(This article is a follow up to 'Middle Stages Sit and Go Strategy')
The thing to keep in mind here, should you engage with another big stack on the bubble, is the player who felt no bubble pressure one hand ago but could potentially be at risk to bust now, will suddenly feel a lot of pressure as betting escalates. Part 3 of 4 - The Bubble, here we look at the opportunities to build a stack that can take you to the final table that are unique to the bubble stage. Navigation Top 10 Poker Sites Best Poker Bonus US Poker Sites Rules Strategy Latest News. Playing the bubble in a sit and go isn’t always fun (unless you are the big stack), but it is a crucial time in any tournament. This is the point that will either make or break your chances of making a deep run and ultimately winning.
The “bubble” stage in any tournament occurs when only a few more players need to be knocked out before the money places are reached. In an SNG, the top three places are paid so the bubble occurs when there are about 4-5 players left. The bubble stage in an SNG is a special time because the dynamics of the game change. Everyone is aware that if they can hang on just a bit longer, they’ll at least get something for their efforts so far.
Just sneaking in to the money is not a profitable strategy over the long term. The payouts in SNGs are heavily favored to first place. Third place finishes result in just enough money to pay for the buy-in fee. In the long run, a strategy that tries to squeeze you in to the money will not result in any significant earnings.
Playing the Bubble in SNGs. When you approach the money bubble in any game, it’s the point in time where every player feels some excitement or rush. This is the portion of a game where the time you’ve invested now pays off with a monetary figure. The key to getting through a money bubble and into the money is to not play too reckless.
Your goal in SNGs should always be to take first place. That means you don’t stop collecting chips at any point in the tournament – especially during the bubble. You’re going to have to win every single chip in play to win the tournament so you need to always be on the lookout for opportunities to gain chips.
Check out our Video Strategy Guide for the Bubble of a Sit N Go
Take Advantage of the Fearful Ones
The best strategy for the bubble in a SNG is to take advantage of the players who are looking to just sneak in to the money. Many inexperienced players play SNGs in the hopes of just making it to 3rd place, with the thought that anything better than that is just gravy on top. With that mentality, those players tighten up considerably on the bubble so they can guarantee themselves a 3rd place finish or better.
Those players are the perfect target for you to attack and steal their chips. The blinds at this point are so large that every time you steal an opponent’s blind, you increase your stack considerably. If you can identify the players who tighten up on the bubble, you can increase your chip stack nicely by stealing from those players.
The key to successfully increasing your chip stack during the bubble is to use finesse to target the tight players and avoid the players who are willing to fight back. You also have to be quick to get out if an opponent shows any strength. You can compare the proper strategy to guerilla warfare: You want to get in, hit your opponents when they are weak and disappear when they are strong.
Some of the best players to steal from are the ones who are on the border between medium and short stacked. These players are often the tightest of all because they are working so hard to outlast the other players. They don’t have enough chips to splash around and take risks, but they have enough chips not to be completely desperate and willing to gamble with you.
Remember the Power of Position
Your relative position at the table will change rapidly at the table because there are only 4-5 players remaining at the table. Even though there are only a few players remaining, you still need to play tight in early position. At this point in the tournament, the play is rather erratic and people will randomly make all-in bets. Stick with strong hands if you’re in the first or second position.
In late position, your cards are almost meaningless. Your goal in late position is to steal the blinds, not to get into a showdown. Your play should be dictated by the players in the blinds and by the action before you. If nobody has moved at the pot yet, you can make a move with any two cards, provided the players in the blinds are likely to fold.
Next, learn how to play the late stages of a sit and go (after you make the money).
More General Sit and Go Strategy:
When you approach the money bubble in any game, it’s the
point in time where every player feels some excitement or rush.
This is the portion of a game where the time you’ve invested now
pays off with a monetary figure. The key to getting through a
money bubble and into the money is to not play too reckless. If
you play too reckless, you’ll bust right before the money
bubble and not be satisfied with your play.
