Yesterday in a small multi table tournie at the local casino, we were down to 13 players - 10 cashing. I again have plenty of chips to fold into the money. Blinds are 1000-2000 and I have pocket nines on the button. The blinds are in and one mid position weaker player had raised to 4000. I read this as an attempt to steal the blinds. This player had slightly more chips than me (from really sucking out the last hour on the tournie).
With the weak raise, I read it as an Ace Medium. On the button, I pushed all in pre flop with my 9-9. The blinds fold and she insta calls, turning over A-J off suit. WOW
Friggin Jack on the river puts me out in 13th place.
Am I too aggressive close to the bubble?

If you have plenty of chips to fold into the money, why get it all-in preflop against the only stack that can hurt you? That's just poor decision making.

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BOSS

i like your play a lot if the player raised from late position(or, doubtful but was advanced enough to raise on some weak/tight players blinds from early position with a lot of hands) and you have evidence that she could be doing this with a wide range of hands.



tournaments are very fickle and high variance. you gave yourself a chance to pick up a nice pot preflop a lot of the time, and you can still get called and have the best hand and win showdown. however, you lost a race and you are out. welcome to tournament poker.

Maybe you don't understand how casino turbo mtts work.

ive seen em even start 50/100 with 2k chips.

You have to ACCUMULATE in these tournaments. at no point can you honestly say "ok, ive got a ton of chips, lets hope some people bust out"

rather than folding your hands and then gambling with a short stack, you need to make +EV plays with that big stack, accumulating chips giving you best chance to win the tournament. thats another thing about most live turbo mtts, you really get didly shit unless you actually win, so your mindset should NEVER be fold into the money in this kind of tournament.

for instance I'm calling all ins with AK, I'm playing draws very aggressively. I don't slow down, i am all in A LOT and EVERYONE at the table will hate you and your style(they will literally taunt you and say things like "one trick pony, we will catch you and your all in move", because they are bad and tight and will not know how to react when you steal their blinds every orbit and they still don't have a premium hand to call you with.

by the final table, 3-4 players should have less than 3bb just from folding a stupid ammount. and I'm serious.

o thats another thing i forgot. stack sizes are VERY important to think about.
for instance. which play has more EV?

A:
9 handed. 1000 2000 blinds. say you have 60k.
you are in the SB with 22. folds to the co, who is a rare find. hes decent, making lots of positional raises, and thus, he is 2nd in chips with say 40k (yes, average stack at these final tables is very low) he makes it 5000. you shove. certainly, not a BAD play.

B. same scenario. only he starts the hand with 30k chips.

Obviously, scenario B is going to be a better play to make than A, because you have the SAME fold equity in both hands, but when called in scenario b, you risk 10k less!

little things like these... thinking about EV... tournaments are so complex but hopefully you get some sort of idea on how to play aggressive and well in these.

many many many people will tell you that casino turbos are unprofitable because the stacks are too shallow and blinds go up too fast to play real poker. WAY WAY WAY WRONG. these tournaments WILL be pretty high variance, but the play is SO bad even with 5-20bb they are totally profitable and worth it to play.

also, tip for winning these tournaments: when you have a 8-20bb stack, shove over lots of limps with a much wider range of hands that you normally would. they limp very very loose, and fold often. if the players havent played with you before, they will all fold, and probably ask if you had JJ. of course, assuming the people who limp haven't committed so much of their stack that they will call you with anything. if you get called, badbeat them.

What TA said is right on the money. In these tournaments you have two choices - play tight which results in being blinded out in 30 mins or having a stack that commands fuck all respect, or become the maniac that takes constant gambles. If you take the first option - your tournament is over, guaranteed. If you take the second option, you pick up pots or double up, or you get out, it's the only +EV option. While you're being the maniac, you also establish an image of the guy that's not to be fucked with since you're not only pushing with marginal hands but you're calling with them too.

I'm honestly not even sure there's such a thing as being too aggressive on the bubble. Remember, everyone else wants to make it in to the cash just like you do, but the problem for them is that they are mostly weak tight nitmaster donkeys who fold to all ins like it's their job.

You didn't really mention the stack sizes, but if you started the hand with 30,000 or less, your play is completely standard. Tough luck that he called, tough luck that he hit. GG.