I become weak/passive as a middle stack on the bubble, HELP!

[RHCNNN]

Ok, I am playing $5-$10 SnGs typically and I have worked out a pretty nice style for the first half of the game. It's not only playing top tier hands tight/aggro... but that's a whole different topic. Neither is my style loose/aggro "build up a big stack or bust" either, it usually results in me being a big stack all the way to the money, or I'm a middle stack and get stuck at the bubble.
Now, when I have a big stack I am pretty competent and able to bully people, make power plays based on position, stack sizes, table image etc. But when I'm a middle stack I play completely different.
I know that playing as a middle stack warrants a somewhat different style of play than a big stack, but my problem is that I play completely weak/passive, and basically NEED to catch cards to make it past the bubble to the money if I'm a middle/low stack.

What kind of things do I need to consider when playing as a middle stack at the bubble? What opportunities should I look for to pick up chips without showdowns? Because so far my attitude at the bubble is weak/passive because my reasoning is that if I raise preflop with this junk and get called on the flop then I've just lost about 1/4 of my stack (since blinds are probably pretty high) for nothing... and I make myself wait hoping the next hand I get dealt is better. I know this isn't the winning philosophy.

So any words of wisdom...?

[drmcboy]

Personally my strat is to ignore the bubble.

Generally if I'm at 6x big blind or less I figure I'm basically in AI or fold mode - at the high end of that range I might consider limping once if the pot odds are good.

So if I'm at 10x, I figure I can try one steal, which if successful mostly pays for the next steal, etc. If it fails (get re raised or miss flop) you're done and in AI mode.

About the only other difference to me between medium and small stacks is if a big stack steal raises and you move in you have a chance of folding him out, where as the small stacks are usually getting called. Other than that it's pretty much the same. Said another way a small stack is going to have to double up to win, with some luck a middle stack can maybe pick up enough pots to become a big stack without showing down. If there is one uber stack and everyone else is getting pushed around, you can try pushing back... the big stack shouldn't want to mess with you... but again the risk here is that you bubble out, and it sounds like that is a concern for you.

I'm not sure I'm answering your question, but I don't know if I really understand it. If you want to play weak passive, the only thing that's going to get you chips are cards... if you don't want to play weak/passive... don't! Just ignore the fact that next man out doesn't get paid and start taking advantage of everyone who IS worried about it. Usually tight players will get even tighter at this stage, so you need to give them more respect, otherwise I think changing the way you play is a bad idea.

Having said all that don't give away money - Maybe you'd ordinarily make a move with your KQs with 4 left as the third stack at the table and a limp in front, but if the small stack is going to be AI in the blind, it's better to wait. Beyond unique situations like that I say get in there and mix it up.

Whenever I catch myself playing to get ITM, it's usually a sign I'm playing above my BR and thinking "Man, I need to at least get my money back here, this is a XXX $ tourney!"

[SnoT_III]

I think that most people start to be a little more conservative once ITM is so close. I would try to raise 1 bet when the tightest player at the table is in the BB. Just because you get called when you try to steal the blinds doesn't mean you automatically lose that money. Test their hand again on the flop if they check to you.