Read through
this thread.
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I usually play really tight in the first 3 levels, usually not even playing one or two hands.
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Good. You'll need a non-crappy stack to be effective later.
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In the next three levels, I tighten up even more and only play Pocket Aces through Jacks.
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Not good. You should be opening up, and getting in some more steals. The link above has plenty of information on how to play common situations.
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Then, in the levels after this, usually after the bubble, I loosen my game up and start gambling a little bit. The only problem is by this point, I am usually the short stack becuase I haven't been playing many hands and I usually finish in 3rd.
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You're counting on others to bust out before you. Sometimes this works, but even if it does, as you noticed, you don't have enough of a stack to really play ITM and get those 1sts that you really need.
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Would you guys recommend playing a little looser in the earlier levels to try and build your stack up so you have a little better chance of winning when you're ITM?
I know this is probably a dumb question, but I had to ask.
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Not a dumb question. Most posters might not remember a time when they were playing scared and passive on the bubble, but it's just one of those initial obstacles every 1-tabler has to get through.
You should also post hands here, whether you think you played them well or not.
Good luck.