Bubbling constantly

[Queso]

I play mostly $5.50 27 person tournaments on PokerStars.

I don't believe in calling; when I join a pot, I come in raising. If I'm reraised, I don't call, I either reraise back if I feel I have the hand, or fold. I don't raise with marginal or easily dominated hands (but I do make exceptions when the situation calls for it), for example, I know to raise with AJ in position but fold it to a raise out of position. I will C-bet the pot most of the time in position, and usually take it when I do. I almost never join a hand on a draw unless I'm in late position. I almost never continue with a draw unless I'm getting the correct odds. I know how to take a pot if no one has shown any interest; I know how to steal from the button in the right situation. I know how to release a hand when I'm beat (for the most part. Sometimes I smell a rat).
I make the final table in almost every game I play. But I usually make it short stacked; and lately I can't seem to make the cash to save my life. I understand the concept of getting more aggressive and opening up my range to make it to the final table in better position than the shortest stack, and I understand the concept of being more aggressive near the bubble when others are tightening up just trying to make the cash.

What the hell am I doing wrong?

[TheCol]

I think it sounds like you play too aggressive. Coming to the final table short stacked sounds like you try to push too many bad hands and lose with a low kicker or something. Being too aggressive can be bad unless your catching cards. Maybe you should not always raise pre-flop and try trapping more. Now if you have pocket aces I always raise pre-flop. Ive been burned too many times slow playing them. But like pocket jacks or 10s, try limping in and not raising pre-flop. Let someone else do the raising so you dont get reraise pre-flop with your pocket 10s or Jacks. Or if you limp in with a small pair and someone raises, depending on the raise you can play your small pairs or you can fold them. With minimal chip loss. It will save some of your chips earlier in the tournament. All in all too aggressive can be bad. Slow down and trap some. And dont raise pre-flop everytime you want to play a hand. Dont go fishing for flushes to the river.See the turn card if the bet is small, but if you dont hit the flush on the turn fold. That will save you some chips too.
I play alot of 45 player sit-n-go's, and what I just said is how I play sit-n-go's on FullTilt. And I do pretty good. I make the final table most of the time, unless I catch a bad beat or something. Maybe try some of these things I said, and hopefully it will help your game.

[Tim]

Originally Posted by Quesofromage

I play mostly $5.50 27 person tournaments on PokerStars. ... What the hell am I doing wrong?

Try the 26 man tournaments instead.

I think it was Ferguson who said "if it's worth calling, it's worth raising", and while I like this idea, sometimes a call is best.

Perhaps you are being too aggressive, and should be more careful who you play against near the bubble. On the other hand it sounds like maybe you're not being aggressive enough in other situations. Maybe you should mix up your play a bit.

But this could probably just be all down to variance.

[Queso]

Originally Posted by TheCol

Maybe try some of these things I said, and hopefully it will help your game.

Thanks Col... I'm going to think about all this. It's funny, because I don't feel like I'm aggressive enough! But a lot of what you've said makes sense. Thanks for the help. I know you said last week the same thing about folding draws on the turn if you don't hit. It didn't seem to add up to me, if you have the correct odds to continue... but there's no arguing the point it will save you a lot of chips. I'm going to think a lot about how to apply 'slowing down' in general, see where it takes me.
Appreciate your thoughts.

[Queso]

Originally Posted by Tim

Try the 26 man tournaments instead.

I think it was Ferguson who said "if it's worth calling, it's worth raising", and while I like this idea, sometimes a call is best.

Perhaps you are being too aggressive, and should be more careful who you play against near the bubble. On the other hand it sounds like maybe you're not being aggressive enough in other situations. Maybe you should mix up your play a bit.

But this could probably just be all down to variance.

Yeah, the 26 man tournaments... without me! G1

Could you please say a little bit more about which other types of situations I might not be aggressive enough in?

Thanks!

[Tim]

Originally Posted by Quesofromage

Could you please say a little bit more about which other types of situations I might not be aggressive enough in?

Well, I just get the feeling that you might be playing a bit passive post flop. You say you don't call, just raise (generally). But do you think too much about your own cards and not enough about what your opponents might have? Are there spots where you can semi-bluff rather than fold?

You also say you make the final table nearly every time. So do you put survival ahead of those opportunities where you have an edge, and could go into the latter stages with chips, and not as the short stack? Busting out early is the same as busting out on the bubble - i.e. no money.

[RyckyRych]

TBH, it sounds like you aren't being aggressive enough.

Yeah, I know that sounds silly considering what everyone else has said, but it very well could be that you don't actually realize just at what point you have that "short stack". Of course without seeing the actual games its hard to know that, especially if these are not turbo games.

Most players wait too long before they go into push/fold mode, thinking they have more room to "play poker" than they actually have. By waiting too long you sacrifice fold equity, which can be important when you need to pick up a pot or two in order to maintain yourself.

[TheCol]

You also say you make the final table nearly every time. So do you put survival ahead of those opportunities where you have an edge, and could go into the latter stages with chips, and not as the short stack? Busting out early is the same as busting out on the bubble - i.e. no money.[/quote]

Good point Tim. When I get to the final table of a 45 player sit-n-go on Fulltilt, my choices of poker hands change drastically. I dont play any low pocket pairs in early position. I dont like going all in with AQ. I will even fold AK if I get reraised pre-flop. The object of any sit-in-go is to win at least you entry fee back. Try not to push marginal hands when your close to the money, let other people knock there selfs out of the tournament. Wait for a good hand.
I always tell myself just before committing all my chips in a hand, is this the hand want to end my tournament on?

[Queso]

Lots of great stuff to think about, guys... thank you.

There could be a lot of merit to the thought that I might be losing fold equity before I realize it. Thanks, Rycky

And you're right, Tim-- when I'm thinking about what other players may have, it's almost always in respect to whether or not THEY have ME beat... or have the best of it... not the other way around. If I were giving more thought to looking for perhaps that smallest edge... it might help me see more plays available to me post-flop.

and Col, I think I could learn a lot from you about being "cautiously aggressive", as Negreanu puts it.

I think a lot of my problem may be, the books I am constantly reading sometimes just jam up my head... I have to learn to put away the 'hard and fast' rules I think I should die defending... and start putting more stock into the current, hard won insight that other players can give me.

So thanks again, guys. I really do want to stop whining.

[Doc_H]

I don't believe in calling; when I join a pot, I come in raising.

Good aggression, but you lose out playing the suited connectors that you can play and the small pairs that make sets (assuming you don't raise with these, which is usually not a good idea until the short-handed stages).

If I'm reraised, I don't call, I either reraise back if I feel I have the hand, or fold.

Why not call? You're probably getting pushed out of a lot of pots if you're folding middle pairs in the later stages or if they've caught on and they're bluffing you.

I almost never join a hand on a draw unless I'm in late position.

But if you're drawing to the nuts, and you have good implied odds, early position drawing hands are still playable.

I make the final table in almost every game I play. But I usually make it short stacked; and lately I can't seem to make the cash to save my life.

Previous posters have said it, you've been playing for survival and not enough chip accumulation before the final table.

Good luck sir.