Playing More Aggressively in the Middle Stages – Smart or Risky?

[ShadeTurn]

Hi everyone,


I’ve recently been playing freerolls every day under the name ShadeTurn. One thing I’ve been thinking about:
As the blinds increase in mid stages, stacks get shallower, and it's hard to stay comfortable without taking risks.


To avoid getting blinded down, I’ve started playing more aggressively in the middle stages — stealing blinds more and defending wider. But today, this approach backfired when I ran a big bluff and busted.


How do you decide when to push for chips vs. when to stay patient?
Any tips on balancing aggression with survival would really help!


Thanks and GL at the tables!
—ShadeTurn

 

[Flyer35]

I think that's totally appropriate until stacks get to the point that somebody is shoving every hand.

Unlike some I'm a very infrequent shover. Everything short of AA pre-flop is a risky play, and even AA can fail. I'd much rather bet to keep the field down and see a flop. If someone else decides to shove over my bet then I will have already decided whether I'm going to call it or not.

I usually only shove when I can l probably get the play to heads-up and I'm fairly short (under 20 BB) and I have a reasonable hand.

 

[dannystanks]

I think it’s important to play aggressively in the middle stages. Accumulating chips now by pressuring the blinds, staying in position and trying to win pots preflop is essential to build your stack to get you through the bubble and deep in the cash. Some players will play too tight in the middle stages so try to take advantage of this when you can. Good luck!

 

[sandy358]

Hi everyone,


I’ve recently been playing freerolls every day under the name ShadeTurn. One thing I’ve been thinking about:
As the blinds increase in mid stages, stacks get shallower, and it's hard to stay comfortable without taking risks.


To avoid getting blinded down, I’ve started playing more aggressively in the middle stages — stealing blinds more and defending wider. But today, this approach backfired when I ran a big bluff and busted.


How do you decide when to push for chips vs. when to stay patient?
Any tips on balancing aggression with survival would really help!


Thanks and GL at the tables!
—ShadeTurn

There is a bunch of factors to consider. As you get shallower, your range morphology changes, you play less low suited and low pair hands and more off-suit broadway/Axo types of hands (because it is hard to deny your equity when your stacks get shallower), so because there are four times as much offsuit hands as there are suited, technically you play looser. But this is one side of the coin. The other side is the ICM. As you get closer to the bubble, you need to nit more as a mid stack, unless the short stacks nit. You get less when you win and you lose more when you bust. But if you are a chip leader, you can bully mid-stack, other deep stack and upper short-stack opponents, if they have a basic understanding of the ICM and overfold. If they don't - just don't engage that much into ICM-based exploits, because you will win money as they bust.

 

[SPANKYSN]

I would rather get knocked out trying to be aggressive to get to the money than get blinded out...it is such a demoralizing way to lose.

 

[scobido]

I think everyone has their own style, of course after several tests everyone has chosen their own style of play, at least I play according to the opponents at the table, I sit and analyze each opponent's game a little then apply the optimal method, but patience certainly has its place in every game.

 

[szabooom]

I have been doing pretty well in the card chat free rolls, sliver and bronze, cashing twice a week and making final table at least twice a month, I play super aggressive in the early stages, try get to at least 3 x starting stack, and then let people bluff stacks into me when I have the nuts or something to strong to fold, once your over 100bb, people seems to respect your bluffs or believe you have gotten there on the river a lot more. Again this is just my opinion

 

[Rost]

I play when my cards are strong enough. So, when I feel that my hand is strong enough, I play more aggressively. If I don't feel my hand is strong enough, I fold. It's as simple as that. Freerolls are always 50% luck and 50% skill, so you either get lucky or not.

 

[ShadeTurn]

Thanks all, these replies were super helpful!

I guess mid-stage poker is like walking a tightrope — lean too far into bluffing, and splat. 😅

Gonna steal a bit from each of your strategies: some patience, some pressure, and a healthy fear of chip leaders with sneaky full houses. 😵

Onward we go — GL everyone and don’t forget to hydrate while bluffing!
— ShadeTurn

 

[CRStals]

We did a Learning Series on managing your stack through a MTT - might be a good read to see what we talked about versus what you're suggesting as the answer - as is with most questions in poker - is it depends. What you suggest will work sometimes, but ohers you may want to change gears. We go through factors to consider here -->

Managing Your Stack in a MTT

• MTT Stack Management: Early Levels in Re-Buy Tournaments
• MTT Stack Strategy: Early Stages in Freezeout Tournaments
• MTT Bubble & Final Table Strategy: How to Adjust Your Stack for Deep Runs

 

[AKQ]

I think everyone has their own style, of course after several tests everyone has chosen their own style of play, at least I play according to the opponents at the table, I sit and analyze each opponent's game a little then apply the optimal method, but patience certainly has its place in every game.

Patience is great for switching gears from high to low or cash games Beyond that, patience is weakness and compounds with time in mtts. Kinda like unsettled business