Middle stages of a tournament?

[golfguy37]

One of my problems in tournament play is the middle stages... After there is like 1/3 the starting field left... I dont have a hard time getting a nice chip lead early on but I cant maintain it. If I ever do get by that middle stage, I'm pretty good at the final stages... Early on I play pretty tight usually playing pocket pairs, paint, A - 10 or better, etc. that works pretty well early on but not in the middle stages. Any suggestions?

[baudib]

I agree that the middle stages can be tricky. When you're shortstacked, the middle stages are simple to play. But you get a big stack early but then go card dead.

Maybe you could post some trimmed tournaments where you have trouble in the middle stages. Make sure you are not passing up small edges because you have a "nice" 40 BB stack or something.

Generally, I don't think it's that bad to continue to play tight in the middle stages but you have to adjust to the way the table is playing. If they're going to play too tight and/or play bad hands out of position and let you outplay them postflop, then by all means exploit it.

[golfguy37]

Ok thanks. That is exactly what happens! I dont catch anything better than K 10 in most cases andthe blinds catch up to me quickly. I will play in a tournament and post some of the hand histories when I get the chance.

Thanks

[hopeful]

I used to struggle a lot in the middle stages often entering the money on a small stack. The best advice i got (from DRMCBOY) was to be more careful who you play a hand against and vary your starting requirements dependent on who the villain is. Play against a big stack with a big hand only and be prepared to be mega aggressive. Play weaker hands against a middle sized stack and again up the aggression. Play a push or fold game against small stacks using the normal tables to help you select the hands. I know you cant guarantee who will enter a pot but the guidelines helped me a lot.

[golfguy37]

I had half the average stack and was in need of a double up. I hoped I either had live cards or he had a low pocket pair. I probably could have come in 36th place (make the money, double up), but if I wanted to go any further, I had to make a stand. Should I have waited for a better opportunity? I felt like I would lose but called anyway. It's not how I usually play in a tournament. I'll post other hands later.

Also: I folded A 9 under the gun and 66 under the gun earlier in the tournament as a short stack. They were the only respectable hands I had gotten in a while. Should I have made the move on one of those?


I had 3600. BB was 600. I was in the BB and was reraised all in by the small blind. I called with Q 8 suited because I needed to make a move if I wanted to move up the tournament ladder. I was up against A Q (I didnt have a read, I just moved to the table). There was about 1050 worth of dead money on the field and I was already invested 600 (so 1600 total). Shoudl I have waited for a better opportunity?

[golfguy37]

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10+$0.00 Tournament, 300/600 Blinds 50 Ante (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP3 (t5930)
CO (t2670)
Button (t10685)
SB (t7330)
Hero (BB) (t3325)
UTG (t6872)
UTG+1 (t7125)
MP1 (t15985)
MP2 (t2520)

Hero's M: 2.46

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q, 8
UTG calls t600, 6 folds, SB bets t7280 (All-In), Hero calls t2675 (All-In), 1 fold

Flop: (t7600) 10, 7, 10 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: (t7600) 3 (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: (t7600) A (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: t7600

[baudib]

It's sorta meh...I think you have to make a stand before your stack gets this low.

[golfguy37]

The only probelm was I was going card dead. The only good hands I really had were under the gun. SHould I have played those instead?

EDIT: Here are some hands that led up to it:

1)I had 9d 8s in the small blind. I called. flop came 7d 8d Ts and there were 5 players in the pot already. I was the first to act an I checked. The guy right before the button bet enough to put me all in (2600). I didn't have a read on him at that point so I folded in fear of a 10. He turned over A J and won the pot (He did pair his jacks on the turn).

Fold 9s 3s on the button (raise of 300 to 450).
Fold 4s Th from late position against an all in reraise.
Fold 4h 3d to make a flat call (middle position)
Fold 9d 7s for a flat call (early position)
Fold Kc 6c under the gun.
Fold 7s 3h from BB to a 1300 chip raise + reraise.
Fold 8h 7s to a 1750 Raise and reraise from the small blind.
Fold 9c Qh from a late position
Fold 9d 4d from a middle position.
Fold 7h Jd from a middle position facing an All - In from the first position.
Fold 6c 6d under the gun.
Kh 2h in BB, free flop (missed) folded to the minimum bet(4 players).
Fold Qh Tc against a 1000 chip raise (4 BB)
Call Tc Qs from the button. K 5 4 was the flop. 3 checks behind me. I move all in and take a nice 1200 chip pot.
Fold Ts 3c from a middle position.
Fold 4c Td from a late position.
Fold Kh 4h from a middle position.
Fold Jc 2c from an early position.
Fold Ah 9c under the gun.
Call a min raise with Qd 3c from the BB. Flop: 3 J 5, I bet 300 (min bet) and get called (1 player) Turn: 7, I bet 300 again, River: 2, bet 300 and he folds. I won the pot.
Fold Kc 4d facing a 650 chip raise (All in for him) from first position with 3 callers behind him.
Fold 4h Ts to an all in reraise before me.
Fold 6c Ts from a middle position.
Fold 5c 2c from a middle position.
Fold 3h Tc from an early position.
Fold 6c 3h under the gun.
Move all in from BB with Qd 8d (see above post)

[baudib]

If you're going to call for 10% of your stack with 98, shove the flop.

I would shove 66 there, fold QTo. Kh4h looks like a decent spot.

[mcatdog]

Raise.

[golfguy37]

Ok thanks for the advice!

[Roller]

Shove

I recommend you play only good cards aggressively seeking to increase the pot

[clockwork07]

You probably can't afford to play too tight in the middle stages. Attack the middle stacks who have enough that they can fold, but not too much that they will look you up.