getting action with premium hands on the bubble

[frostbrn]

Is it just me, or is it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to induce any action on the bubble of a MTT when you pick up AA, KK, or QQ. It doesn't matter whether I have a big stack, short stack, or average size, I can't get anyone with less than a great hand to play.

If I'm short and open shove, I'll usually get called by a weaker hand, but only if I'm super short stacked.

If I have a big stack, any raise at all scares away everyone but the most desperate short stack, and a call will almost certainly go unraised and get checked by the BB.

Sometimes if I have an average sized stack I can get action if I've shown agression more often than not recently, but it's still hit or miss in deciding how much to raise that late in the tourney.

What do you do to get some play when you pick up one of these premium pairs at the stage in the tournament when everyone else tightens up?

[nath]

If the table is extra tight and you pick up a premium hand, there's really nothing you can do to make them come along.
What you CAN do is steal like crazy the rest of the time. Either all your increased action will make someone decide "All right, I'm taking a stand" at the time you have AA-QQ, or you'll pick up so many chips you won't need premium hands.

[ansky451]

[ QUOTE ]
Is it just me, or is it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to induce any action on the bubble of a MTT when you pick up AA, KK, or QQ. It doesn't matter whether I have a big stack, short stack, or average size, I can't get anyone with less than a great hand to play.

If I'm short and open shove, I'll usually get called by a weaker hand, but only if I'm super short stacked.

If I have a big stack, any raise at all scares away everyone but the most desperate short stack, and a call will almost certainly go unraised and get checked by the BB.

Sometimes if I have an average sized stack I can get action if I've shown agression more often than not recently, but it's still hit or miss in deciding how much to raise that late in the tourney.

What do you do to get some play when you pick up one of these premium pairs at the stage in the tournament when everyone else tightens up?

[/ QUOTE ]


Well... You have discovered that you can take a lot of blinds when you are a big stack, on the bubble. That means you shouldn't worry about winning a big pot with AA, you should worry about winning lots of small pots with 95o. If its folded to me on the button and the blinds arent very agg, or the bb has enough to fold, i raise almost any 2 on the button. The rare times that I have aces, i just hope that they have something too. If you play your monsters differently, you will never get away with stealing blinds with rags.