Playing on the Bubble

[M50Paul]

What does playing on the bubble mean?

[jdl22]

It's the time in a tournament just before you get to the money, the spots that get receive a payout. How far from the money the bubble begins varies by tournament. It is typically extremely tight because players without large stacks are not willing to play very much for fear of busting out and missing a payday. Also, the big stacks tend to increase their advantage by bullying the smaller stacks who are playing very tightly.