Royal Flush Poker

When the point approaches in a tournament where the money places are, there is a natural instinct to tighten up your play to ensure you do not get knocked out before the money. If you have a short stack then I can agree that this is the correct thing to do, because you do not have the strength to use peoples tighter play at this point against them to increase your own stack. So if you are going to move in and attempt to double up, you may as well wait until you have cashed if possible before trying to move in.

With an average sized stack, it is tempting still to lose a few chips in blinds to make sure you make the money. But you do have the power to lean on some short stacks and improve your position. If you can do this without risking everything in front of you then this is a positive way forward, but as always, play the cards as you find them. If you find yourself dealt pocket aces or another extremely strong hand, you can move all in against anyone preflop quite happily. Such clear cut chances to double up, cannot be passed up regardless of how close you are to the money.

If you have a large chipstack then the period of time approaching the ‘bubble’ is when you really should be moving up a gear and exploiting players fears of finishing in that last spot before the money.
However you choose to play in this latter part of the tournament, it is always important to be aware of when this position approaches and look to use it to your advantage if at all possible.