Been improving my game steadily over the last few weeks. To the point I felt I was actually in with a good chance entering a $10 MTT 2k gtd today, rather than it being a total lottery, so I did.

Played will and had above average stack till 51 players left.

Called an all-in with AQ suited against KJ suited. He hit a Jack and I missed my flush by one. Down to 1500 chips.

Fought back and was chip leader (tourney) 10 mins later.

Ended up finishing 13th. Only paid $35 or so but I was pleased with my consistency.

Now I really need to learn what to do in two situations.

1) Pre-bubble tightness. I cashed in on some obvious tightness (but was also mostly tight myself), BUT at one stage, right on the bubble, chap b4 me goes all in (covering me) and I have AK off. I folded. I;m not sure I shoudl have. I can't see it as a winning strategy! I just didn't want to blow out on the bubble. I'm assuming that's an excuse of a poor player? (incidentally, I'm a littel shy of AK off all-in-forced - often it's against pairs and you have to pray for a hit) - the guy had 10 10 btw.

2) Post bubble - it goes mental for 10 mins. All the people who are fed up/bored/impatient/relieved goign all-in. Like 3 people all-in some rounds. This swung the chip lead massively.

I got caught up in it with JJ and I folded. I just didn't want to throw it away against 2 people with a non-top pair.

Then when it calmed down, the huge stacks were pushing us off frequently and before I could blink I was trying to survive.

I need a fair bit of advice how to play these stages of a tourney if anyone can help!

Directly Pre and Post bubblemay be the most difficult position for players to learn to play. Many like to tighten up pre and go loose/crazy post bubble, which you saw. How you play in these positions depend on what you are trying to do.

Some people play to cash. The connotation since Doyle wrote SuperSystem is that this is bad. It is not. If you are looking to build a bankroll so you can slowly grow, this is not necessarily bad strategy, and the folding of the AK and JJ is solid play. The super tight play is fine for this, and you can build a bankroll more consistently this way.

I do agree with Doyle though, I ALWAYS play to win. You can't pay me to fold AK on the bubble. Yes, I may bust, but Ill take a coinflip there to go after some big pays. And even more so with the JJ, my money is in the pot BEFORE its my turn, Im in such a hurry to get it in there. You are already in the money, it is time to go for the win.

But, it all depends on your mindset and goal in the tournament on what you do.

Thanks mate - some solid advice. TBH - reading it - I think I've realised the criteria for me - shit or bust - and it is this:

I've not placed in an MTT for so long (used to here and there) that I didn't want to walk away empty handed.

I'm gonna carry on with my solid play and cash more. Then once I've cashed a few times (say, 3 or 4) - convincing myself I'm doing consistently good, then I'll switch to the mode I know that my heart is in - Winning! - I always eye up the top 3 prizes and I want them - no doubt. (I've had 1st b4 - but freerolls)

you should be playing the bubble by what you have learned about the other players the time you have been there.

I hear ya - but 2 problems - 1) I got moved table! lol 2) I didn't pay enough attention - doh! lol

open other tables to watch

lol I just notice now the title of your thread ^^

lol - yeah - thanks matey - your advice has been mainly responsible for my improvement, along with some solid encouragement from PKRNation!

1) That was a fair lay, I hate AK off, I think with the bubble approaching I'd have only called that with AA or KK, so for me that was good play.

2) I'd have been very tempted to push with the Jacks at this point.

Well, I looked at what I'm trying to achieve form MTTs and it is NOT doubling a $5 or $10 stake. I can do that on cash tables in much less than 3 hours. I want to win.

So I played to win and lost out 2 places from the bubble (freeroll - so whatever)

Today I played to win again. Just a $2 MTT. I came 1st.

Man, the amount you can make on the bubble is amazing. I doubled up in a few (non maniac) hands. Mainly stealing blinds and calling blatent bluffs.

Love it. I'm definately a play to win man now!