MATTHEW ROBINSON

Weblog: Giving insight into online poker

Don’t blow it when approaching the bubble

BUBBLE play - it's the most crucial aspect of tournament poker.

What is the bubble I hear you ask? It is the last finishing position before hitting the money. So, for example, the bubble occurs when there are 11 players left in a tournament in which only ten share the money.

As you can imagine, this phase changes the whole dynamic of
the game, as small stacks try to cling on to reach the money. The big stacks, meanwhile, bully everyone at the table, knowing that people will only be playing premium hands.

So what should you do when you're nearing the bubble? If you're a bigstack then you should, with frivolous abandon,
be raising almost every playable hand when you're the first
player in the pot. You will be surprised how frequently people
fold their blinds when it means avoiding confrontation.

Importantly, avoid targeting the small stack's blinds. If the
blinds are 1,000/2,000 and you make it 4,000 to play (minimum raises are often enough to steal the blinds), the small stack could then go all-in for another 4,000. You're now pot committed, needing to call another 4,000 in an 11,000 pot. Target the medium stacks instead.

There are two types of tournament players; those that go out to win and those whose aim is to try to get in the money and take it from there. Players trying to win it during the bubble stages will go all-in on a coin toss situation, making marginal calls in order to build their stack. Those who want to cash will be playing tight.

By deciding which type of player you are, you will be able to adjust your game and tackle your rivals appropriately when
approaching the business end of a tournament.