Playing around the bubble

[JonnyPoker]

Ok so I have been playing in some small no limit hold’em tournaments as of late and can not seem to get over the hump when it gets down to getting into the money. I want to know if I am playing my hands correctly. I have two situations both are similar.

First I was in a $50 NL tournament there was 70 people to start in the tournament and we are down to 11 players left 6 at one table and 5 at the table I am at. I was in second position with a little better than an average stack at the table with about 16000. I can’t exactly remember but blinds were at 1000-2000. I get 9-9 and so I push all in and I get a call from the big blind (who was also the big stack) she has J-Q off suit and I get beat as she flops a set of jacks. I figured O well I just got beat that’s Poker.

So then last week I am playing in a $100 NL Hold’em Tournament with 12 people left 6 at my table and I am in the big blind for 2000. The person in third position raises to 4000 (she is the big stack and I am the small stack with about 12000 in chips) I am dealt J-A suited so I come over the top all in and she calls with a pair of 7s and gets her third 7 to beat me on the flop.

My question is am I playing those hands to aggressively around the bubble? These tournaments pay out at 6th place. It seems like I was on both sides of these situations and lost both times. I am not sure if it is me and I need to make a change in the way I play or if it is just how it works out sometimes. Any advice would be appreciated. I am going to Vegas in two weeks and do not want to blow it when it gets down to making it into the money while I am there.

You can email me at steel_curtain20002001@yahoo.com or responde here.

[ZenMusician]

[ QUOTE ]
...she has J-Q off suit...she calls with a pair of 7s...

[/ QUOTE ]

Other than highly recommending Harrington on Hold'em (HOH)
and going through the sticky at the top of this forum,
I need to know where these tournaments are with all the
chicks playing.

-ZEN

[Nairb]

The trick to any bubble situation is to be extremely agressive as most players will be getting eaten up by the blinds for lack of aggression. In both your situations play was pretty standard. You got your money in good both times and you should have made both moves even if you knew what they had as you were a solid favorite in the first hand and about 50/50 in the second hand. That is what the bubble is about, getting your money in ahead and make them draw out to bust you. BTW unless I had a read that villian was very loose I am not sure I call with A J there if you were a bigger stack but as the small stack you have to do something and A J is a better hand than you would need to push and about the weakest hand I would CALL a push with.

The key to winning money is to play for first, not just to get ITM. Last place in the money barely doubles your buy in. You need some solid 1 and 2 finishes to build a solid ROI. That is why I think you made the standard play in both these situations. Get your money in as a favorite and you will win over time. The short term luck factor disappears with time and I think both these moves are profitable over time.

[JonnyPoker]

I have read Harrington on Holdem at least the first book and thought I was doing right with it. In both situations I was happy to take down the blinds. And in the second situation I was short stack and had not played many hands at that table. There was usually one chick per table. It is in Black Hawk Colorado. In fact in both situations there was two chichs at the short tables I was at And they both make it in the final. LOL