Can't win! Pls help..

[mantheman]

Guys - Need some help. I'm playing PS $4/180s and am now FTing pretty regularly. I've managed to move from being a pure donk to a somewhat profitable (small stake) poker player. Problem is - I can't win anything I play in!

I usually play just one SnG a day as that's all I can manage (demanding job, two kids and a wife who deserves more time from me than I give her). Over the last few days, I've placed 5nd, 6th and 7th, but am usually pretty shortstacked at this point and just have to push with any two. How do you guys manage to keep up the chip stack at the FT? Some general ideas from you regular winners (Ilikeaces, johnny_fish, etc.) would be much appreciated!

I've already read just about every post out there (FTR, 2+2, P5, etc.) and most of the books (HoHs, SS2, NLHETP, etc.) as I'm trying to improve my game!

Should add - PT tells me I'm at 27/15.. too loose?

[Sprayed]

Your stats are fine. Take advantage of the bubble and don't be afraid to be bubble boy.

[jyms]

I'm not the best poker player or MTT player to give advice, but from all the conversations around here, It's not won on the final table. As you stated, your short stacked when you get there. You need to take bigger risks for the big stack in the middle and latter stages. You want to win, Play to win, not to ITM.

[mantheman]

I'm proud to report that I bubbled out of the $4/180 today (well, close.. 20th and 18 pay).

Also, I now hate AQ. My AA drew with AQ, my AQ lost to AT and my other AQ lost to KQ in the final hand. Beeyatch!

POKERSTARS GAME #7744865061: TOURNAMENT #39598032, $4.00+$0.40 HOLD'EM NO LIMIT - LEVEL III (25/50) - 2007/01/03 - 11:55:22 (ET)
Table '39598032 17' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: Mantheman (4120 in chips)
Seat 3: MikevynDyk (4695 in chips)
Seat 4: root74 (4065 in chips)
Seat 5: eddykgb84 (4240 in chips)
Seat 6: 2Twinz (4075 in chips)
Seat 7: amicable1 (4095 in chips)
Seat 8: Pepelinho (3860 in chips)
Seat 9: chute33 (1375 in chips)
2Twinz: posts small blind 25
amicable1: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Mantheman [Ad As]
Pepelinho: folds
chute33: folds
Mantheman: raises 150 to 200
MikevynDyk: folds
root74: folds
eddykgb84: raises 1050 to 1250
2Twinz: folds
amicable1: folds
Mantheman: raises 2870 to 4120 and is all-in
eddykgb84: calls 2870
therevs1 is connected
*** FLOP *** [7h 3h Kh]
*** TURN *** [7h 3h Kh] [8h]
*** RIVER *** [7h 3h Kh 8h] [2h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Mantheman: shows [Ad As] (a flush, King high)
eddykgb84: shows [Ac Qc] (a flush, King high)
amicable1 said, "lol"
Mantheman collected 4158 from pot
eddykgb84 collected 4157 from pot
MikevynDyk said, "lol"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 8315 | Rake 0
Board [7h 3h Kh 8h 2h]
Seat 1: Mantheman showed [Ad As] and won (4158) with a flush, King high
Seat 3: MikevynDyk folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: root74 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: eddykgb84 (button) showed [Ac Qc] and won (4157) with a flush, King high
Seat 6: 2Twinz (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: amicable1 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: Pepelinho folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: chute33 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

[Ad Finem]

What type of stack do you usually find yourself sitting at when the bubble comes around?

What about the bubble for the final table?

[mantheman]

At the bubble I'm usually just outside the top 10, pretty comfortable but not enough chips to win the SnG without making some moves. By the time we get to the FT I'm usually one of the smaller stacks, nowhere near the leader, and end up pushing any two at some point when my M dictates.

[StageWhisper]

I'm with you on that...AQ has been a bitch to me since the day I started playing. Fold Pre.