During the bubble phase, be more aggressive, raise with a wider range of hands just before reaching the money.
The person who finishes on the “bubble” is the one who is the last to be eliminated among those who do not win any prize. In other words, the last place before the money. The stage of the tournament when players are very close to the money is called the “Bubble.”
When players get close to the “Bubble,” they start to play more tightly. After playing for many hours or even days, the last thing a poker player wants is to go home empty-handed. As a result, players with a significant number of chips lose a considerable portion. And short-stacked players are forced to take action before they get blinded out.
The reason we play tournaments is to win them. The big prizes are in the top three positions. However, when players get close to the money, most reduce their range of playable hands. They don't want to get involved in hands because they don't want to be eliminated before reaching the money.
Although this is simply human nature, in this case, it is a big mistake. You should not care whether you win a few dollars or finish on the bubble.
When you approach the bubble, resist the instinct to try to survive. You should strive to thrive, not just survive. Take advantage of other people's fears of not making it to the money, widen your opening hand range, and raise.
Example:
You have A♠- 9♠. It's the late stage of the tournament. If two more players are eliminated, everyone remaining will make it to the money. The blinds are 2000-4000. You are short-stacked with 52,000 chips and are in middle position. All the players behind you have between 40,000 and 80,000 chips. Everyone folds to you. What should you do?
This is not a great hand. However, you only have 13 big blinds. But, you know that your opponents have started playing much more cautiously. In fact, there hasn't been a single flop in the last 20 minutes.
A raise to 12,000 would most likely win you the blinds. But if someone calls, you might have to make a tough decision on the flop. However, you should also consider a more aggressive option on the flop, which is to go all-in.
