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Mastering The Bubble: Five Tips For Multi-Table Poker Tournament Success

How To Navigate An Important Part Of The Tournament

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When it comes to multi-table poker tournaments, there is perhaps an unfair emphasis on the bubble stage of the game. What is the bubble stage anyway? It is the final stage of the game where the chance of winning real money is higher than ever before and you are only one or a few eliminations away from winning the award. Depending on the number of player which can range from around forty to hundreds or even thousands, the bubble portion of the game could last a while, but it still is the breaking point of every MTT game.

1. Determine the player’s style

Identifying the strategies of others could be of great help in developing or following through with your own. There is a certain style to recognize in a player. The main distiction is between high-risk-high-reward types and the play-it-safe types. The first type does not mind high stakes. They are confident and willing to take risk and believe Del Boy’s famous words that it is he who dares that wins. On the other hand, the play-it-safe crew prefer low stakes and steady wins. This bunch often would often search for low minimum deposit casinos, and casinos accepting 5 dollars are Heaven on Earth for them. There is now a huge variety of them so play-it-safe customers can choose their most preffered option.

2. Distinguish players from non-players

When in the bubble, people’s behavior changes. There are ones that remain low on casino chips – they cannot be catgorized this way as they are forced to tighten up and wait for their perfect chance. However, others can be divided into players, ones that actively participate in the game during the bubble stage, and non-players, passive players that stand still and wait for something to happen to them.

3. Monitor your own stack

Try to stay aware of yourself in the bubble – are you a medium, low or high when it comes to your stack? This will impact your strategy and your power in the bubble. If you are low on chips, you would also be forced to keep up with one sole strategy of sitting tight and waiting for a million dollar opportunity to show, while medium and high stats give you more freedom to strategize in the bubble.

4. Apply pressure smartly

When in the position of power, you should try to play on your opponents’ psyche. Pressure the low and medium stack holders to fold by showing confidence. Get yourself those blinds and antes whenever you sense someone’s weakness. There is a lot to psychology in the game, sometimes completely unrelated to the real situation.

5. Avoid passive play

Regardless of the fact that is may seem like a safe strategy, passive play is the worst you can do. It is always an option, but it will diminish your chances of winning. Moreover, it will show your opponents that you lack the guts and passion to take the lead and win the game. Unfortunately, here it is not the slow and steady that wins the game, so that should not be your strategy.