Hello 2+2. I'm trying to fix my leaks and I find that I don't realy understand the big picture about "surviving importance" in a tournament.

At first I was a huge nit, then while reading here and there, talking to players, I found that It was a wrong way to success. I used to die a lot on bubbles and all that things you know about nits.

I open my ranges and my push ranges and also my calling ranges to the point that now, I think I went to far with it and get same profits as my nit past being.

Today I decide to start studing ICM seriously, and push/fold factors. I read about it a lot but never realy "study" it by hand history.

Anyway, that isn't the point. The point is the "big picture" about survival. My pro and semi pro friends corrected me about lots of spots where I didn't take the risk. For example Overpushing with AK with 35/40bb, or calling shorstacked people pushes with KT, etc

What I don't understand and don't even have a clue about is the value of surviving. There is a mix of information, feelings and results making me very confuse.

The "tought line" I observe from pros and people who understands is: "where ever you find an EV+ spot, you should try to put all your chips in or the most of them you can"

Is it correct? I miss understand?

The way to win a tournament is taking all the EV+ spots you find for the most chips you can?

Let's forget about ICM in this. I am talking about reaching FT/bubble, then is correct?

There is no value in survival?

Examples of survival:

- You have 15bb in UTG seat with ATo or A5s or 33. The theory says it is a push. But realy? how many times does it works? I know is "theoricaly profitable" but it is more profitable than wait for a better hand in better position next hand round with 14/13.5bb?

- You are at BB sit with AQo, 99, KQs and 60bb, about to reach the bubble. Some maniac in BTN pushes 48bb. He can be pushing **** but, he may not, or he may win with the ****ty hand.

- You are at BB sit with 22, 87s, JQo and 22bb. Some other maniac wich you think has an opening range of 80% in BTN and has us covered opens x3. 3bet push steal here is profitable, but realy¿?? I should take this spot everytime?

If everyone tells me it's the way, I will feel beter playing that way. If I find a spot to be 51% favorable I should always try to put the most chips I can on it?

Is there any post about this subject I can read?

Thanks a lot

PD: To make it clear: I imagine wining a tournament with this idea like a chain. Every little circule of the chain (sorry I'm not english native as you can see lol) is a spot where you risk your survival with +50.1% chances of winning and win. How many "circules" are needed? is it possible?

combination of winning pots when your behind and running well when you get it in when your in front.

Luck will win you tournaments. Tournament poker is gambling and making a play when your behind in a tournament sometimes will help you win the tournament if you get lucky. If you didn't gamble with the worse of it you wouldn't win the tournament.

cash game is different.

I'd fold those hands.

I would think that >100bb you're a significant leader in tourney ev.
I need a better read than this to make this play with these hands.
Short answer is no.
There's a whole forum for mtt study where there are likely lots of good threads:

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/23/small-stakes-mtt/

Depends on the size of the field. Imagine winning a 100 player tournament? It's like rolling a die with 100 sides and hoping your number comes up.

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If you have enough chips to be able to survive the next pay jump (even if you folded every hand), that is when survival might be a bigger factor than getting your chips in the most +EV spots.

For example you are on the final table of a 2000 person tournament with 80bb in your stack. The chip leader has 100bb. 7 other players on your table have 10bb. You would be wise to fold vs the chip leader even with some really strong hands, since folding every hand will give you guaranteed $$$ as the 10bb shortstacks will start knocking each other out.

Of course this depends on the exact hand and the pay jumps involved but this is the general rule.

So, the ability to win a tournament is a mix of luck + chosing right EV+ spots (not all of them, just the better ones) + Make some plays with EV- and win them??

Yesterday I found this "pushbot" excel document (https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/2...nk-you-824728/)

I can't afford ICMIZER right now, so that was a great surprise for me. I read a lot about ICM and had a general idea but never study actual hands. And I have an example from a hand I study yesterday.

It's a 45 person $1 sit and go's FT. 6 players left. I'm at MP sit with 12.6 bb and get dealt A9o. I push

During study I find that it was a mistake. I just can push 5.1% of hands starting on AQo. Percieved table calling range is 7.5% stating with 88+ and ATs+. This is because of ICM implications

But then, I paste same hand with no ICM implications and I can push 91% of hands being profitable. Crazy change!

Then.. do you ever push 91% in this spot? Which is the right decision?

Let's forget about A9, A9 should be a push. But the other 91%? I find 7.5% calling range pretty standard. 88+ ATs+ Ajo+ KQs+. So here I can push 93o with profits, someone realy does it?

Another easy example:

We are against a villain which has a percieved pushing range of 35% with 15bb. We have 50bb. Our calling range should be around 15% right? but... we should call everytime we have a 15% hand here??

There are different sorts of tournaments. In limit games, "a chip and a chair" is more applicable, because if you survive, you can often bounce back into the game. You're less likely to bounce back in no-limit, so the upside is more restricted to what you can win by surviving a bit longer.

But in some spots, surviving a bit longer is good anyway. So you go for it, regardless.

Towards the end of the tourney, ICM will make decisions more cut and dry, and at the earliest stages decisions will tend to fall with your chosen style of play.
The tricky part is the middle and is probably the most difficult and highest skill cap part of the tournament.

My take on it is the totally ambiguous “be careful, but be ready to make a stand” during that middle part.

Don't be a nit. Get involved in a lot of hands and hope you run good. Gamble hard.

The only time to play nitty in tourneys is if you are a short stack near the bubble or if you reach the final table and have a medium stack where just waiting for short stacks to busthe is actually a good move. Other than that, you should be very active.