[Xhad]

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People often worry that one of their actions will cause people to start "taking shots at them." My response is, "So?" This applies more to cash games

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People coming after you increaes your variance, but also your cEV. Since in a cash game cEV and $EV are the same thing, this is no big deal in a cash game, but high variance is inherently -EV at a tournament final table, so this definitely applies more to tournaments.

People don't have to play better against you in a situation like this to wreck your EV, they just have to start playing pots with you out of spite since getting in a confrontation will usually be -EV. Yes, this hurts their EV too, but part of the reason fish are fish is because they act on their emotions and not on correct strategy.

Which brings me to my answer to the OP: refusal to chop can be -EV if the tournament is such that not all the bad casual players have been knocked out. When it's good players left, even if they don't like it they still have to stay out of your way if they're trying to maximise their earn. And you don't mind it if their reaction is to tighten up until you or someone else busts; weak-tight bubble play is what you're hoping for!