When playing in a Texas Hold’em Tournament all players want to experience the buzz of the bubble stage. It is 🌜 what you want and where you want to be, as long as you are not the next person out!
What is 🌜 the bubble?
This is the point in a tournament where the next player out does not take any winnings. The remaining 🌜 players will take something away from the table.
Example: The tournament you are in states that the top 25 players will 🌜 win money and there are 26 players left. These 26 players are “on the bubble”. The one player that is 🌜 knocked out and gets no reward is said to have been knocked out “on the bubble”.
Playing the bubble – Different 🌜 strokes for different folks!
Make no mistake when the bubble period is reached in a tournament, things change. It really is 🌜 the do-or-die time. It is fairly common to find players changing their style dependent upon the stack in front of 🌜 them.
This affects whether they decide to look at survival which will ensure they get a share of the prize on 🌜 offer, or whether they should play with the intention of busting out other players.
Two general categories of bubble player
• Survival: 🌜 This category of player has their priority on surviving. By doing so they will be safe in the knowledge that 🌜 doing so entitles them to take home some winnings
• Playing to win: This player’s intention is to take no prisoners. 🌜 They are playing to win the tournament and have every intention of using this period to their advantage in order 🌜 to accumulate more chips
Different styles and strategy of bubble play
The different styles and strategy of bubble play should be studied. 🌜 Not just during a tournament that you are playing in, but also while on the sidelines. Such analysis will help 🌜 in future tournaments and give you a greater chance of not only surviving the bubble, but of also increasing your 🌜 chances of scaling that prize ladder.
• Different styles: Some players will fold just about every hand, even good hands. Their 🌜 playing style will be as tight as can be. Others will start raising and going all-in on lots of hands. 🌜 The size of a player’s stack and how the other players are acting will affect these decisions.
• Strategic decisions: The 🌜 number of players left at your table will affect your strategy. It determines such things as how many hands a 🌜 player can survive folding with the antes as well as Big Blind (BB) and Small Blind (SB). Conversely, if a 🌜 player has a big stack then an effective strategy can be to play loose/aggressive in order to accumulate chips
Being “the 🌜 bubble” hurts, but…
There is no easy way to put it. Being knocked out “on the bubble” hurts, but it is 🌜 important not to dwell negatively on the fact for too long. Remember you got to within one of taking something 🌜 home. With positive analysis of mistakes made during play, you can determine how plays could have been made differently.
Don’t just 🌜 assess your bad moves, look closely at the good ones. By combining this knowledge and putting it into action in 🌜 future tournaments the buzz of the bubble will be yours in a very positive way!
