We're told to get more aggressive as the bubble approaches and if we're a big stack. Call it variance but whilst I'd make final tables, I never made it past 8th (even when starting the FT as a big stack) and often made the money but missed out on the FT.

Again, call it variance, but in my past 3 tourneys, I've ran deeper than expected by being more restrained. In bacj to back tourneys ($55 and $33) I went from a big stack to life support 25 places from the money and instead of going all-in as per usual, I went into fold-fold-fold mode unless I had QQ-AA - and not only made the money but had the chance to get back into things and start the FT in 4th and 2nd place respectively.

And last night, I started the FT of a $10 MTT in 2nd place, got crippled early on whilst being TAG, so literally went into fold mode and had my best ever finish - 5th place. Sure, I had to win a few all-ins but each time I waited until <8bb rather than 12-15bb as I used to do. Meanwhile those who played aggressive were getting ejected.

I also tamed my aggression so instead of 4 betting late on with pair and A10+ I would just call, which gave me chance to fold if I missed the flop and villain hit. Previously by being prepared to go all in with AJ in <15bb or 3 bet and then cbet with in, I avoided getting kicked out by 77 or AQ.

All this seems coutner intuitive - super passive - and it is only 3 tourneys but it does seem strangely correct. As I said at the start, even when the chip leader at the FT I never got past 8th place and would watch on in stunned wonder at how the short stack would fold-fold-fold and not only get 4th or better but often ended up HU.

Thoughts?

Why were you 4b a range of pairs and AT+ anyways? Are you saying you're peeling the 3bets instead?

Being passive has times where it's optimal. Like in severe icm spots with someone severely short stacked and you're covered by someone. But honestly this reads just like a completely results oriented conclusion. You always want to make the optimal play not the tag/lag play. Now consider if the times you got 4th or 5th you maybe won a 50/50 instead and go on to win the tournament instead. It seems like you vastly underestimate how much variance is in tournaments. I also would say that 55's are prob too high to play unless it's casually given some of your threads. Which isn't meant as a diss it's just important we're honest with ourselves.

I meant 3 betting. Standard TAG has us limp/call with small/mid pairs to set mine and GTFO if miss and scare cards hit the deck but ofc that becomes predictable and I've had success in 3 betting pf and a) avoiding uncomfortable flops and b) implying QQ+ and getting dangerous hands like Ax and other pockets to fold.


It is in the sense that I'm looking for optimal play to deliver best results in the long term. Perhaps all this is nonsense - too small of a sample to make a judgement and I was running deep previously so it's not like there's been a huge upswing in performance. I'm just wondering if previously I was just too too aggro). I mean, previously, if villain 1 raises and villain 2 calls, I'd have no issue 3 betting in position with AJ but today I just called and saw a flop. Likewise I raised with QQ and called a reraise instead of 4 betting all-in and hoping villain doesn't have AA, KK or spikes an ace with his Ax. It just seems I've been able to lose less chips when beat/be more assured I'm in the lead before getting it all i.


I appreciate the variance and that it requires thousands of hands to begin to even out, it just rankles that almost every FT ends up the same - leaving early whilst others let others bust and then benefit from the pay jumps and reduced competition before running through the gears. I mean, that's a lot of money I've missed out on so whilst I concede there's a large degree of results-orientation at play here, and I have been unlucky (last 2 exists I lost an 82/18 and 70/30 respectively) it does make me wonder if it's a mental thing seeing as I crumble so quickly after playing so well for several hours.

Also, I think it's fair to reflect and review results and strategy because I'm not going to improve my game, ROI or profits if I don't plug leaks. My Sharkscope has me at 55 ability and I'm a losing player. Had I held back a bit and made 7th or better (let alone 5th or better) I'd have a better Sharkscope and be a winning player and surely that's the goal?


Absolutely. Just a bit of fun instead of blowing my money on nights out.

I agree with Killer that you need to be concentrating on making +EV plays in individual hands - of course waiting for QQ+ when shortstacked lets you make +EV plays when you get them - but if you don't you blind down very quickly so you can't afford to pass up less juicy but still +EV spots, and you do need to just accept that there will be variance and not overthink situations

That said it's important to develop reads on people later on as there are quite a few players who nit up crazily in later stages and so may be opening very strong ranges
So there are times when AJ is a fold from a 15BB stack when facing an open raise because V's range is just too strong.

But basically don't stop being aggressive in the later stages - It's definitely the most +EV strategy

I mean it's really important to make correct decisions not just ladder up. It's hard to analyze whether hands with no context (AJ hand) are good decisions to flat or not. We don't have hud or regular reads, nor positions and stacks etc. If you're interested in improving you should get icmizer and download preflop+. These tools will really allow you to analyze stuff more in depth than we can on the surface. Also if you're just playing recreationally then sure enter whatever of course.

I agree with making say a 3-month investment in ICMizer and run through the SNG coach simulations.

In addition to SNGs, you can run sims from all kinds of bigger tournaments... 1500man, 180man, etc.. Run the ones that you play most frequently. I'd recommend smaller fields as they have less variance and easier to build a bankroll. ICMizer also now supports final table, pre-final table, and bubble spots which is kind of cool.

Just practice on the sims for 30m an hour a day and you'll get much better at your final table/pre-final table game... Also agreed about not playing 55$s. I actually just finished taking one down a moment ago, but

give yourself time to build a bankroll... It's easy to tilt and play bad when you overplay your bankroll causing a flow of bad/money losing decisions...

MTTs are about being able to chip up without showdowns - of course you'll need to win all ins and run hot to win, but the best are able to get a big stack and put plenty of pressure on the field. Next time you're deep I would focus on how the field is playing and finding spots to steal - if people are nitty/passive open wider, if players are opening very wide consider either 3bing them wider or flatting wider and outplaying them postflop. I'd also focus on smaller fields with deeper structures - be honest where you stand against the competition and focus on improving.