help! i need some bubble strategies

[awakuni]

i'm normally a cash game player but i play the occasional cheap weekend tournament and lately the last couple of times i've played i've have been the bubble boy. once as the short stack and once with an average stack. does anybody have good bubble strategy because i really feel as if i'm just flailing around without a real plan and i'd like to stop being the bubble boy. specifically i'd like some ideas about how to play with a short, medium and large stack during the bubble period specifically with a fast blind structure. should i gamble more? take a race early? stay passive and play position?

[jay_shark]

In theory , you have to play more aggressively and initiate action since most players would be making a mistake in calling you without a premium hand . Play around with ICM and you can see this for yourself .

Another reason is that players correctly play tighter when they react to the aggressor which allows you to pick up more blinds than you would have in the earlier rounds .

[awakuni]

do i play more agreesively with cards or position, or does it not matter and i should just be raising blindly. that was part of the problem that i was having. i'm just not sure what a proper hand range is, for what position. for example should i raise utg with ace-9, especially if i've been raising once or twice an orbit? is k-j suited within my range to call a 3.5 bb button bet from the big blind with an m of 6? i guess i just get confused about what is a good hand range.

[bknollenberg]

here's how i would do it:

short stack: i'm looking to steal the blinds, but typically only if i'm the first into the pot or have a monster. depending on where i'm at blinds-wise, i may be raising with some suited connector type hands, but typically i'm waiting for big cards. if it folds to me and i'm either int he CO or on the button, i'll push any ace, any pair, any king K9 or better, and some suited connectors.

medium stack: same sort of thing, sans the pushing. i'm raising a LOT more hands though. at this spot i'll raise 75% of the hands i'm in if i'm first into the pot.

big stack: put your hand over the screen to cover your cards, and raise every hand blind.