How to play with 10BB near the end of a tourney

[hunkyrabbit]

Last night I got the closest so far to my first final table in a large MTT. I reached 15th in the stars $5+R out of 1600 players to win $270. Not too bad, but seeing that I got knocked out by a coinflip (expected) and that if I held in for just a few more places, my payday would have been significantly more.. 8k for 1st place . I want a top 3 finish soooo bad!!

The major dificulty that I'm having in the closing stages of large MTT's is playing the huge blinds and my lack of experience playing with a 10-15BB stack. What is the best strategy to take at these stages and how do you ajust your game play accordingly?


The strategy I am currently taking at these closing stages is to play an extremly tight/extremly aggresive game. Often going all-in with any premium hand.. AA-JJ, AK,AQ. The problem is I often find myself being outdrawn and losing to a coinflip decission. For example, if I were holding JJ in late position with no callers I would push only to find BB calling with AQ.. Naturally. Am I reducing my chances of winning such a hand by forcing an all-in and allowing the AQ to see all 5 cards? If I were to raise 3BB in this situation and if the BB just called, and if no ace would flop I would probabbly win the hand there. But what to do if an Ace, kind or queen flops and the BB bets out all-in? Fold and lose over 1/3 of my stack, even if i susspect a bluff? Another example. I am holding Ak in late position and raise 3xBB, BB calls. Flop shows broken board 9 high. BB checks. I do? Well this happened recently and I pushed, BB called with 79s, wins the pot and knocks me out. This is why I have chosen to push pre-flop with any major holding. I don't think this is the best play and would much rather play my 'normal' game, but with the blinds being so huge at this stage I dont know what else to do.

It would be great to hear from any regular final-table players and find out how you adjust your play at the closing stages of tournaments.

[uclabruinz]

First, my standard response to a post like this: have you studied HOH2? There is a LOT of great stuff in there about late stage play.

Second, you seem to be very results oriented. Pushing JJ from LP with 10BBs is a no brainer, highly +EV move. As for your AK hand, what was your stack? Again, around 10BBs or less this is a no brainer push preflop. Postflop this is read/image dependent and stack size dependent, as to whether to cbet or not.

The bottom line is that at this stage of the tourney, the blinds/antes are HUGE and you want to go after them as much as possible. When you have 10BBs, just pushing and taking down the blinds/antes ads 15-20% to your stack. Naturally, this involves the risk of getting called and losing. Such is poker.

I'm not saying to be completely wreckless. Take into account stack sizes around you, reads, your image, etc. Getting a feel for late stage play comes from experience and study.

[RiverDood]

Your AK/JJ pushes at those blind levels are solid poker -- and it's time to stop doubting yourself. When you push in such situations, four things can happen, three of them good.

A) Everyone folds to you and you grow your stack by 15% by picking up the blinds.
B) Someone calls with another premium hand and you prevail.
C) Someone calls with a weaker hand and you (usually) prevail
D) Someone else calls and you lose.

Sorry that it's been a couple losses so far. In the long run, the first three happen a lot more often. You'll finish in the top three when your JJ is called by TT, or your AK is called by AQ -- and your hand is good.

Hang in there. It does happen. It's very nice vindication when it does.

[fresherthanflynt]

[ QUOTE ]
First, my standard response to a post like this: have you studied HOH2? There is a LOT of great stuff in there about late stage play.

Second, you seem to be very results oriented. Pushing JJ from LP with 10BBs is a no brainer, highly +EV move. As for your AK hand, what was your stack? Again, around 10BBs or less this is a no brainer push preflop. Postflop this is read/image dependent and stack size dependent, as to whether to cbet or not.

The bottom line is that at this stage of the tourney, the blinds/antes are HUGE and you want to go after them as much as possible. When you have 10BBs, just pushing and taking down the blinds/antes ads 15-20% to your stack. Naturally, this involves the risk of getting called and losing. Such is poker.

I'm not saying to be completely wreckless. Take into account stack sizes around you, reads, your image, etc. Getting a feel for late stage play comes from experience and study.

[/ QUOTE ]

This pretty much sums up what I was about to say.

[JohnFR]

Another thing I like to do is notice who is playing smart LAG poker, making a lot of raises trying to take down pots(usually they have a 20bb+ stack), but also able to make a laydown or 2. If I decide he is raising quite often, and is capable of laying down, I make a mental decision to myself to repop all in the next time I am in LP with any SC(45s min), and any Suited 1 gapper(46s min), 2 broadways, AT+, and any pair. If he is a good LAG, he will realize that his stealing ways are giving him more chips than calling and risking dropping back down to a 10-15bb stack and he will just fold, and if not those hands really aren't in bad shape unless he has an overpair(but if he is really lagging it up, he will almost always have nothing).

[JohnFR]

Just as an aside, if you have like 6-8 BB's this will not work he will be getting pot odds wait for a good hot and cold hand, it usually works much better when you have 12-15 BB's as he really doesn't want to take a chance with the A3o, 95o, he has this time.

[Body Man D]

I empathise with you because I am in the same boat. I have reached the late stages of 5 or 6 MTT's only to get knocked out by a coin flip. Last night as an example I had an average stack with about 40 left in a $3.00 rebuy and pushed with a pair of queens. I got called by and A,10 who caught the Ace. The same scenario seems to happen quite often. It is frustrating at the time but I realize after the fact it was the right play. The late stages become somewhat of a crap shoot and if you get there often enough you will eventually win the races and make the big score. Good Luck and keep on plugging.

[fatmanonguitar]

Just one more weapon for this stage:

Become a dead money thief. Push marginal holdings from the blinds if there have been limpers. Especially if the limpers have been passive.

[LFC]

I would advise you 2 play more aggresive earlier.
10bb is usually M about 6, if U will make your move with M about 8-10 u will much often take blinds.
Just look for some rocks and when they R on blinds try to steal some pots.

I had the same problem. I didnt make moves when I had stack which could demage others and made when I was short (2 short). But after several weeks on 2+2 I improved [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
gl