Final Table Strategy with big blinds

[TheThinMan]

I was at a final table recently and with 7 people to go I had 170k out of a total 450k or so. Blinds were 5k and 10k, and this particular tourney had no ante. The next closest player had 65k, and all but one of the rest had more than 40k.

What is the best way to play here, since I only have 17 big blinds myself?

My image was real aggro since I went from 20k with 3 tables left to 120k at the start of the final table.

In this case I chose not to slow down and ran into two huge hands, but I'm not sure if that was the wrong way to go.

[Raliegh]

If it's like most tourneys and the pay-offs go way up for the last three spots, might be a good idea to sit tight and let a couple of them knock each other out.

On the other hand, they're all so short stacked, they're probably just looking for two decent cards to push with, so you might knock them out with moderate hands.

On the other other hand (I'm running out of hands) if you were aggro before, changing gears does throw people off.

[Sherman]

While FT considerations are largely dependent on payout structure (b/c cEV begins to diverge greatly from $EV), I still think that playing as if you were in the orange zone (b/c you are) is the best way to play here. Your M = 8.5. You should be looking to open-raise. With blinds this high, the champion will probably be determined by three factors:
1. Whoever sees the best hands.
2. Whoever can win the most chips w/out real hands (might be tough to do with Ms this low)
3. Whoever has the most chips at the time.

If you sit back you might be able to fold into the top 3 spots, but then others will have caught up to your stack to compete for 1st. I say, get the chips while you can.

[Raliegh]

[ QUOTE ]
orange zone

[/ QUOTE ]

The noob here hasn't ever heard that term, would you mind defining it a bit for me?

[TheThinMan]

This was not a big tourney. 7th paid out just under 200, but 3rd was a little less than 400. Then it jumped to 800 and 1400.

I was thinking of best way to win.

[Snarf]

This all depends on the table.

Some tables I would feel like I had to sit back and wait patiently for hands to run races with.

Other more passive tables...

I would feel the need to 2.5x like some ridic % of hands.

Problem inherent with this style:
- knowing when you're about to be c/r'ed on the flop
- knowing when to call down thin when your J5o hit bottom
pair on the flop
- knowing when to fold to min-raises
- etc...


You only have 17 BBs as the big stack here? Wowza.

you may be stuck at that point waiting it out a little bit for hands.

[sledghammer]

This is a good time to play in the opposite style of the table. If the table is playing tight, folding way too much, then you can basically raise everything. If people are gambling it up, and there is little fe, you should tighten up. Let some people knock each other out. Once there are medium stacks in play, and payouts become more salient, the table will tighten up again (usually in the medium-big stacks) and you can steal with impunity. This is the kind of ft situation playing tons of sngs will help you with.

[FortunaMaximus]

Color zones are from Harrington on Hold 'em. MTT textbooks. He's fairly TAG, but it's a great theory read.

It's to do with M ranges and basic strategies for each range.

[TheThinMan]

With 7 left table was real tight. One guy on my right who had 50k was a smart, everyone else was just trying to survive. I ended up rinning into KK and QQ from the tightest player at the table directly to my left back to back, one time on a button steal and then with A9.

Thing is pretty much any raise I make that somebody comes over the top with gives me 3-1 or so on the call since stacks are so shallow.

[JSH06]

[ QUOTE ]
With 7 left table was real tight. One guy on my right who had 50k was a smart, everyone else was just trying to survive. I ended up rinning into KK and QQ from the tightest player at the table directly to my left back to back, one time on a button steal and then with A9.

Thing is pretty much any raise I make that somebody comes over the top with gives me 3-1 or so on the call since stacks are so shallow.

[/ QUOTE ]

Any raise you make should be an open push. You have to call a re-raise anyway so you should be maximizing your fold equity.