Don’t Fear the Bubble: Strategies for Late Play in Sit and Go’s
Generally speaking, in single-table tournament play you are on the bubble when you are one of the elite few remaining players on the table, but not in the money just yet. My contention is that at this time on the table players are much more likely to fold to pre-flop raises and check raises than any other time - mostly because of the fear of losing, coming this far and not making money - take advantage of that! Of course it depends on the player, but generally speaking you want to at least take stabs at the pot once every time around the table to pay for your blinds. You also don’t want to let them bet you out pre-flop if you have a decent hand in decent position. Don’t be afraid to lose! It is the number one way to guarantee that you will.
If you have gotten this far by hanging tight and you have a short stack you might want to consider loosening up a bit, here’s why:
1) Players that have watched you only play premium hands respect you, but more to the point, your raises.
2) At this point in the game it is safe to assume the blinds are taking their toll on your stack. If you keep folding the blinds and not reloading it won’t matter if your next hand is AA because you will at best get to where you were 3 trips around the table ago.
The thing is this, if you’re short, and the blinds take about half your stack each time around, you’ve essentially lost already. You have nothing left to play for, simple as that. Be fearless.
If you have gotten this far in the tournament by catching some nice draws and you are the large stack, and are folding your small blinds every trip around the table, you are giving away your money. Don’t play loose, but don’t just give it away by folding. You are in the best position for making other players lose. Consider bullying them around with mid-pair or a flush draw and see what happens. Sure, they might double up, but more often than not they are going to be afraid of your stack- and of losing. Fear is your ally, use it to your advantage! Don’t be afraid to lose, don’t be afraid of the bubble, and you will win more tournaments
