Final Tables

[Mr.Poker]

I think this is an area of discussion that isnt really discussed in much detail in this forum, but is absolutely crucial...

My question is really aimed at the most successful players on the forum who consistently FT...(and consistently finish in the top 3).

What is going through your mind (in terms of strategy) when you reach a FT? How does your play differ depending on your stack size going in? How does your play differ as you move from 10-> 8 -> 6 -> 3? etc... Any final table tips/insights?

Im extremely interested to hear what you guys are focusing on through the final table...please enlighten me!

Thanks

[Huggy]

I too would like to hear views on this topic as i get to the FT a lot and im normally short stack so i go into my normal pushing and shoving ranges. But all my frineds who are better poker players than myself say that my shoves are way to loose. What should i be shoving with when i have say 5bb's (normally when i have 5 im shoving AT if doled to me.)

[WarDekar]

I'm shoving a lot more than AT+ if I have <5BB and have the chance to open, I'll tell you that much...

[Mingdu]

Lots of good stuff on this in the 1-table tournament board

[WarDekar]

Mingdu: Not relevant at ALL. 1-table tournaments are completely different from a FT. There's a bubble, the payouts are top 3, the payout structure isn't nearly as top heavy, etc. etc. etc.

Trying to compare a FT to a STT is ludicrous.

[Mingdu]

Of course it is relevant

Is it perfect? No ... but the information there will help

[WarDekar]

Yeah, maybe help make you an awful player at the FT. Stacks are all the same at a STT, blinds are relatively small compared to stack, etc.

Has no bearing IMO.

To answer OPs question, it definitely depends on your stack. If you're real short, you have to start pushing to get chips. If you're middle, you can sit back a little and watch the carnage. If you're big stack, you need to aggressively steal blinds and try to isolate short stacks to get flips and eliminate them.

[Mingdu]

You are wrong ... but that's what's great about this place [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Sure has helped me

[BananaDan]

I for one agree that STT´s can be helpful training for MTT final tables. Of course if you arrive at FT and the chipcount is extremely lopsided, well then it becomes a whole different ballgame.

As for pushing AT with only 5 BB...if that´s loose then I guess I´m just superloose. Folded to me in CO or on the button and I´ll be pushing a very very wide range. Pretty much any ace, most kings, suited connectors higher than 34 etc..
If I find someone who´s desperate to climb another step on the ladder I will be pushing him around with almost any 2 provided I have enough chips to at least leave a decent dent if he calls and loses.

I´m no expert on this matter and I haven´t played MTT´s in a long time. It was how I first got into poker and built a bankroll though, and now that I need to rebuild I´m back at the tournament tables. Cashed a few times so far, nothing major.

Kind of a rambling post but whatever..

[Huggy]

ok sorry, but i thought u would assume that AT = any two lol as in im perfectly happy to shove 72o UTG with 5bb. Also i find that at stars the whole talble is shortstack normally, <10bbs