Bubble Boy

[cmillard]

I regularly play in two $20 buy in N/L tournaments a week. One game has 6 to 9 players, and I win my fair share of the time. The other game has 12-20 players and I have only finished in the money once....more often than not, I am am one or two places from the money. The larger tournament certainly has better players, so I know that is one problem, I am getting close to the money....but not having enough chips to do anything. I would be considered a very conservative player....should I loosen up playing with more people? I know this isn't much information so any general advice would be appreciated, thanks. I will be glad to answer any specific questions

[Lottery Larry]

[ QUOTE ]
I regularly play in two $20 buy in N/L tournaments a week. One game has 6 to 9 players, and I win my fair share of the time. The other game has 12-20 players and I have only finished in the money once....more often than not, I am am one or two places from the money. The larger tournament certainly has better players, so I know that is one problem, I am getting close to the money....but not having enough chips to do anything. I would be considered a very conservative player....should I loosen up playing with more people?

[/ QUOTE ]

You tighten up with more people. However, it sounds as if your game is too tight to begin with.

Without more information, this really can't be answered well.

[cmillard]

Looking back, I really didn't give much info at all! $20 N/L, 12-20 people, ~4,500 starting chips, blinds start at 25/50 and go up every twenty minutes. I am consistantly finishing on the bubble. I am a very conservative player, so I don't get a lot of action when I am in a hand (I know I need to work on that). My mindset seems to be "survival" not "winning".....and surviving to the bubble means absolutely nothing! I feel like I am pushed off of decent hands sometimes...again, being conservative and trying to survive. Is there anyway to "practice" having bigger "kahoonas".....lol!!!

[Khabbi]

Generally, you may need to play more aggressively on the bubble. Take advantage of the everyone else playing tight and steal blinds/pots. Blinds should be big enough to make it worth stealing even if you don't get any action.

[kodonnell]

If you are lucky enough to be a tight player and your opponents know it (hence getting a lot of laydowns to your raises), I would suggest bluffing a bit more. For example if it is folded around to you on the button (or 1 off), raise with any 2 cards...all the time...until your opponents figure that out. Maybe pick a couple hands to bluff with in any position....my favorite is 72o. That way if you get played back at hard, you have an easy fold. Your "kahoonas" will grow exponentially.

[beekeeper]

[ QUOTE ]
$20 N/L, 12-20 people, ~4,500 starting chips, blinds start at 25/50 and go up every twenty minutes. I am a very conservative player, so I don't get a lot of action when I am in a hand (I know I need to work on that). I feel like I am pushed off of decent hands sometimes...again, being conservative and trying to survive.

[/ QUOTE ]

Without knowing how your opponents play, I'd say you should be able to make money at the larger tournament. You start with 90x the bb! While the blinds are small, which is a considerable amount of time since they only go up every 20 minutes, try to limp in in late position with anything, as long as your opponents will let you limp . If you can see a cheap flop while holding rags you may win a few monster pots, enough to give you a healthy stack at the final table. If you loosen up, do it in position.

Regarding being pushed off hands: I had the same problem. I started calling down more, but with certain criteria. First, call down the known aggressive players; (2) call when you are not being charged too much comparatively; (3) you don't have to have a great hand, but you have to have a hand when you call. You don't have to call often because everyone will notice. Probably occassionally the LAGs will say "good call" or somehow call attention to it, and advertise for you that you're not being pushed around as much. Sometimes you'll even win the pot!

If you do start to bluff more often, don't show the bluff. You want them to keep thinking you're conservative. Don't worry--once you are involved in more pots, you'll get more action.
gl

[Zetack]

[ QUOTE ]
I regularly play in two $20 buy in N/L tournaments a week. One game has 6 to 9 players, and I win my fair share of the time. The other game has 12-20 players and I have only finished in the money once....more often than not, I am am one or two places from the money. The larger tournament certainly has better players, so I know that is one problem, I am getting close to the money....but not having enough chips to do anything. I would be considered a very conservative player....should I loosen up playing with more people? I know this isn't much information so any general advice would be appreciated, thanks. I will be glad to answer any specific questions

[/ QUOTE ]

How long have you been playing these games? If you've gone say ten tourneys, or 2.5 months worth, and only moneyed once, it probably feels like you never make the money. In fact its far to small a sample to know that you are doing anything wrong. I'd be very careful about tinkering with your game simply based on the assumption that you must be doing something wrong by only moneying once in a small run of tourneys.

Zetack