Importance of maintaining @ least 15bbs

[CorbinDallas]

i'm forcing myself to play more aggressively from the cutoff, bu, and SB when i get deep and blinds/antes start representing 1/10 or more of your stack. i'm still wanting to be patient... but i'm looking for more oppotunities to resteal and gamble a little when i have 15-20bbs as opposed to waiting till i have 10bbs.

here are some examples (no HH). treat each example as an isolated situation.... ie we didn't do all this during one 15 min level. lets say blinds and antes are 1875.

#1. blinds/antes=1875, my stack is 16k. player with 35k (who is 25/16/3.5) 3x raises 1 before CO and i shove from the button with T8s. he folds i win 3975 and add 1/4 to my stack.

#2. it folds to me on the BU i have 16k and A6o... BB is 10/4/1. i shove and add 10% to my stack. thats pretty standard i think?

#3. MP1 limps, MP3 limps i'm on the CO with 16k and 77 and shove. everyone folds i add 20% to my stack.

#4. same situation as #3 but i have J9s. (J9s is 40/60 vs AK, AQ. AK is 42/58 vs TT, JJ, QQ).

#5. ok lets say my stack is 10k and it folds to me on the BU and i shove 78s. i add 20% to my stack.

is this just wreckless? isn't it better to do everything you can to stay around AT LEAST 15bbs so when you do double up... you're not just doubling up to 13bbs? or you play so tight that when you raise with a monster everyone snap folds.

i have ALOT of experience in the $4 180's. you really don't need to do this stuff in those tourneys cuz you can always count on getting into AK vs KQ type situations. just play 12/7/2.5 and you win.

but i've been playing more large field tourneys recently and after 2.5-3.5 hours... when things get "serious" and the blinds get high.... these 3rebuy, $5, $10 20kg, players seem to get SUPER tight. MUCH MUCH more so than in the $4 180's. so i'm just wanting to adjust.

thanks, sorry so long.

[baudib]

It's been a while since I played these, but yeah. I think once you get down to like 20-30 players in a tournament where top 3-5 pays four figures, people get REALLY tight. I think what happens is people realize the difference in finishing 18th and winning is pretty huge. Plus, everyone wants to play "well" and not bust out on a stupid hand and proudly type in the chat box "folded AJ."

I think these shoves are fine but the thing to remember is that when you have a slightly bigger stack, say, 25-30 BBs, you should be raise-folding a really wide range from late position.

Obviously this also applies if you have a big stack.

[mcatdog]

In #2 I'd just raise/fold. This 10/4 is going to be folding 9/10 hands to a standard raise anyway so let yourself get away if he wakes up with a hand.

I think most of these shoves are good but it's because they're +EV, not because it's essential to keep 15 BB. I really don't mind having 9 BB in tournaments like this, I'll still get plenty of good spots where people fold way too much to my open shoves. You shouldn't go out of your way to make a play that's -EV just because you're desperate to stay above 15 BB, that would be silly.

I think these shoves are fine but the thing to remember is that when you have a slightly bigger stack, say, 25-30 BBs, you should be raise-folding a really wide range from late position.

Yeah I agree with this as well

[OneEyeLefty]

If you want to win any of these MTT's you have to gain chips. This is a perfect way to do this. I agree with your situational plays above. As long as your willing to take the loss when they call and beat you. You have to get chips and you can't play small pots. I say get it in and hope for the absolute best result.

[CorbinDallas]

It's been a while since I played these, but yeah. I think once you get down to like 20-30 players in a tournament where top 3-5 pays four figures, people get REALLY tight.

yes.

but i'm talking LONG before 30 players left. the $11 30kg has 2500 people so you the blinds/antes become very significant with 300 left.

are you saying my examples aren't +EV until 30 players left?

[baudib]

Not at all, I think those are all fine (mcat's comment on the one is very good, however).

I'm just saying there's a significant difference between the 180 donkaments and the larger-field donkaments.

[CorbinDallas]

yes there is.... people fold. LOL!