Theory Post:: Post our leaks between money bubble / final table

[BarryLyndon]

As I am finding improvements in my play, I have noticed that I'm making it close to several final tables a bunch. My biggest leak in this stage (maybe in the entirety of a tournament) is finding just the right amount of Open raise percentages in order to optimize chip accumulation.

I'm usually at the chip average or just above it when I'm near the final table. One thing I know is getting me is that there is usually 3 or four players with four times my stack at the top of the leader board...I try to catch up to them too quickly by raising marginal hands from MP. Also, in these $20 tourneys, there aren't a lot of three bet options available because a lot of LP players are sucky nits, so if you want to keep moving up the ranks, open raising becomes mandatory.

So, I'm opening it to discussion - in a rock garden, assuming all stacks range between 40% to 100+% of your stack, how do you apply the optimal amount of aggression?

Barry

[BrandiFan]

One thing I take into consideration before raising is what hands I have shown down recently. If I just raised junk and got into a showdown with a shortstack, I'll lean towards being tighter with my opening range. And vice versa if I have shown down a few premium hands recently.
Obv there's a ton more to it than that, but it's a start...

[BarryLyndon]

Thanks - also, I think this thread would be good to post examples of hands in these situations - we all know if you raise with xx and you get RRed by that one stack you hate to get RRed by, you have to call. Sometimes, it is what it is. Other times, I feel, I can avoid it. So, anyone who wants to put up examples, feel free.

Sorry for the bump, just figured I'd add a little more about what I'm looking for.

Barry

[b-komplex]

Usually the players left around are so much better and stacks are not big enough to manuever too much. But I have seen guys accumulate by moving to a 40/5 type of style. Essentially manipulating the pot by keeping it small preflop; also very few players are deep enough to overlimp so a lot of times it's folded through to the blinds.

[swede554]

Constantly be on the look-out for profitable resteal spots. Also be aware of what players are restealing more frequently so you can adjust your calling/4betting range vs those players.

[JammyDodga]

I'm going out on a limb here, but I think people play too loose and agressive at this stage in the tournament.

At this stage, most people think they know what they are doing, they've read a few books that tell them they need to be agressive and open up alot, but i think they go too far, and wind up making big mistakes, playing big pots with small hands. The best way to profit from this is to do the opposite of what every one else is doing and stay relatively tight, especially in EP and MP.

That said I wil c-bet a lot, or bluff if I detect weakness, but as I useually have a decent hand to start with, I'm never in too bad a shape if I do get called. I'll also try and steal the blinds ocassionaly in late position, but probably less than most. You have to let some oppurtunities pass you by or else your going to get re-stolen from a lot.

I just think that because people are being too agressive, there's scope for a few players to be very profitable by going against the crowd and playing tighter.

[BAK]

[ QUOTE ]
But I have seen guys accumulate by moving to a 40/5 type of style.

[/ QUOTE ]

Could you please explain what a "40/5 type of style" is?

[levAA]

these are stats, which you get by hand-analysis programms (e.g. pocker tracker)

the first number stands for "voluntarily put $ in pot" = the hands you play active without the hands where you are in the BB and check

the second number stands for "preflop raises" the number in % you raised preflop

there sometimes be a third number, which stands for "total aggression postflop" - % where you bet or raised postflop

so 30/25 is a loose/aggressive player
40/5 is a very loose/passive player

[BarryLyndon]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But I have seen guys accumulate by moving to a 40/5 type of style.

[/ QUOTE ]

Could you please explain what a "40/5 type of style" is?

[/ QUOTE ]

Read up on pokertracker / HUD data. Read the FAQs in the NL cash games (?) for an explanation of what this stuff means. To be brief, though I highly encourage findings on your own:

X / Y where X = percentage of hands you are in the pot, Y = open raise percentage.

So, when someone says "I'm stuck at 30/25," he is saying that he is open raising 25% of the time. He's saying he's "stuck" because he is repeating instances of aggression where he should slow down a little. What 40/5 advocates is that you raise less but you get involved in a few more small pots so you can play flops against weaker opponents / lesser stacks and mess around with them. It's an interesting philosophy which I may experiment with.

Barry

[Sherman]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But I have seen guys accumulate by moving to a 40/5 type of style.

[/ QUOTE ]

Could you please explain what a "40/5 type of style" is?

[/ QUOTE ]

????? How does someone "accumulate" by playing this style??

If you see people playing this way and accumulating, you are witnessing a good run of cards or some very weak/tight post flop play against him.

40/5 is a terrible way to accumulate IMO. Especially late near the bubbles. A better way to accumulate would be 50/40. Not saying that this is optimal, but 40/5 is just spewing IMO.