Picking Your Spots
Near the bubble, it’s important that you are playing pots in
optimal spots. The best spot to look at is from the button or
cutoff position. If you play hands from the button or cutoff, you’ll
apply pressure to other players as opposed to them doing it to
you. If you make a raise from the button or even shove from the
button, depending on how big the blinds are, you are putting a
ton of pressure on the blinds. The blinds will either shove
all-in or fold the hand. Around the bubble in sit and goes there
isn’t much room to do anything else or get too creative. If the
blinds decide to flat call, this is a strange play and you can
most likely continuation bet the flop and force a fold, but you
should also look out for a trap. Some players will do this with
a hand like aces, but that is pretty rare.
If you are playing out of the big or small blind at the
bubble you can force a number of folds if you represent a strong
hand. Position raises are very common as the bubble steadily
approaches and most of the time the raise before the flop will
work. If you are in the big blind and notice a player taking way
too many hands down before the flop, you can make a re-shove in
to try and win the pot. At the bubble, this is the most risky
time for it, but, without a hand your opponent cannot make the
call. Your goal should always be first to make the money and
then to go in for the win. Once you make the money you can open
your game up more and play more hands.
How Many Players Cash
If you are playing a six handed sit and go the top two players will cash in the
game. If you are three handed, it’s crucial to make no mistakes.
One mistake will cost you cash and a possible win of the match.
To avoid making mistakes you should look at stack sizes around
you. If the other players have bigger stacks than yours, it’s
time for you to start shoving and hope you double up. Your goal
from the first hand to the last hand is to win, and if you are
short stacked you have to put pressure on the big stacks and
gamble.
Bubble Play Poker Strategy
If you are a big stack, it’s tough to call off with
weaker hands in spots where it will change the complexion of the
game. If you are big stacked or in first with three players left
you want to stay in first. Ideally you want to see the players
in second and third play a big pot with each other. If you
already have the stack, there’s no sense making thin calls and
gambling to possibly lose your stack. You can go from the big
stack to the short stack in a matter of one hand or a few bad
calls.
Six max sit and goes are aggressive by nature and the money
bubble shouldn’t change that. If you have been playing
aggressive by attacking blinds, this is the time where you can
build up your stack and go in for the win. If you have gathered
a lot of chips and have twice as much as your other two
opponents, you should run them over and put pressure on them.
You can win the game essentially by having a stack at the money
bubble. If you have the stack you should shove with hands that
are a favorite over a random hand or two random hands. There’s
no sense to put in a raise, because it will commit you to the pot
anyways. If you raise and proceed to fold as the big stack, you
are losing valuable chips.
The money bubble in full ring sit and goes is tougher to
approach, because almost all players in these are playing passive
throughout the game. As the bubble approaches you should have
been able to identify who has been playing tight and exploit
that by shoving on their blinds. Of course you need to pick up
some cards if you are four handed, but, you can also steal a
number of pots with marginal hands.
Full ring money bubbles are
tough to approach because there are two situations that will
happen. All of the players at the table will have close to even
sized stacks or one player will have a big stack with three
smaller stacks. If every player has an even sized stack, it’s
more or less a waiting game between the players. One player will
shove and get folds, then the next hand another player will
shove and get folds. It’s really tough to play with four even
stacked players, because it’s all about patience. If you have
enough patience eventually one player will shove in and bust
their stack.
Bubble Poker Strategy Free
The best way to go in for the money or a win with four even
stacked players is essentially to wait it out. If there’s one
big stacked player at the table, this player will most likely
look for every spot to apply pressure on the others by shoving.
If you are one of the short stackers, you should avoid the big
stack unless you have a big enough hand to play with them. What
you should do is try to pick on someone who has the same stack
size as you do. If you are shoving on them most of the time the
player will fold without a big enough hand to call. You’ll
apply far more pressure approaching the money bubble against
someone with a small stack as opposed to a big stack.