I SUCK ON THE BUBBLE!

[wannabe]

I really need help around the bubble and final tables. The past month or so I've made it to the bubble and final table a lot more compared to my usual standards thanks to Arnold Snyder's book.

I've squeaked through to the money a couple of times, gone out on the bubble a few times and gone out early on the final table a couple of times.

I think I know where I'm going wrong with some of it, like for example the last 2 times I've made it to the bubble (which was also the final table) I've gone ultra passive with a low M not pushing with hands that I would normally push with. This was because on a previous occasion I followed arnold's advise to the letter and just pushed all in, late position with a mediocre hand against two big stacks sitting behind me when I was first in and sitting with about 15BB's. I think I could of waited for a better situation as there were a lot of tiny desperate stacks still playing passively and waiting for good hands. Anyway, this part of my game I think I can fix from learning from my mistakes and trial and error. But I do have some specific questions as to what you would do in the these particular situations if you were on the bubble or final table.

1) Say you were 3rd in chips on the final table, just moved there and had no reads. You have about 18 BB's and first in late position with KJ offsuit and the small and BB are big stacks. What's your move preflop?

2) Your on the bubble in middle position (which is also the final table) on a tight passive table trying who are all desperate to make it to the money. You have $7500 in chips and blinds are 500/1000. 9 players left your in 4th place but the small stacks are not far behind you in chips. The big stacks are quite tight but the one UTG has been caught raising with mediocre hands. UTG raises to $3500. I look down and see 77. All in or fold?

3) If on the bubble and short stacked with less than 10BB's. Regardless of read of table in a fast tournament should I just be going all in with any ace or king even with another raiser and any number of callers like arnold suggests?

4)Finally has anyone got any advise on playing on the bubble and final table? Or can anyone point me to a good article or post?

Please help!!

[Sprayed]

I have read this book and I believe it is good for demonstrating how to play as a LAG. But, as it gets late in a tourney some of the advice is hokey IMO. You can't just play as a robot and follow a specific strategy. You have to be flexible and switch up your play depending upon how the table is playing.

In order to understand the bubble, my advice would be to play a lot of SNGs and get some one of the SNGs tools like SNG Power Tools (SNGPT). It will explain to you when you should be going all in depending upon ICM and stuff.

As a short stack say around 10bbs you should be looking to open shove with any two from the BU or the SB. However, it also depends upon how big the stacks are to your left and how loose of a caller they are. With 10bbs you're not dead just yet and you can be selective on the hands that you want to push.

If you are below 10bbs when folded to you in the BU or the SB like 7-5bbs then it doesn't matter and you should shove any two. In any other position when 10bbs, you have to be more selective because you are going through more players. The less players that you have to go through, the wider range you can shove. If you find yourself UTG with 5bbs, my suggestion is to shove any two. This is because you will be going through the blinds and you will loose fold equity (FE).

Snyder suggests that you shove all in when around 20bbs. I think that this is unnecessary. When close to 15bbs you should be looking to shove over raisers from LP or the blinds for a resteal. This is really effective when the raiser has 20-10 bbs. It is difficult for them to call. With that said, I would rather that you standard raise when 20-15bbs than shove when folded to you with decent hands. Look for hands that you don't mind calling an all in. This is because the better players will be trying to resteal you with a shove over your raise.

As a big stack on the bubble, you can almost raise at will. Try to attack the medium stacks when they are in the blinds. If you see a medium stack trying to steal when you are a big stack in LP or the blinds just reraise him.

To answer your questions, Q1 you could standard raise but if the big stacks are aggressive and tend to know what they are doing they will shove you. Probably best to just fold. Q2 I shove all in. Q3 and 4, refer to my comments above.

This article applies to SNGs but I believe it is also helpful for MTTs.

http://www.pocketfives.com/D91C4382-...4BECA917C.aspx