babyrosejr
Rock Star
Platinum Level
In multi-table tournaments, one of the toughest challenges I constantly face is finding the right balance between building a stack aggressively and making sure I don’t bust too early.
On the one hand, poker theory and many experienced players say that chips won early can be worth more than chips won later, because having a big stack gives you leverage and more room to apply pressure. Playing aggressively in the early and middle stages allows you to accumulate chips, bully shorter stacks, and put yourself in a position to go deep.
On the other hand, I’ve noticed that being overly aggressive often leads to early exits. Sometimes, I take unnecessary spots, force marginal plays, or underestimate how much variance I’m introducing to my game. Survival also has a lot of value — especially when approaching the bubble or pay jumps, where ICM pressure becomes a huge factor.
So my main question to the community is: How do you personally balance aggression with survival in tournaments?
Do you prefer to play tighter in the early stages and only open up as the blinds rise?
Or do you like taking high-variance lines early to build a stack for later?
How do you adjust this balance depending on table dynamics and your stack size (say 30–40bb vs 60–80bb)?
I’d love to hear different perspectives, especially from players who’ve had consistent success in MTTs. Do you think the “chip accumulation” approach is better long-term, or is it more profitable to play a survival-first style and capitalize on other players’ mistakes deeper in the tournament?
Looking forward to reading your thoughts and hopefully picking up some new strategies to refine my game!
On the one hand, poker theory and many experienced players say that chips won early can be worth more than chips won later, because having a big stack gives you leverage and more room to apply pressure. Playing aggressively in the early and middle stages allows you to accumulate chips, bully shorter stacks, and put yourself in a position to go deep.
On the other hand, I’ve noticed that being overly aggressive often leads to early exits. Sometimes, I take unnecessary spots, force marginal plays, or underestimate how much variance I’m introducing to my game. Survival also has a lot of value — especially when approaching the bubble or pay jumps, where ICM pressure becomes a huge factor.
So my main question to the community is: How do you personally balance aggression with survival in tournaments?
Do you prefer to play tighter in the early stages and only open up as the blinds rise?
Or do you like taking high-variance lines early to build a stack for later?
How do you adjust this balance depending on table dynamics and your stack size (say 30–40bb vs 60–80bb)?
I’d love to hear different perspectives, especially from players who’ve had consistent success in MTTs. Do you think the “chip accumulation” approach is better long-term, or is it more profitable to play a survival-first style and capitalize on other players’ mistakes deeper in the tournament?
Looking forward to reading your thoughts and hopefully picking up some new strategies to refine my game!
