing small pockets and low suited connectors is even less profitable than in the middle. Avoid entering the bank with such hands if someone has already entered it.
The button and the small blind are a completely different matter. If no one has entered the game before you, and the blinds are passive and do not want to enter the game with marginal hands, you should raise almost 100% of your hands. Do this until the blinds start to resist on a regular basis. Single cases of reraises do not count - they will also sometimes have a good card. Postflop play at this stage is absent as a class. If you are on the flop, the decision is very simple: there is a top pair or higher - all-in, no - fold. If you are styled and you are called, then, as a preflop aggressor, you can go all-in with a second pair and above, as well as a flash draw.
Reduce preflop raises to 2.5 big blinds if you haven't already. Raising a size lower is not recommended. At higher stakes, playing with a mini-raise is a common occurrence, but at micro stakes this is usually mistaken for weakness.
 
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LuisBoaC

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As everyone else has mentioned... it depends!
But I just wanted to say, your question makes it sound like you have two strategies: loose or tight, that you switch between after periods of time. You need to be a lot more fluid than this, consider your strategy for every hand, depending on position, opponents, stack, etc, etc.
 
tihomir_kula

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The best strategy-it you have good cards, Just play!
 
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