Final tables

GhostCatjie · Feb 14, 2026

Hi all, had my first top ten experience last week on GG, ended up 7 after being chip leader on and off for almost half the tourney. 🏆 Was super amped until I started getting excited and nervous threw the game away with reckless calls. Any advise on final tables, If I just sat out for the rest of the game probably would've ended at least top 3 as I was chip leader. What strategy you guys/girls usually use for final tables?

GarotoMaroto · Feb 14, 2026

Only put chips on the table with already at least a top pair or stronger, if you want just stay alive for the pay jumps.
God bless

fundiver199 · Feb 14, 2026

With a big stack you should look for spots to apply pressure to the medium stacks. If someone have 22BB, and two other players are sitting with 6BB and 8BB, then the 22BB players usually dont want to go bust before the two shorties. You should however not make "reckless calls", because it is important to preserve the chip lead and the advantages, it gives you.

That being said sometimes its correct to call, and it only takes 1-2 good calls with unlucky results to go from chip leader to short or medium stack. So its entirely possible, you did nothing wrong at all. Maybe share some hands to the hand analysis section and let us look at them. Then you get some objective opinions about, if they were actually "reckless calls" or just unlucky results.

akmost · Feb 14, 2026

Hm I guess you play small stakes. Personally I play ABC poker. If I have the big stack I loosen up my open raise ranges , middle stack ABC and if I am the small stack then I just wait to put my chips in the middle -hoping for a double up.

If you don't have notes and stats on a player try not to make hero calls etc. Most of the times if they represent it then they have it. Be careful if they check raise you - again, most of the times they will have it already. Don't anticipate many moves for balancing by them etc. Few players will waste their chips to check raise you with a draw - in my opinion/experience- .

And try not to make fancy moves , many light 3bets etc until you are super confident with your skills , table image and grasp of your game.

Good luck to your next final table!

okeedokalee · Feb 14, 2026

If you have a reasonable stack let the others knock themselves out. The thing to remember is the big payouts are in the top 3.
Making the FT is good, making the top 3 is an achievement.

Jyco · Feb 14, 2026

From what you describe, I think the main mistake may have been calling too often with a very short stack, which is something you should almost never do. When you’re down to something like 8 big blinds or less, every hand decision becomes very simple.

With such a short stack, you should usually be going all in or folding. Open-raising and then calling is not ideal, because you don’t have enough chips behind to play postflop properly. Shoving simplifies your decisions and puts maximum pressure on opponents, especially against stacks of a similar size.

At final tables, players tend to value survival a lot. Mid and short stacks often play very tight, waiting for others to bust so they can ladder up. That’s exactly why open shoving can be so effective in those spots.

TheniT · Feb 15, 2026

For the final table, there are several strategies; it depends on how many chips you have and also on the chips of your opponents. If many have few chips, you can play less and wait for those opponents to fold, thus gaining more money.

G0930 · Feb 15, 2026

GarotoMaroto said:
Only put chips on the table with already at least a top pair or stronger, if you want just stay alive for the pay jumps.
God bless

this is the correct strategy if you come shortstacked on the FT , not when you're the chipleader as OP was
But it seems he is a beginner so that shortstack strategy is also ok in that case I suppose

Stringy · Feb 15, 2026

super tight strategy especially if chip leader

Kasztor007 · Feb 15, 2026

Congrats on your first FT! 👏

The biggest mistake at final tables is switching from decision-focus to result-focus.

If you're chip leader:

Apply pressure to medium stacks (ICM pressure)
Avoid unnecessary hero calls
Don’t try to win every pot

The goal isn’t to “survive”, it’s to control the table.

And yes — nerves are totally normal at your first FT. Experience fixes that. 💪

sibkaz · Feb 15, 2026

Play more often and experience will come) The best experience, from your own bumps! ) Good luck and good game! )

Igor Popadyk · Feb 16, 2026

You need to play more, try sng tournirs,to get used to how money puts pressure on you,

mrfastflow · Feb 16, 2026

First of all, congratulations, secondly, it looks like you've learned your lesson, so good luck next time.

GhostCatjie · Feb 28, 2026

GarotoMaroto said:
Only put chips on the table with already at least a top pair or stronger, if you want just stay alive for the pay jumps.
God bless

Problem though is blinds move so fast, if I play too tight am afraid I'll fall behind

GhostCatjie · Feb 28, 2026

fundiver199 said:
With a big stack you should look for spots to apply pressure to the medium stacks. If someone have 22BB, and two other players are sitting with 6BB and 8BB, then the 22BB players usually dont want to go bust before the two shorties. You should however not make "reckless calls", because it is important to preserve the chip lead and the advantages, it gives you.

That being said sometimes its correct to call, and it only takes 1-2 good calls with unlucky results to go from chip leader to short or medium stack. So its entirely possible, you did nothing wrong at all. Maybe share some hands to the hand analysis section and let us look at them. Then you get some objective opinions about, if they were actually "reckless calls" or just unlucky results.

That sounds like a great idea. Will share shortly. Thanks

GhostCatjie · Feb 28, 2026

akmost said:
Hm I guess you play small stakes. Personally I play ABC poker. If I have the big stack I loosen up my open raise ranges , middle stack ABC and if I am the small stack then I just wait to put my chips in the middle -hoping for a double up.

If you don't have notes and stats on a player try not to make hero calls etc. Most of the times if they represent it then they have it. Be careful if they check raise you - again, most of the times they will have it already. Don't anticipate many moves for balancing by them etc. Few players will waste their chips to check raise you with a draw - in my opinion/experience- .

And try not to make fancy moves , many light 3bets etc until you are super confident with your skills , table image and grasp of your game.

Good luck to your next final table!

Thanks for reply and advise, yes I'm still building my bankroll and refining my skills before jumping to higher stakes. Love the game though and trying to put in the time and effort needed and get disciplined enough to know when to give up on some hands.

Hilux · Feb 28, 2026

Late stages require more pressure on medium stacks.

eetenor · Mar 17, 2026

You want to take the time to really study FT play as that is where you make the most of your ROI. There were some good points above, but FT play is so demanding that disparate ideas do not help us to build a strong strategy. We have to spend a lot of time studying FT because we get there so seldom when we first start that study is the only way to be very prepared when it happens.

ICM-is the key to adapting your play theoretically, we move away from Chip Ev actions, and those deviations can be very large. We want to study ICM ranges.
Table dynamics is the practical aspect of FT play- How are my Villains playing? Above a person stated you want to take control which is true, however not all players will let you do that. Not necessarily from skill but being unaware of ICM themselves.

anbu210 · Mar 20, 2026

Final tables are all about ICM and patience. Don’t feel pressured to win every pot just because you’re chip leader.
Avoid reckless calls — let shorter stacks bust and ladder

Final tables

GhostCatjie

Rising Star

GarotoMaroto

Visionary

fundiver199

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akmost

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okeedokalee

Glory To Ukraine

Jyco

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TheniT

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G0930

Captain Fathermucker, Satty Aficionado

Stringy

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Kasztor007

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sibkaz

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Igor Popadyk

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mrfastflow

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GhostCatjie

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GhostCatjie

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GhostCatjie

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Hilux

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eetenor

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anbu210

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