Pre-flop action: exploiting the Bubble

During the bubble phase, be more aggressive and use a wider range of hands just before you get to the money.

The person who finishes on the bubble is the one who comes last among those who do not win any prize. In other words, the last place to 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 closed. After playing for hours or even days, the last thing a poker player wants is to go home with nothing. As a result, players who have a significant amount of chips lose a significant amount. And short-stacked players are forced to do something before they run out.

The reason we play tournaments is to win them. The big prizes are in the first three positions. However, as players get closer to the money, most of them reduce the range of hands they play. They don't want to get involved in hands because they don't want to get knocked out before reaching the money.

While this is simply human nature, in this case it is a big mistake. You shouldn't care whether you win a few dollars or finish on the bubble.

As you approach the bubble, resist the instinct to try to survive. You have to try to thrive, not survive. Exploit other people's fears of not being in the money, widen the range of your open arms and grow.

Example:

You have A♠- 9♠. The late stage of the tournament is underway. If two more players are eliminated, the remaining players will be in the money. The blinds are 2000-4000. You are short-stacked with 52 000 chips and are in middle position. All players behind you have between 40 000 and 80 000 chips. Everyone folds to you. What do you do?

This is not a good hand. However, you only have 13 blinds. However, you know that your opponents have started to play much more carefully. In fact, not a single flop has been opened in the last 20 minutes.

Raises up to 12,000 usually win you blinds. But if someone calls, you may have to make a difficult decision on the flop. However, you should consider a more aggressive option on the flop, which is to push all-in.

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