Help with my end game.

[mybrainssore]

What is the best way to learn to play the final 2/3 tables of a MTT.

I lack the 'final' product and always seem to screw up with 2/3 tables left, finding myself getting too aggressive with mediocre hands.

I have made 5 final 2 tables in the last 5 tries and am very dissapointed that I havent been able to take advantage of the rush I am currently on.

Does this just come with experience or should I maybe be playing soem 2/3 table tournies to get a feel fo these things?

[nightlyraver]

The 1 to 3 table sit 'n go tourneys are definately a great way to gain experience on how to play a small field. You really should be playing many of these in your spare time between MTT's.

Also, if you're losing lots of chips by overvaluing mediocre holdings, stop doing that. Know when to change gears. I find that a sold tigh-aggressive game goes a long way at this stage. The first reason is that you don't put your tournament life at stack when moving up from 15th to 5th usually will carry such a high gain in real money. Second, since the blinds and antes are high and people tend to tighten up at this stage, you can usually run several successfull bluffs and pick up some real decent pots preflop. If you play few hands and show down big cards, people will avoid playing a pot with you and you can steal a lot preflop. Another tip is to pay VERY close attention to your opponents. People play differently at this stage in the tourney and the game now becomes less about the cards and more about position, stack size, tendancies, tells, etc. If the only hand you play is your own, you will not fair well in the late stages of a MTT.

Hope this helps...