How important is gambling to double up to winning tournaments?

[betgo]

I think it is often very important at mid to late stages to seek a coin flip to double up or bust out. That way you can create a big stack that will help you acquire more chips. Also the money is not in cashing or making the second table, but in making the top 5 places.

In SNGs and supersatellites, you want to just cash, so you want to avoid confrontations by stealing blinds uncontested.

In a tournament, you want to provoke a confrontation to double up. This can be accomplished through semibluff reraises, including reraises allin. Also LAG play can provoke action. Playing speculative hands can lead to winning a big pot with a big hand or going allin on a coin flip on the flop with a strong draw versus a big made hand.

[ansky451]

Is this breaking news?

[mikeymer]

lol I was thinking the same thing.

[betgo]

I hadn't seen a lot of discussion about when you want to gamble to double up and how to set up a gamble to double up.

[zambonidrivr]

gamble it up when you think you have the best hand. donkeys always draw. playing speculative hands in a shallow stack tourney is donkish

[nath]

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I hadn't seen a lot of discussion about when you want to gamble to double up and how to set up a gamble to double up.

[/ QUOTE ]

If I want to set up a gamble to double up, I raise enough that I will have sufficient odds to call a reraise all-in against the range I approximate that will happen. (For example.)

I think stealing blinds and doubling up are both important. I usually don't like to have all of my money in; I like to have stolen enough to be able to cover some of the all-in gambles with shorter stacks. Obviously that is the best case scenario though.

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
gamble it up when you think you have the best hand. donkeys always draw. playing speculative hands in a shallow stack tourney is donkish

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I don't see the relevance of this. Of course you want to pick up chips from bad players mistakes. However, I am talking about additional approaches to set up gamblers to acquires a certain large stack.

As for speculative hands, I am talking about borderline cases. I am not saying to always play these hands, but playing them more can help set up a double up. Obviously you need fairly deep money to play certain speculative hands. You may have a fairly strong specualtive hand or play it to steal or resteal.