Need Poker Advice
 

Ive been playing online limit holdem on pokerstars for about a year and do quite well.

However recently I've started playing no-limit sit and go tournaments. Basically they are shorter tournaments with roughly 45 players.

I usually find myself in the chip lead very close to the bubble (~15-8 players left) but end up flaming out before im in the money. Should I tighen up towards the end and let the blinds eat away or try to push around the small stacks with bluffs?

It seems that once the money is on the horizon people start to attack my larger stack and while i play tight/agressive I feel perhaps I should tighten up even more prior to the the money as I feel i have a bullseye on my head with the chip lead.

Any advice?

Start charting why you're losing. I haven't seen your hands but it sounds like you're playing a bit too loose...

Ever try Pai Gow?

I always pick on the short stacks in that spot.

Yea, thats a good method, but it also really depends on the table, you can't always play the same.

if the table is generally tight, then try and steal as many of the blinds as you can when in late position.

if the table is pretty loose, i would play tight let the other people knock each other out, and take the occasional big pot when i have the cards.

Dave,

You'll need to do a bit of both but it'll also depend on who's in the pot with you. Tighten up on your starting hands but once you commit to a hand - play aggressively if you're in with short stacks but adjust accordingly if you're in the pot with another player that isn't short stacked. By the turn, short stacks will be less likely to see the river if they only have a draw because they are willing to wait it out to see if another short stacks gets put out and they finish higher (and possibly in the money) - but be wary of the player with no skills and calls anything regardless. Watch the players and you'll get a feeling for who this type player(s) at the table are.

It sounds like you've been playing aggressively when another player is also in the pot that isn't short stacked and is able to call your bets (and wins the hand) when you were trying to push around the short stacked players.

By pick on the short stacks I mean call their all ins with nothing. They don't have enough chips to kill your odds so when I can get heads up I call with most anything. :upsidedow

thats pretty stupid with *anything*

i'd rather fold a small blind then double someone up with my rags.

If you think that's stupid you need to keep studying poker. No offense. :upsidedow

Just to clarify I'm talking about preflop of course.

right. it really depends on exactly how much this short stack has, but say for instance you have 8k he has 2k.

he pushes on you and you have say... 93o, you'd call that?

for one when you have a good chip lead, you have to pick your spots and start stealing some blinds but pick your spots because the blinds go up so fast. Secondly when asking for poker advice goto 2+2 forums and not a porn board

He gave a very specific situation above. Chip leader in a 45 person tourney with 8 to 15 players remaining. In that situation you will hardly ever find the short stack with 25% of your chips.

As for your question, it depends on the blinds and pot size but it's a possibility for sure.

Nope, like i said i play very tight. It just seems that to be the chip leader on the bubble almost puts you at a disadvantage as everyone starts gunning at your stack.

So my question is, do i lay low (even when i have a strong starting hand), just to make it into the money - or call the all ins that get thrown my way - they obviously want to double up - or to try to improve my position with strong starting hands by playing more agressivly and push them around.

Btw, Hey BAMA!

Also i would never call 93o unless i got to see a free flop from late position.

Get advice from Keyser, he is a great poker player :thumbsup

You'll never win if you tighten up.

If all you want to do is "make the money" then play like a pussy.

If you want to win the actual tournament, take advantage of all the other weakbacks playing "tight" and play agressive (with a hand of course) and for every 9 times you bust out doing this, you may break throug to the final table that 10th time and win more money than your combined "30th place money cashes"

You need to mix it up, play tight at times but also play lose and force the player to "pay to see cards"

After re-reading your post multiple times I think you may be correct. Its not the short stacks that take me out...its that midsized stack that lurks till his cards come through and then attacks with enough chips to make an impact

totally offtopic - but bama if you want to get in touch hit up my cell. I never use ICQ anymore - But i would love to catch up and hear how your new biz is going. :)

easy answer
 

Ask yourself this, why do you play tounaments?

Are you there for fun or the $?

There is a difference for playing to get to the money and playing to win.

If you are playing to win, the level right before the money is where you're going to get most of your chips to make a solid run at winning the whole damn thing.

People tighten up near the money. If you're trying to win the whole damn thing, I would look to play hands with slight edges over very short stacks.

I have no problem calling Ace/Face against a small stack right before the money,and I would raise most of the time with it as well, but if you get any aggression back at you from a mid stack or higher, I would muck it.

Also, when you're heads up with a short stack, and you are first to bet, I would make a nice sized bet. Figure you only hit a pair 1/3 of the time, and so 66% of the time the short stack missed completely. If the guy goes all in, you need to determine how much more it's going to cost you to call and what your odds are. I would probably call with an A high if the short stack has been aggressive, and the bet is large for the shortstack, yet small for my big stack.

Whatever you do, DONT CALL. Raise or Fold.
When you call, you're telling people youre playing a medium hand.
When you only raise or call, they have to put you on a premium hand or a bluff, and there's no middle ground.

Good luck and may the flops bw with you!


Chris
poker @ Chicago2600 . net