Playing on the bubble with very low blinds?

[adanthar]

I just entered a $30 SNG where, thanks to various misplayed aces, I wound up having 3500 chips and the chip lead with 4 people left *halfway through level 2*. The other stacks were a bit over 2K, 1.5K, and a short stack with 300-500.

Unfortunately, I was pretty shocked and completely unsure of how to play it, and wound up not really doing much all the way to L6. There just didn't seem to be much of a point to stealing 30 or 50 chip blinds, and going up against anyone who could take a large chunk of my stack seemed too risky (especially after the short stack doubled up through me with KK vs. my KQ). I wound up even with the other stack at level 7 and losing a couple of big hands to finish second- not terrible, but I feel like I shouldn't have let it get there to start with.

How does everyone here play in bubble situations where the blinds are tiny compared to stack size?

[durron597]

I would spend my time working on establishing a really tight image. So, I wouldn't even play KQ in level 2. There's no point! Get people used to you being tight and then you can really start to bully when the blinds get high enough that people will respect your raises and give you their blinds. Then by the time they realize you've changed gears, it's too late and they will fold anyway because they don't want to bubble out.

[Milky]

Agreed. With a stack like that you can (and should IMO) sit back and wait for the premium hands and develop a tight image, so when the blinds become significant you will be able to steal a lot more. Plus, you're not leaking any of your money back into the table (except for blinds). You need that big stack later on to intimidate the small ones and even the big ones (especially on the bubble, where the second chip leader will rarely risk going out before the shortstack does). Don't bother playing a lot of hands in the early blind levels.

Yesterday I was in a SnG where one of the players knocked out about 4 others before the second level of blinds. He then proceeded to play practically every single hand, giving his money back to the rest of us. Eventually he busted out (I don't even think he was ITM at the time). Don't be like this guy! Keep your chip lead and use it to put pressure on the other stacks as the blinds go up.

[poboys]

I'd play it a little differently... I'd see a lot of flops for cheap and try to bust them with two-pair or better hands.. or even better have them make a play at me with a premium hand because they feel I see way too many flops. This of course depends on if they are a bunch of limpers or raisers.