Raping the bubble

[DoanDiggy]

I'm really working to improve my bubble play. Did I mostly do this right?

-----Hand 17-----
Heros M = 37.67
PokerStars Game #22973951538: Tournament #127450012, $1.00+$0.20 Holdem No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/12/16 14:05:16 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 127450012 1 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: The SkullGod (3425 in chips)
Seat 2: GAM1st (2395 in chips)
Seat 5: JS CoffeeMan (2030 in chips)
Seat 9: Hero (5650 in chips)
The SkullGod: posts small blind 50
GAM1st: posts big blind 100
Preflop: Hero dealt 9 9
JS CoffeeMan: folds
Hero: raises 5550 to 5650 and is all-in
The SkullGod: folds
GAM1st: folds
Uncalled bet (5550) returned to Hero
Hero collected 250 from pot



-----Hand 18-----
Heros M = 38.67
PokerStars Game #22973966173: Tournament #127450012, $1.00+$0.20 Holdem No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/12/16 14:05:45 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 127450012 1 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: The SkullGod (3375 in chips)
Seat 2: GAM1st (2295 in chips)
Seat 5: JS CoffeeMan (2030 in chips)
Seat 9: Hero (5800 in chips)
GAM1st: posts small blind 50
JS CoffeeMan: posts big blind 100
Preflop: Hero dealt 7 A
Hero: raises 5700 to 5800 and is all-in
The SkullGod: folds
GAM1st: folds
JS CoffeeMan: folds
Uncalled bet (5700) returned to Hero
Hero collected 250 from pot


5 Q BB (Folded to Hero.)

-----Hand 19-----
Heros M = 40.00
PokerStars Game #22973982625: Tournament #127450012, $1.00+$0.20 Holdem No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/12/16 14:06:17 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 127450012 1 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: The SkullGod (3375 in chips)
Seat 2: GAM1st (2245 in chips)
Seat 5: JS CoffeeMan (1880 in chips)
Seat 9: Hero (6000 in chips)
Hero: posts small blind 50
The SkullGod: posts big blind 100
Preflop: Hero dealt 5 8
GAM1st: folds
JS CoffeeMan: folds
Hero: raises 200 to 300
The SkullGod: folds
Uncalled bet (200) returned to Hero
Hero collected 200 from pot
Hero: doesnt show hand



-----Hand 20-----
Heros M = 40.67
PokerStars Game #22974005760: Tournament #127450012, $1.00+$0.20 Holdem No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/12/16 14:07:02 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 127450012 1 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: The SkullGod (3275 in chips)
Seat 2: GAM1st (2245 in chips)
Seat 5: JS CoffeeMan (1880 in chips)
Seat 9: Hero (6100 in chips)
The SkullGod: posts small blind 50
GAM1st: posts big blind 100
Preflop: Hero dealt 5 J
JS CoffeeMan: folds
Hero: raises 6000 to 6100 and is all-in
The SkullGod: folds
GAM1st: folds
Uncalled bet (6000) returned to Hero
Hero collected 250 from pot
Hero: doesnt show hand



-----Hand 21-----
Heros M = 41.67
PokerStars Game #22974015072: Tournament #127450012, $1.00+$0.20 Holdem No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/12/16 14:07:21 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 127450012 1 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: The SkullGod (3225 in chips)
Seat 2: GAM1st (2145 in chips)
Seat 5: JS CoffeeMan (1880 in chips)
Seat 9: Hero (6250 in chips)
GAM1st: posts small blind 50
JS CoffeeMan: posts big blind 100
Preflop: Hero dealt Q 6
Hero: raises 6150 to 6250 and is all-in
The SkullGod: folds
GAM1st: folds
JS CoffeeMan: folds
Uncalled bet (6150) returned to Hero
Hero collected 250 from pot
Hero: doesnt show hand



-----Hand 22-----
Heros M = 42.67
PokerStars Game #22974026256: Tournament #127450012, $1.00+$0.20 Holdem No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/12/16 14:07:43 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 127450012 1 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: The SkullGod (3225 in chips)
Seat 2: GAM1st (2095 in chips)
Seat 5: JS CoffeeMan (1780 in chips)
Seat 9: Hero (6400 in chips)
JS CoffeeMan: posts small blind 50
Hero: posts big blind 100
Preflop: Hero dealt K 2
The SkullGod: calls 100
GAM1st: folds
JS CoffeeMan: calls 50
Hero: checks
Flop: Q T Q
JS CoffeeMan: bets 100
Hero: folds
The SkullGod: calls 100
Turn: 5
JS CoffeeMan: bets 100
The SkullGod: calls 100
River: 5
JS CoffeeMan: bets 100
The SkullGod: calls 100
Showdown:
JS CoffeeMan: shows J T (two pair, Queens and Tens)
The SkullGod: mucks hand
JS CoffeeMan collected 900 from pot


