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  #1  
Old 07-29-2005, 10:37 AM
pokerstudAA pokerstudAA is offline
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Default Bubble Aggressioin - Good adjustments?

After watching Matt Matros play the 350K this weekend I was impressesed with his super aggressive play through the bubbble and mid-money stages. He built a massive stack and kept playing aggressively. Matt finished 3rd for 40k. Winner took 105K. After I played weak-tight during the bubble I fold my way into the money and buated out 194th - card dead for hours. This seems to be a common problem in my tournament play. Sometimes I switch to a stalling strategy and can double at the right time. I get into the money frequently but I need to get deeper in the money. What was Matros doing right? Was he just lucky?


That brought me to a post on Moneymaker dominating a $10 rebuy recently. People were shocked that he was raising with 79s and would call an all-in. He went on to win the tournament. What was Moneymaker doing right? Getting lucky?


I decided to change my strategy turning the bubble/mid-money phases of the tourney. Actually I decided to play completely different.


1. Play more aggressive....mabye make a few marginal calls....take risks late
2. Quit folding my steal raises to re-raises and midstack all-ins......get a reckless image
3. Take risks when other players are not....gamble and initiate action
4. Get chips or bust out........play not only to survive.
5. Who cares out the payouts....play to win not for $.
6. Who cares if you bubble......play with no fear.



That leads me to the 11K 30+3 with 401 people. I had a healthy - avg+ stack getting close to the money. As the blinds rose and people started playing tight I went berserk. I was raising almost every time it was folded to me. My stack grew. When I finally got played back at the all-in re-raise was only about 2x my raise. I called someone with 45o. He had ATo and I busted him out. I pushed on midstacks with garbage they folded like little girls. Someone had aces once - I doubled him up and then stole his next two blinds and he was back to where he was.


Aa we got into the top 30 I was the chip leader by almost 2x. I kept the pressure on nonstop. People at the table were scard to play back at me because they had seen me call people with junk. Everyone knew if they played with me it would cost all their chips. I rarely got played back at. This gave me license to steal. By the final ten I had a dominatant position. (150k chips...6 guys with 20k or less..two with 60k). I avoided the big stacks at picked the middle stacks apart. Without cards. Took that tourney down for 3K.


I played recklessly and relentlessly. I never turned off the pressure on the other players. I was in there almost every hand...raising.....stealing...


After watching how some of the pros play I made some major adjustments. They seemed to work well. Are these good/bad strategy adjustments? What do you think? What was I doing right? Was I just Lucky?
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  #2  
Old 07-29-2005, 12:24 PM
pokerstudAA pokerstudAA is offline
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Default Re: Bubble Aggressioin - Good adjustments?

I was really hoping to get an interesting discussion going about bubble and ITM strategy. I think this is the phase where the real moves deep into the money are made.

Guess this is uninteresting........mabye everyone is still asleep.
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Old 07-29-2005, 12:42 PM
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Default Re: Bubble Aggressioin - Good adjustments?

Actually I think its an excellent topic and I learned a lot from the post...becomes more about playing the table and the opponents than playing the cards...it seems scary though.
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Old 07-29-2005, 01:27 PM
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Default Re: Bubble Aggressioin - Good adjustments?

Now im no where near a good/pro tourney player, but my game has been improving alot. However, I think that my bubble play could be better and your post inspires me [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Congrats on the win and I hope some real players get to respond on this subject, as I think this is a very interesting topic.
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  #5  
Old 07-29-2005, 01:45 PM
TxDozerMan TxDozerMan is offline
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Default Re: Bubble Aggressioin - Good adjustments?

I think you pretty much nailed how the good posters on this forum play. You have to remember though that with this strategy, you *WILL* bust out early very often. Stay focused, 1 win will make all of the early busts worth it. Good job, grats on the score!
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  #6  
Old 07-29-2005, 03:10 PM
Gar Pike Gar Pike is offline
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Default Re: Bubble Aggressioin - Good adjustments?

Fear is the killer. Move past yours, play on theirs. Play solid poker to get a stack, that builds respect. Play faster when the blinds increase, their respect for your earlier solid play causes them to fear you might be having a run of cards. Get aggressive with a big stack, they fear losing their chips. Get lucky once, being aggressive, they fear your luck.

Good on ya, stud!

Regards

Gar
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Old 07-29-2005, 03:37 PM
beetyjoose beetyjoose is offline
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Default Re: Bubble Aggressioin - Good adjustments?

Nice post. I think this type of play separates the good players from the excellent players. Congrats on the victory
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  #8  
Old 07-29-2005, 10:42 PM
pokerstudAA pokerstudAA is offline
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Default Re: Bubble Aggressioin - Good adjustments?

[ QUOTE ]
Actually I think its an excellent topic and I learned a lot from the post...becomes more about playing the table and the opponents than playing the cards...it seems scary though.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is scary and you will bust out often. There are definately phases where playing tight is optimal....but there are phases where super-aggression will build your stack and increase your winning chances. The real trick is recognizing when that time has come and following trough.
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  #9  
Old 07-29-2005, 10:57 PM
WillMagic WillMagic is offline
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Default Re: Bubble Aggressioin - Good adjustments?

Someone had an epiphany.

Will
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