Nameless14 said:
If you're cashing consistently but not making many final tables, one common issue is playing too cautiously as the field gets smaller. Many players shift into "survival mode" after reaching the money and miss opportunities to accumulate chips.
A few things I'd look at:
- Are you applying enough pressure around the bubble and pay jumps?
- Are you taking advantage of good reshove and steal spots with 15–30 big blinds?
- Are you passing on thin value spots because you're afraid of busting?
- Are you adjusting to stack sizes and ICM considerations late in the tournament?
Another possibility is that you're actually playing well and just running into normal tournament variance. Final tables are much rarer than cashes, so even good players can go through long stretches without reaching one.
I'd be interested to know: when you bust, is it usually with a short stack, a medium stack, or after building a big stack and then losing a key pot? That answer can often reveal where the leak is.
Thanks for the advice and for explaining it so well. I’ll definitely work on it.
I still have a lot to learn when it comes to using the bubble to my advantage. As for how I usually bust tournaments, it varies, but I only recently started studying MTT strategy seriously. Most of the time I get eliminated with around 25–50 BBs, and it’s pretty rare for me to build a big stack and carry it deep into the tournament.
I also struggle with knowing when I can profitably play weaker
hands, and I think I tend to play a bit too tight at times.
Another thing is that when I’m doing well and have a healthy stack, I sometimes get involved with weaker hands against short- or medium-stacked opponents. I tend to do this regardless of the tournament stage, and maybe that’s something I shouldn’t be doing.
So if I had to answer your question, I’d say I usually bust with a medium stack rather than a short stack or a big stack.