6 9 SB (M = 42.00; c+r+F)

-----Hand 23-----
Heros M = 41.67
PokerStars Game #22974057714: Tournament #127450012, $1.00+$0.20 Holdem No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/12/16 14:08:45 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 127450012 1 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: The SkullGod (2725 in chips)
Seat 2: GAM1st (2545 in chips)
Seat 5: JS CoffeeMan (1980 in chips)
Seat 9: Hero (6250 in chips)
The SkullGod: posts small blind 50
GAM1st: posts big blind 100
Preflop: Hero dealt K 6
JS CoffeeMan: folds
Hero: raises 6150 to 6250 and is all-in
The SkullGod: folds
GAM1st: calls 2445 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (3705) returned to Hero
Flop: 7 3 5
Turn: 7
River: 6
Showdown:
GAM1st: shows 5 A (two pair, Sevens and Fives)
Hero: shows K 6 (two pair, Sevens and Sixes)
Hero collected 5140 from pot


5 6 BB (Folded to Hero.)


When the bubble popped, I got pretty lucky to pick up this hand:


-----Hand 24-----
Heros M = 59.30
PokerStars Game #22974076777: Tournament #127450012, $1.00+$0.20 Holdem No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/12/16 14:09:23 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 127450012 1 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: The SkullGod (2675 in chips)
Seat 5: JS CoffeeMan (1930 in chips)
Seat 9: Hero (8895 in chips)
Hero: posts small blind 50
The SkullGod: posts big blind 100
Preflop: Hero dealt A K
JS CoffeeMan: folds
Hero: raises 200 to 300
The SkullGod: raises 200 to 500
Hero: raises 8395 to 8895 and is all-in
The SkullGod: calls 2175 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (6220) returned to Hero
Flop: A 2 3
Turn: T
River: T
Showdown:
Hero: shows A K (two pair, Aces and Tens)
The SkullGod: shows J Q (a pair of Tens)
Hero collected 5350 from pot


Not too sure about the last hand (the very next one), but at the time I thought a shove was in order.


-----Hand 25-----
Heros M = 51.42
PokerStars Game #22974108069: Tournament #127450012, $1.00+$0.20 Holdem No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/12/16 14:10:25 ET
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from http://www.FlopTurnRiver.com
Table 127450012 1 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 5: JS CoffeeMan (1930 in chips)
Seat 9: Hero (11570 in chips)
Hero: posts small blind 75
JS CoffeeMan: posts big blind 150
Preflop: Hero dealt 3 K
Hero: raises 11420 to 11570 and is all-in
JS CoffeeMan: calls 1780 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (9640) returned to Hero
Flop: Q 9 2
Turn: 9
River: Q
Showdown:
JS CoffeeMan: shows 7 7 (two pair, Queens and Nines)
Hero: shows 3 K (two pair, Queens and Nines - King kicker)
Hero collected 3860 from pot

[taipan168]

Hands 17-18, 20, 21 and 23 - right idea, but shoving has a really bad risk/reward ratio with blinds at 50/100 since you're only ever getting called by something that crushes you or (at best) your flipping against. I standard raise all of these and play some postflop if necessary. They won't tangle with you without a big hand.

Opp's call on Hand 23 is truly appalling since he's not even a desperate short stack - but it illustrates my point about risk/reward

Hand 25 is fine

[DoanDiggy]

Thanks a lot. I had a feeling I was being a bit too aggressive here. How high do the blinds have to be before these are good shoves? Is 75/150 good enough, or would they need to be 100/200?

[taipan168]

Thanks a lot. I had a feeling I was being a bit too aggressive here. How high do the blinds have to be before these are good shoves? Is 75/150 good enough, or would they need to be 100/200?

I would say at least 100/200 ante 25 and probably 200/400 would be better.

[baudib]

yeah I think you're losing value on a lot of those overshoves with 50-60 BBs. making big bets with position is just as scary to a bubble player who wants to see a flop with Ax.