There's 70 people left and I'm second in chips with 10,000+. The average is 3800. 18 spots pay. Blinds are 50/100 and my M is 72. Do I tighten up as people start to get loose so they push into my made hands or stay loose and raise with my connectors and mid-pairs? I've been known to lose big stacks with ease when it comes to these points. I chase with crap "because I have the chips to do it."

I'll be honest, I'm more comfortable when playing loose but want to finish ITM. I want to win more, but I don't want to go from 2nd in chips to busto in a span of 10-15 hands.

Suggestions?

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BOSS

Depends on table conditions. If you can exploit a tight section of the table, don't be afraid to keep raising their blinds to 2.5 BB every single time. Follow up with a 1/2 pot continuation bet whether you make anything or not.

If raised, run. When you do make a hand, if they're ready to make a stand just go all in and watch them call out of frustration. As the big stack, your weapon is the threat of busting out the other players, but weild it using small bets that don't commit you to hands.

Don't make bets that can only be called by a better hand (like putting others allin), unless they're really short and you're ready to race off a small portion of your chips against a single shortstack.

When you do raise/bet your big hands are are not called, show them down to help your table image out. But make sure it's a big hand, and if shown down on the flop it's a hand that would have fit the PF raise (in other words, if you raise UTG with 98s and make a straight, bet, and are not called, don't show that down as it's a loose hand for an UTG raise).

Beware!! You need to have a good feel for the table in order to do this.

Course, there's only one way to learn . . ..

If the table is loose, then tighten up and don't be afraid to come over the top of people with more medium strength hands. Again, don't overcommit yourself, just use smaller raises that show you're not afraid to put all your chips in (of course, you are afraid to do that without a big hand, but let them think otherwise).

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Jason75: Ok, you check and the button bets 400. Now what?
Beavis68: You play poker.
Jason75: Darn, I was really hoping for canasta. Maybe Gin.

Thanks a lot Jason, your responses are very helpful.

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BOSS

Don't treat this like a "goal" you have to make (and thus stretch and make a bad decision trying to get there), but keep in mind that the average stack at the final table is about 27K, and ITM is about 15K.

If you build up to a stack of 40K, consider just shutting it down and only playing AA/KK for a while (unless other easy opportunities present like 55 on the button against a field of limpers, limp and hope to hit a set).

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Jason75: Ok, you check and the button bets 400. Now what?
Beavis68: You play poker.
Jason75: Darn, I was really hoping for canasta. Maybe Gin.

just log off, you will do much better that way

Suck it, haha.

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BOSS

No! Beavis is being serious! If you log off and wait, at this point you can probably make it to the money.

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Lots of good rakeback options at http://www.raketherake.com/?refer=RTR25126

KRE8R probably has about seventy college funds in his NL5 roll.

just keep the pots small, dont commit a big part of your stack to anything unless you have to. you can play loose and agressive just remember that you need to be able to let go of pots that are a lost cause.

and remember to be able to change gears. if lag isnt working just lock down, you have a mountain of chips you can easaily afford to just pick your spots and coast into the money.

if it were me, i would just keep playing with whatever style got you the chip lead, as obviously its working. just be observant and keen on when you should change gears.

Meh, finished in 7th place for a $25 cash. This was the final hand for me!

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t1600 (7 handed) CP hand converter

BB (t63226)
UTG (t81199)
MP1 (t10510)
Hero (t20449)
CO (t18140)
Button (t51665)
SB (t24811)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with , .
2 folds, Hero raises to t5000, 1 fold, Button calls t5000, 2 folds.

Flop: (t10450) , , (2 players)
Hero bets t7000, Button raises to t14400, Hero raises to t15374, Button calls t974.

Turn: (t41198) (2 players)

River: (t41198) (2 players)

Final Pot: t41198

Results in white below:
Hero has Js Jc (one pair, jacks).
Button has 8s 8c (three of a kind, eights).
Outcome: Button wins t41198.

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BOSS

Good job Sean.

I might be tempted to open raise allin here. . . . . . but getting it all in on the flop pair over pair is pretty damned hard to beat.

I had the same thing happen to me today . . . KK vs. TT, I raise, he calls. I push all in on Q 8 2 flop, he calls. Turn is T. Game over.

If you win this hand, you're right back in the action.

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Jason75: Ok, you check and the button bets 400. Now what?
Beavis68: You play poker.
Jason75: Darn, I was really hoping for canasta. Maybe Gin.