The bubble is one of the most fascinating dynamics in tournament poker. It creates a
thrill and intensity that’s almost☀️ unrivalled in the game. No one wants to be the
so-called ‘bubble boy’ or ‘bubble girl’.
In layman’s terms, the bubble☀️ is the moment in
a poker tournament where one more player must be knocked out before all remaining
entrants are☀️ in the money.
The potential of getting so close to cashing but falling at
the final hurdle can cause players to☀️ act very differently on the bubble. Honing your
bubble strategy is essential to give yourself the best chance of running☀️ deep in the
most significant events with the biggest prizes.
Why do the dynamics of poker
tournaments change as the bubble☀️ approaches?
For many poker players, just cashing in a
multi-table tournament is seen as a success. Fewer poker players will genuinely☀️ play to
win, at least in the first instance. This makes the bubble even more emotive,
particularly if the tournament☀️ has been gruelling. The last thing you want is to invest
a whole day (sometimes more) of your time only☀️ to miss out on a profit in a matter of
minutes or seconds.
That’s why the bubble can create something of☀️ a mental barrier for
poker players to overcome, especially inexperienced ones. Amateur poker players will
typically overtighten as the bubble☀️ approaches. They’ll become the nittiest nit you’ve
ever seen and decide only to play pocket aces and kings.
Although this might☀️ be a
prudent approach for those with enough blinds to bide their time, it can be a form of
poker☀️ suicide if your chip stack is well below the average and is fast dwindling away
by antes and blinds.
Experienced poker☀️ players often relish the bubble. It’s an
opportunity to raise nervous, nitty players and force them into making difficult
decisions☀️ at a time when all they’re thinking about is making the money.
What happens
after the bubble bursts?
You can almost guarantee☀️ a period of frenetic action once the
bubble bursts in a major poker tournament. There will be several short-stacked players
☀️ who clung on for the bubble to burst. Most of these will take a gung-ho approach after
the bubble. For☀️ these players, they’ve nothing to lose. They’re too short-stacked to
bide their time for the nuts, and most will be☀️ happy to have cashed at the very
least.
Those with less than ten big blinds frequently look to double-up and go☀️ all in.
Typically, players with at least 25 or more big blinds will feel in good shape to play
their☀️ usual game. However, they will also have the capital to withstand a bad beat when
taking calculated risks against aggressive☀️ short stacks.
Pointers to help improve your
tournament play on the bubble
Don’t be afraid to play poker hands against players you
☀️ perceive to be weak. If you’ve visibly seen opponents tighten up on the bubble, take
advantage and push them to☀️ decisions in position.
Be prepared to lay down decent hands.
Even if a hand may be in your range to shove☀️ over the top of a raiser in late position,
it doesn’t make it an insta-call. The bubble is not the☀️ time to speculate to accumulate
– unless you are one of the chip leaders and can absorb bad beats.
Speaking of☀️ big
stack strategy, as one of the chip leaders at your table, loosen your hand range. Raise
frequently to try☀️ and hoover up the antes and blinds, but call opponents’ bets rarely.
Any opponent prepared to bet or raise on☀️ the bubble will likely have a strong
hand.
Keep track of the tournament clock. You can assess when the antes and☀️ blinds go
up, pick the right time to be aggressive, and avoid being blinded out on the
bubble.
High-profile poker stories☀️ on the tournament bubble
Several dramatic stories
are linked to the bubble in major poker tournaments, including the World Series of
☀️ Poker (WSOP) Main Event.
At the 2024 WSOP Main Event, the last player to get knocked
out before the money received☀️ a £10,000 buy-in for the 2024 WSOP Main Event. This is
known in the trade as ‘bubble protection’. Kevin Campbell☀️ was the unlucky player to
burst the bubble after seeing his pocket aces cracked by Chris Alafogiannis’ A-9
suited. Alafogiannis☀️ spiked a fifth club on the river to land a winning flush and dump
out New Jersey-based Campbell in 1,001☀️ st place.
place. In 2024, a cluster of cash-rich
amateurs and poker pros entered the Triton Million – a charity poker☀️ tournament with a
£1 million buy-in, with £50,000 of every buy-in donated to 15 charities. £2.7 million
of the £54☀️ million prize pool was consequently donated to charity. Igor Kurganov was
involved in what was dubbed the ‘biggest poker bubble☀️ in history’.
He moved all in with
pocket tens, but Bill Perkins called with his better pocket jacks. A jack on☀️ the flop
effectively ended Kurganov’s hopes. A spade on the turn gave him a chance of a
runner-runner flush, but☀️ it wasn’t to be, and he missed out on a final table profit of
at least £400,000.
He moved all in☀️ with pocket tens, but Bill Perkins called with his
better pocket jacks. A jack on the flop effectively ended Kurganov’s☀️ hopes. A spade on
the turn gave him a chance of a runner-runner flush, but it wasn’t to be, and☀️ he missed
out on a final table profit of at least £400,000. Sometimes, just cashing in a major
poker tournament☀️ means everything. That was the case at the 2024 PokerStars Players
Championship, with many of the 1,039 entrants qualifying for☀️ free with their Platinum
Passes. Consequently, the minimum cash of £19,470+ was a huge carrot for many.
As play
tightened around☀️ the bubble, the tournament had to be played hand-for-hand for
two-and-a-half gruelling hours before an outright cooler for Northern Irishman☀️ Paul
Leckey, whose kings were beaten by Tianle Wang’s aces to send the room wild with
delight.
