Not making final tables: I'm getting sick of this [censored] [censored]

[BarryLyndon]

I really need help in my late game strategy, and I don't know where to look. My mathematical abilities in this game sucks - I'm finally coming to grips with that. I still don't have the confidence to push with K9o CO-1 with an M of five when I'm ITM because I want to make the final table so badly, but I miss every [censored] time I'm near it. I can't pick up a good hand and win a race for the life of me - like, it will be 1.5 hours between in the bubble and outside the final table where my best [censored] hand will be A10, followed by Kx. I hate it. I choke, I make bad plays, I committ myself in situations which are bad, and I generally [censored] can't take it because I have to watch as one or two people fall into AA while I have to kick and [censored] claw with bad hands to make it ITM, only to miss the final table where someone wakes up with a monster when I make a bad raise. [censored] - I HATE THIS. I'm losing my mind about [censored] tournament poker. My early game is pretty good, my mid game is getting better, but I [censored] just can't [censored] make a final [censored] table for the [censored] goddamn [censored] life of me.

[Craggoo]

Nor can I. I realized I suck at flipping and this is why I can't make it deep in tourneys

[inyourface]

No one can help you win flips but wht I might suggest is to watch a few tourneys where it is getting deep just to see how good players build stacks? I'm not patronising you here I don't know how good your game is but when I had this problem I watched THAY3R, Imper1um etc. just to see what hands they push with etc.

But gl with it and I hope to see you on the leaderboards soon!

[DeuceSeven]

Don't play mtts. They [censored] suck at times. It's not unusual to go on streaks of mtts and not make a final table. I think that mtt poker is by far the most frustrating form of poker. You can play great for months and see little or no rewards. The only thing you can do is work on your game and accept that mtts can suck or switch to another form of poker.

[gholizad]

Barry,

I love your posts in "small stakes MTT" forum and I know you're a great player.I would recommend you to play a lot of turbo MTT SNG's. Those reach the end game pretty quickly and you can practice push botting a lot. I feel much more confident about my end game strategy after playing 1000+ 45 man turbo SNGs.

[easyrider0]

i have the same thing so i can't help you.
you can't imagine how many bubbles i made yesterday in a row, and the amount of FT bubbles ive had in the past, when i was running sick, and stacking huge in early/mid game.
MTT's put me on lifetilt, but cashgames i find dull. Turbo sng's are a good way to go on lifetilt too.

[Craggoo]

I've found two major parts of middle and late game strategy is stealing blinds and making a lot of stop n' go plays. If people are still willing to flip for stacks after the flop then theres nothing you can do about it.

[omaha]

Dont play the turbos, play the standard games.

Why? You are still learning, so why not play twice the time for your six bucks. When you crush them, then turbo them, for the $

With regards to making the final table, and push botting, i can give you seven golden rules.

1) Read HOH II
2) Read HOH II
3) Read HOH II
4) Read HOH II
5) Read HOH II
6) Read HOH II

and, lastly,
7) Read HOH II

Especially the pages where he pushes 10 6 off with 5 blinds from any position

General rule of thumb. If you are playing live, and people are watching you, if they are not laughing at you, your dumb cards and calling you a maniac when you have <10, and esp <5 blinds, then you are playing far too tight

Aim for the top spot, DONT worry about final tables, or bubbling.

Invent a new bubble for yourself, where the money counts. When i play live, if 10 are paid, the 'bubble' is really fourth place, or third, not eleventh.

Play a stack on the net, multitable the 1 and 3 dollar games, until you know you are a good player, not just THINK you are a good player, while you actually suck

[DeuceSeven]

I'll add maybe a few things I've changed about 4 months ago at small stakes mtt.

1) I wait longer before I go to push bot mode. An m of 5 with Q3o on the button isn't good enough against the average ssmtt donk, cause they'll call you with Q9o. I actually don't use m as my gauge to pushbot. I look at bbs, and wait until just before I have no fold equity, usually around 10bbs I'm looking to push most atc, depending on position.

2) I do a lot of restealing if I have a loose aggressive player to my right as long as I have enough fe to shove over his raise in lp, blinds. In a 4.40/180 I restole from a guy 5x with J7, Q9, 77, 55, 45. He never once called me, he was getting 2-1 on one call.

3) I steal around the bubble as much as possible.

4) After the bubble I tighten up because most of the time all hell breaks loose since no one is afraid of bubbling.