Once the bubble has burst

Once the bubble has burst in a tournament the main thing to keep in mind is your chip stack. If you have a big enough chip stack to sit back and wait for other players to bust then you should do just that. If your stack is too short to wait around then you should be gambling and trying to get your chips in to the pot. The goal of tournaments is to get your money in with the best hand when called. If you can succeed at this throughout the tournament you should have a big enough chip stack to wait for other players to bust, but, if you have run bad during the tournament or got unlucky in big pots you will be gambling more to make a run at winning the tournament.

When the bubble has past and you are in the money your goal is now to make the final table. To do this you need to take in to account what the average stack of players is and if you are above or below it. Also, you should look at the payout structure of the tournament. If you have just cashed and there are 18 players left in the tournament you should play very aggressive and try to win it. If there are still 400 players left in a poker tournament and you have just cashed in it you should be sitting back still, and waiting for hands to get your money in. The reason for these differences in play is because with 400 players still left in the tournament you have a long way to go. With only 18 players left the payout structure has a big jump from 18th to 1st. You want to take advantage of other players weaknesses with 18 players left and try to get yourself into 1st in chips. If you can get yourself into 1st in chips or even in the top 3 you will have a better chance to win the tournament, and have a big jump in your payout.

When the bubble bursts in tournaments is generally when other players gamble more, and where you can capitalize. The blinds are generally big at this point and worth picking up. If you can take over your table in the tournament whether it is winning a big pot, or already having a big stack, you can make a run at winning the tournament with your poker bonus amount. You need to play more aggressive when the bubble bursts or slow your game down a lot and wait for hands. The difference is what your stack size is at this point. If your stack is big and you are at the top of the chip leader board then your game should be to pick spots to race hands or get the money in with a better hand. If you are at the bottom of the leader board or below the average you need to put your gambling shoes on, and look to win races or pick up blinds before the flop by moving all-in. Either way you look at it you need to be playing aggressive and picking spots to make a progression through the tournament and possibly make a final table.