Quote:
Originally Posted by 3for3poker
This part about the crushers 'avoiding' that stack size is something to dig into. ....
The question I have is this: What steps are the crushers taking to avoid the ~20BB zone? How are they playing differently than I do? Are they just going super aggro at 30BB to avoid drifting into the 20BB zone? (Obviously they are better players than I am, so that is some of it; still they just never seem to have that stack size that I so often do).
disclaimer that I just returned to tourneys after being gone for 10 years so my advice might be kind of dated ... but here's how I have approached it... the forum should correct me if I am wrong...
So in the 20-30bb range you're shoving more and 3b less - or hardly none at all - but once you get to and above 30bb - 40bb you can 3b more often especially in high range spots (lpvslp / lp vs blinds) . when I am in the this vulnerable 40-30bb zone that's when I try to bounce or ladder up to 50> by simply being more aggressive in these high range spots - but it's important to be extremely cognizant of using the proper 3b sizings vs the same or <30-40 bb stack sizes because obviously big stacks will simply call you off wider ... and to do it vs the appropriate opponents (they're stack aware and they can rfi/f pre and their range is wide)... if you just got moved to a table and you don't have reads with your 40-30bb stack this can be difficult. Luck in tourneys extends to circumstantial things like this as well... I heard a story that one of the final table'ists at the 2012 basically ended each day leading up to the final table with a 30bb stack - and I am guessing he used this style of play to do so (and got lucky in those spots).
GTOw is free for preflop - so it is a good idea to get a razor sharp idea of what these ranges at these vulnerable stack size depths. if you're in the poor house and can't afford their fee - then test these ranges vs one another in an equity calc on different flops to get an idea of when you might be continue betting or not. or just post hands on 2p2.
Here's an example of how I kind of use it.
Let's say you're <30 you're really either shoving or calling - hardly 3b'ing:
The example is what just 5bb makes for A5o between the two different stack sizes ... when we get above that 30bb thresh hold we can start to increase our 3b range:
This really puts your opponent in an awkward position in that they'll either have to fold or shove and if they are calling - which most of the time they should - they're folding a lot otf... sometimes over folding even with the regs - so it's important to understand which flops are range bets and which are 50/50s and which are range check backs. You can also ladder up and exploit this method on bubble spots - near breaks etc by 3b or shoving the hands that are low frequency in the solver.
Edit: Also worth a mention when you are in the 20s - you are shoving wider where you would otherwise be 3b'ing - this is why tournaments have the highest variance of all the different games.
Last edited by nonsimplesimon; 09-11-2024 at 07:49 PM.