I play a lot of cash but recently have given tournaments a shot. I've done very well in a very small sample size (6 entries, one 1st, one 2nd, one cash which is this one, 3 busts). In the tourneys where I did really well I had more maneuverability near and after the bubble to play more than 1 street poker.

In my last tournament, $400 buyin 390 entries. It was a grind, we were going almost 9 hours to get to the bubble.

For the last two levels (30 minutes each) before the bubble I was moved to a table where all the larger stacks were. I had an average tournament stack but was the 2nd shortest at the table and then went horribly card dead.

Guy on the button when I was in BB opened about 40% the time 2.5x sizing. I was horribly card dead (93o/J2o type hands over and over again.). I 3-bet one time with K6o and took it down just hoping my image got it through and having at least a K if it didn't.

EDIT--forgot to mention. In this structure BB posted a full BB ante in addition to the blind.

Once we got into the money, same situation and I started getting blinded down. My question is, should I have a defense frequency with crap hands? If we are say 20bb, or 25bb, should we just call 2.5x and see a flop with total trash or just 3-bet or rip marginal hands like 78o at some frequency?

To answer possible questions, had worst ranges while on button and blinds. Hands like A7o that I could open from late or defend in blinds only came in EP so while I was stealing a few blinds, not enough to keep up.

I think ar 20-25bbs you want to stay very tight and wait for a better spots. Eventually if you don't get a hand you can shove lighter around the 15bb mark

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78o is a little too light for a shove with say 15-25 bb unless opener is extremely agg and done at a super low freq. 78o is more a bb defend hand and fold when you don’t connect. When it comes to ripping 15-25 bb, you wanna focus more on suited Broadway, suited connects like 78 or 89, and small pairs to midish+ pairs. I would exploit raise small with kk or aa and maybe stop n go with hands like AQ or AK (get 1/3rd stack in pre it makes sense for sizing and rip flops).

Btw your post- please don’t get crazy. Your results seem insane. I’m like 1/25 for cashing in my last 25 live tournies and I know I’m +ev bc I study and read 2+2. Trust me- don’t expect results like you stated in live game. You can expect to cash at higher rate than equilibrium + win more bc folks don’t play short handed much live if in right field type (aka you aren’t against 2-3 bosses when say 5 left which is unlikely). Just don’t get carried away with outlier type results.

Example: I won a wsop circuit ring earlier in March, got a min cash, and made final two tables of a 400+ runner event. Gotta be honest- I think I’m the bees knees at poker but this was running well at its finest. I think I ripped Q5o sb v bb in tourny where I made final two tables and best QK when bb woke up. Just going to say to think it’s playing well is lolz. Standard spot but luck needs to be on your side. I think certain folks (not op), experience success early in mtts and expect it to be constant. I remember when I final tabled a $24+2 on tilt way back when I was in college and starting poker. I thought I was hot ****- looking back after receiving coaching from 2 world class players and studying on my own through sits like runitonce, TPE, crush live poker etc- the mistakes I made in that tournament were probably immense. Always realize it can go bad in bigger field mtts (say 200+ players) for a long time and even no min cash streaks can be annoyingly long.

Thanks for the advice but I'm not suffering from delusions. I know this is a super small sample size. I'm not buying a ticket to Vegas for the WSOP. I know I have an edge over most of the field, but not that large and there are better players even in the 200-400 range tournaments I have played.

Possibly luckily, I don't like tournaments that much. The grind, play well, get a few breaks and ... its gone nothing. That is infuriating to me. So I will likely continue to just take shots every now and then. I only played this one because I won an entry by winning a previous tournament.

As far as BB defense, when there is a BB ante and you face these tiny raises, should we be defending with absolute trash here sometimes?

Yea I’m not saying you are delusional. I fee newer players- have early tournament success and think it’s just all peaches and unicorns. Trust me- I’ve played a lot of online tournies and live (was backed online back in the day), it’s kinda scary how bad it can go for long stretches if you don’t win crucial flips at specific stages of a tournament. I just harp to newer players- take it slow with tournies, play the lowest stakes possible and learn the ropes- play 500 mtts and then make a judgement if you like them per se.

You- I assume you are solid if you win at cash. I tend to think better cash players find the transition to mtt easy- just gotta learn bb defend spots, shove ranges (really easy to learn if you look at charts), etc.

Defend hands- you wanna focus on hands that are suited and or connected like 78, 68, etc. a hand like 92o, 103o, J5o are easy folds. You wanna try to avoid spots where your opponent may have you out kicked with big card. You also wanna take into account how many players flat. Say ep opens, button calls, you are bb with Q7- you may want to fold bc your Q is going to be dominated at times and post can be brutal. More players in hand- more folds you have to find from the bb defend spots. You want to defend at a proper rate as you gotta realize these spots can lead to nice suck outs where we build heaps of chips and can also win hand without showdown at times when we flop well. Also LP raises tend to be light so our equity can be very solid even against a better hand. Obviously wanna defend more from bb to a 2x or 2.5x open Vs say a 3x-4x open. I’m even fine folding stronger hands at times to really tight omcs even if normally a call against a standard opponent.

Avoid hands that are offsuit and way away from connection. Like 74 or 73 is no good (duh). Also would recommend finding hands to 3! Fold with in lp Vs bb or sb spots. In the live game, I think folks tend to call way too frequently instead of turning a hand into a 3! Bluff. Hand like KJo, A-10o, j9s j8s 56s 45s can be 3! Folded to a cuttoff open when we are bb. Idk it’s easier to tell a story when you 3!, villian flats and we take it to the streets. It’s kinda sad how I feel most live players don’t realize it’s easier to win at times when you 3! And take a bluff line post. If you just call, your hand looks weaker than it is per se and doesn’t put pressure on opponent. Folks don’t 4! Enough were these 3! Fold spots even get punished. Just make sure you 3! Over 3x as you will be out of position. If button opens and I 3!, it’s going to be 3.5x-4.5x their bet based on how deep stacks are. It’s no fun playing out of position- tax the villian if they wanna see a flop in position.

Btw this doesn’t really mean 3! Fold at 15-25bb, I’m talking more about deeper stacks. For rips- focus on hands that are suited and connected. 78s j9s, etc stuff like that make good tips as they are hard to realize equity post on small stacks. Also make sure to use blockers- hands like k5s or A5s A4s make great tips over lp raises as you block 2 of the best cards + it’s super nice to pick up a pot without showdown and we increase our stack a nice %. These hands can play well also when caller.

Strategys shift drastically towards the bubble in theory. Some hands that are +cev become losing $ calls and so on depending on a number of factors.

Blockers become more relevant at the 20-25bb mark. U want to block their strongest hands (ax kx hands)

In your situation I would defend with any two suited cards and any consecutive and almost consecutive offsuit cards (including 32o and 53o). I will also typically defend with offsuit Ax, Kx, Q7+.

When I am below 25 blinds against the BTN who is raising 100% of the time I will typically jam any Ax/KQ/KJs/22+ (though sometimes its A8+ & 55+ if the BTN is also a station which was not the case here).

I'm glad you are not going to Vegas because frankly you are awesome and I prefer to play only the bottom of the ladder.