some advice please.

Chris_Mc

hi all.

i play mainly small stake mtt's. preferably deep stack tournaments also play the dtd's and Friday orfordable.

when i run deep in an mtt and get a good lead at the start i seem to do really well. 

i'm confident i stay clear when i don't need get involved, i feel i make the right choices at the right time picking the players and pots i want too get involved in, and i feel great 4x  3x 2x the average. 

then it gets to around 15 to 25 players left. and this is when the change happens. i seem to tighten right up and worry about getting my chips in and keep second guessing myself, then the blinds get too miby 600/1200 and i'm not hitting the raise button when i think i should. this seem to be a real problem in my game especially at the later stages and even when i get to the final table. 

does anyone else encounter this or had this problem in mtt's???

how do i get out this habbit!!

any advice would be very appreciated thanks.

Phantom66

Later stages as blinds grow and field thins...

1. There is a lot less room to play hands down the streets
2. Most of the softer players are out and so it's harder to find easy spots to accumulate chips

Do you adjust your raise size (in BB terms) down? Using minraise instead of x3 x4 is one way of preserving chips at this stage.

Are you changing your opening hand range (you should be) but be careful about your calling / reraising ranges - ideally these should be adapted in relation to relative stack sizes and the sort of range you are putting your opponent on.

Generally though don't be scared of putting chips in or you will be blinded out / pushed off of puts too easily.

KAM99

I call this issue the nobebleeds or scared money. It's like a nosebleed from pressure, and it effects players when they are in an uncertain situation. This might be a new level of money at a cash table, or in your case the latter stages of an MTT when you don't reach the last 10% that often.

The simple fact is there is no quick fix to this. You just have to learn not to play scared. How to play the latter stages of tournaments is too long a subject for a post here though, as there is just so much to take into account. Maybe pick up a book that will give you this kind of information on how to play various stack sizes in the last 10%-20% of an MTT, what hands from various postions based on stack sizes to your left etc.

You do need to be switched on to the table when the blinds are getting high though, as it's vital you pick up the tentative players that you can put pressure on, as right now you are that player and will get exploited by others. At least you know what your leak is, and can change it. Only practice will do that in some cases. It was the same with me in cash games not being aggresive enough in some spots or with some hands.

BigBluster

I used to have exactly the same problem but I've overcome it.

1. You need to let the table know that you're not afraid to get your chips in. In the small blind facing a button raise, you MUST shove. Not first time, not every time, and when you do it you should have something like 89 so you're not dominated by AK that could call. But move those chips in! Play back at people!

2. But, and this is key, pick the MEDIUM stacks to play against. The small stacks will call you, the big stacks can bust you. It is the medium stacks you need to play against. They are looking to ladder up: put THEM to the test.

3. Look for the player who plays like you have. The guy who won't call a shove; the timid guy who gets into the money then seems a bit lost. HE is the one you want to move against!

[Here's a tip that works well for me: in the SB when everyone has folded, you limp. If the BB is any kind of player he will raise or shove. Let him do it, just fold. Next time limp again: he will raise or shove again, let him have it. Now the trap is set.......]

hhyftrftdr

In Response to Re: some advice please.:

I used to have exactly the same problem but I've overcome it. 1. You need to let the table know that you're not afraid to get your chips in. In the small blind facing a button raise, you MUST shove. Not first time, not every time, and when you do it you should have something like 89 so you're not dominated by AK that could call. But move those chips in! Play back at people! 2. But, and this is key, pick the MEDIUM stacks to play against. The small stacks will call you, the big stacks can bust you. It is the medium stacks you need to play against. They are looking to ladder up: put THEM to the test. 3. Look for the player who plays like you have. The guy who won't call a shove; the timid guy who gets into the money then seems a bit lost. HE is the one you want to move against! [Here's a tip that works well for me: in the SB when everyone has folded, you limp. If the BB is any kind of player he will raise or shove. Let him do it, just fold. Next time limp again: he will raise or shove again, let him have it. Now the trap is set.......]
Posted by BigBluster

This is really passive poker. 

BigBluster

^^^

Don't get it. This is metagame, setting him up....

hhyftrftdr

In Response to Re: some advice please.:

^^^ Don't get it. This is metagame, setting him up....
Posted by BigBluster

Setting him up for what? For that time we are guaranteed to pick up AA/KK in the SB, and trap him when he ships his 7 3 again?

LARSON7

If you have 10 bigs later on if you want to play a hand, if you feel it's strong enough just shove.

If you have 13-15 bigs it's a good stack to 3 bet shove.

In the sb late on, I would say never make up the blind, raise or fold.

If you are raising late on, always make it a min raise, it will achieve the same objective as a 3 x raise.

Before you make a raise it's good to have a plan in place, if they shove will you call?

Just try different things and see what works for you.

Chris_Mc

thank you all for your advice and will take note of all this information.

thanks for taking the time out too help me with this problem proving again that this is the forum to be posting on

gl all.

hhyftrftdr

Chris, will give my detailed thoughts/advice later after I've had some food and busted the Turbo.

a cant right proply on a emti stomack.

Chris_Mc

In Response to Re: some advice please.:

Chris, will give my detailed thoughts/advice later after I've had some food and busted the Turbo. a cant right proply on a emti stomack.
Posted by hhyftrftdr

No problems mate, look forward too it.