Fairly new to STT: General Bubble Pushing Principles?

[AceofSpades]

Hi everybody,

I know that I should be fairly aggressive around the bubble period, but I find myself not really knowing what I should be pushing, and at which times. Are there any general principles/ideas that you use to determine when to push/fold/or make a standard raise? Assuming fairly level stacks.

I'm not looking for a chart, just some general standards of when pushing is EV+.

[tigerite]

I'm afraid it only comes with experience, and knowing what opponents are likely to call with, and how your stacks measure up. And how likely they are to spite call you. Plus at some point your cards..

There's no hard and fast 'rules' really, only situations..

[AceofSpades]

At what level/stack/blind size do you change from making a 2.5/3xBB raise to pushing?

Guess it really is situational as well when to start pushing.

I mean some people say that they begin really pushing their chips around when they have 10xBB or less.

Others say when the levels hit 50/100.

As with poker, everything is situational and how you feel about what you are doing.

[tigerite]

When I, or those to act after me, have < 10 bb. This is somewhat fluid though and sometimes I'll do it with more, if I think there's a chance of someone after me coming over the top, preventing me calling. I'd rather put him to the test of his chips than give him the opportunity to make me fold. But it really depends. It's rare I'll go all-in for more than 15bb.

[ QUOTE ]
When I, or those to act after me, have < 10 bb. This is somewhat fluid though and sometimes I'll do it with more, if I think there's a chance of someone after me coming over the top, preventing me calling. I'd rather put him to the test of his chips than give him the opportunity to make me fold. But it really depends. It's rare I'll go all-in for more than 15bb.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly! LOL! VNH!

[skoal2k4]

[ QUOTE ]
At what level/stack/blind size do you change from making a 2.5/3xBB raise to pushing?

[/ QUOTE ]

Generally speaking, I start pushing any Ace, Any King, Any Pair, and any two cards that are 10 or higher when I get to 5-6 BB if I'm the short stack...

[tigerite]

That's over-simplified, it's not terrible advice, but generally if there are loose callers or your FE is very low, this can be disastrous for your ROI long-term. Have to pick your spots against the right stacks to do this with too. Oh and be first-in, but that goes without saying

[eagle]

Tigerite's suggestions are good because it really does come down to the situation and what type of players your up against.

Just start doing it, and you will get a feel for it. Position and table image are factors to look at too. I wouldn't worry about mistakes from pushing. They are minor compared to calling mistakes.

[skoal2k4]

[ QUOTE ]
That's over-simplified, it's not terrible advice, but generally if there are loose callers or your FE is very low, this can be disastrous for your ROI long-term. Have to pick your spots against the right stacks to do this with too. Oh and be first-in, but that goes without saying

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree 100%... that's why I said Generally. What OP is asking can't really be answered without factoring in all the variables that go along with the question.

[pooh74]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That's over-simplified, it's not terrible advice, but generally if there are loose callers or your FE is very low, this can be disastrous for your ROI long-term. Have to pick your spots against the right stacks to do this with too. Oh and be first-in, but that goes without saying

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree 100%... that's why I said Generally. What OP is asking can't really be answered without factoring in all the variables that go along with the question.

[/ QUOTE ]

Because what he is basically asking is "How do I make money playing SNGs?"

[zipppy]

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[ QUOTE ]
That's over-simplified, it's not terrible advice, but generally if there are loose callers or your FE is very low, this can be disastrous for your ROI long-term. Have to pick your spots against the right stacks to do this with too. Oh and be first-in, but that goes without saying

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree 100%... that's why I said Generally. What OP is asking can't really be answered without factoring in all the variables that go along with the question.

[/ QUOTE ]


Because what he is basically asking is "How do I make money playing SNGs?"

[/ QUOTE ]


I think it's a valid question. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[pooh74]

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[ QUOTE ]
That's over-simplified, it's not terrible advice, but generally if there are loose callers or your FE is very low, this can be disastrous for your ROI long-term. Have to pick your spots against the right stacks to do this with too. Oh and be first-in, but that goes without saying

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree 100%... that's why I said Generally. What OP is asking can't really be answered without factoring in all the variables that go along with the question.

[/ QUOTE ]


Because what he is basically asking is "How do I make money playing SNGs?"

[/ QUOTE ]


I think it's a valid question. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

uh, yeah, it is the most valid question...it took me 6-12 months of reading and posting here and playing 1000+ SNGs before I really started to understand its answer. Its not like anything about it is a secret, but every situation is subtlely different and only experience can show you that.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
Tigerite's suggestions are good because it really does come down to the situation and what type of players your up against.

Just start doing it, and you will get a feel for it. Position and table image are factors to look at too. I wouldn't worry about mistakes from pushing. They are minor compared to calling mistakes.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the importance of table image isn't much, at least at lower levels. I regularly sit like a rock until I get my cards, push all in, and get calls from people holding absolute trash, even multiple people overcalling to get in with their trash. I can't even tell you how many times I've been called by someone for his whole stack just because he's in the big blind, even though he has nothing at all.

At really low levels, like 5's up through 20's, many people are thinking only about their cards, not yours, if they're thinking at all. You bump into your occasional decent player, but I find a lot of decent play is just a fluke; a few hands later a player who made the right move will make the most unbelievable move imaginable.

You still have to play position, and strongly, but it's the money that makes you threatening, if you appear threatening at all, not your table image. I've played thousands of SNG's, and most people I rarely see twice, so there is no long term image to build up, and most people just aren't paying enough attention to understand what image you might have, and even if they do, plenty of them honestly think their KQo or J8s is still a good enough hand to make an overcall with anyway.