All or Nothing Tournament Point

Wondering if players have a point playing tourneys where you’re thinking all or nothing?
Mine used to be 8 times the blind, but recently I’ve lowered to 5 times the blind, with exceptions like when you’re in the blinds. I’m talking preflop.

Depends on the size of the blind and how many players left and whether you are already in the money, on the bubble, or far from the bubble. If I am far from the bubble and have a real premium hand like AA or KK I might shove with 10-15 blinds hoping to get one or more callers. On the other hand I have seen players with just one or two BBs shove against several limpers, get called by 3 limpers and win the pot then get back among the tournament leaders.

Good question, as it can be a crucial decision to make there and then. I don’t play many tournaments, but I generally am not a “bingo” player as it’s well known a term, so All-in has a certain time and place to be even considered for me, but generally speaking, it’s a survival call if I’m running out of blinds and very close to the paying finish positions, sometimes it works and if someone calls and I get the pot, it helps me to survive long enough to get into the paying positions, but I guess it’s down to personal preference at which point you do decide that, right, might as well go for it as I can’t see myself having a better chance next time…

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Way too many unknown variables to answer that question for me without getting long winded. Play em how you feel with the knowledge you have.

I tend to be a very patient player. I once won a tournament where I lost or folded the first 31 hands, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve gone deeper than that. So I usually have to be on a pretty bad run to decide to go all-or-nothing. Either that or there is something I’m seeing in my opponents or the table that tells me that I can benefit from doing that.

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As others have said, lots to consider, but basically, w/a stack around 5BB you should be shipping (you can’t make a meaningful cbet so might as well). You should also be trying to time your shove to steal blinds - your cards often MATTER LESS THAN THE SPOT.

So for instance, you shove Q6s, 78o, or similarly marginal holdings b/c you’re in MP or later and the blinds are both somewhat tight players with small enough stacks that you can hurt them if they call and lose.

If you let your stack get smaller than 5BB, your bets won’t mean anything, and it’s all down to pure luck whether you’ll recover.

Under 5BB you might as well shove because after. That you’re gone !!

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@TheKnutts

it depends from the dynamics at the table. I make you some examples:

EXAMPLE 1:

full ring table (9 people), you are from UTG with QJs, with 15 big blinds. I would consider an open to fold in case someone raises against me. Why? because we are going to face better jacks or Queens than ours, (KJ KQ, AJ, AQ) and if we face a Kx or Ax in general, we are always putting the chips from behind. Against pairs we are flipping a coin.

So, what size we should shove from UTG with QJs? I d say 10-12 (yes, from 12 to 15 could change if we are talking in long term, and you should take decisions based on the long term, always). Another point, is the bubble factor.

If you are close to the bubble pop, let’s say 2 left. You should consider even fold with 5bb QJs from UTG, or even better hands.

EXAMPLE 2:

Same details of the first one, but no bubble factor and our position is from the CO. All players behind us have folded.

BTN: 40bb, SB 34, BB28.

Your move should be an open jam with 15 BB

So, this is just one example, but the question you raise requires a very long answer because it changes constantly, based (i repeat myself) from your position, the specific deepness (20 bb? 15? 10? 5?, single raised pot? 3way? squeeze all in? etc.) it’s not really easy, lol :slight_smile:

Study is the only way, but can’t say further than this :slight_smile:

(I didn’t read again my answer, so I beg you pardon if I made some english mistake)

GOOD LUCK at the tables

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Thanks for all the responses!
I agree with what players are saying, there are so many factors involved in order to make a proper decision at the time.
In general, once I’m down to about 8 blinds or so, I’m starting to think about shoving preflop, something I’m not a huge fan of doing since either everybody folds and you get a small pot (better than losing), or it’s often just about a toss up, which it seems it doesn’t usually go my way. :frowning:

Don’t be afraid about a “toss up” Knutts. People who would accuse you to play bingo probably can’t play poker properly. There are situations when we have to put pressure on our opponents and our stack is not big enough to open a hand, or the hand that we have in our hands is not good enough to be open-called, and we just prefer to jam it (always minding the other factors, deepness firstly). if we want to be more specific we should even defense our shoving range, shoving even good hands (to be less exploitable) but that is another story lol.

Anyway, it’s just that using solvers, solvers says that the best EV is shoving in specific spots. So don’t worry about playing bingo, because it’s not. It’s the best option :wink:

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All in are a huge part of Poker Play and phenomenal strategy.