Avoid Getting Caught In Bubble   by Poker King

in Entertainment / Gambling    (submitted 2012-01-27)

The bubble in poker tournament is one of the most frustrating things for the player. For someone who is not familiar with the term bubble, it means finishing just when you are out of the money. A term that is frequently used in such a situation is busting out on the bubble. It is that stage when you have tried all your strategies, all your moves, all your shrewdness only to find that you will barely miss out on the payout. The only thing that feels worse than busting on the bubble in poker tournaments is the realization of the mistakes that you have made to exert yourself right before the payout.

Let us take a look at some of the common mistakes that lead a player to bust out on the bubble in a poker tournament.

Firstly one should not be playing so conservatively. The hand values change with the increase in blinds. When the bets start pouring in and increase the reward ratio on a pre-flop steal, then you need to be aggressive during the bubble stage. It is never easy to bag the pot before the flop but it is easier to do so during the bubble situation. One should always remember that it is not just you who is anxious about being in a bubble stage but all else are equally anxious. While it is true that unrestrained aggression might land you out of the game just on the cusp of making money it is also true that unbridled folding has more chances of leaving you empty- handed in a bubble in poker tournaments.

During bubble is poker tournaments ensure that you are not raising more than it is required to. Out of reflex a lot of players end up raising almost three times the big blind irrespective of the stage the poker tournament is in. The reason why they do this is that a smaller raise will invite the blinds or button to call with marginal holdings. However this is not the case always. As a smart poker player one should always maintain flexibility.

Your stack size also plays a big role. A correct move during the bubble in poker tournaments depends on your stack size with respect to your opponent's stack size. If you own a short stack you have to assess your chances of making the money by looking at how long you can survive before you go hopelessly short. A step you can take is always targeting the opponent who has stack shorter than yours.

Bubble in poker tournaments is a very bad feeling. You toil hard for hours in the tournament only to get a slight pat in the back by the player sitting next to you. But there are tricks of the trades that you need to work out on in order to take the game away and make it yours even while you are on the bubble stage. Being the bubble person is not that bad if you know how to turn the game to your advantage.

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Poker King