Lion or lamb

When a tournament approaches the money bubble, every remaining player must decide if they want to play like a lion or play like a lamb. Lions are going for the money up top; lambs are just going for a min cash. Interestingly, there's no hard and fast answer to the problem of how one should play. Many times, I'm content to be a lamb, and try to fold my way into the money. However, many other times I insist on being a lion ...

This is an excerpt from my July 20, 2020 post. In the final hand of yesterday's session, I insisted on being a lion. I'd been dealt 97o (nine seven offsuit), and an eight and a ten showed up in the flop, giving me an open-ended straight draw. All my chips went into the middle, but I bricked on the turn and the river, and missed the money by four spots. Still and all, I have no regrets.

style flavor    buy_in  entry entries paid place winnings hands

MTT   NLHE       44000   6000     375   99    61   112000    39
MTT   NLHE       44000   6000     205   54    58        0    25

delta: $12,000
2025 balance: $-917,000
2025 blue distance: $917,000
balance: $15,380,303
MTT NLHE ITM pct: 41.42 (1301 of 3141)

Lion or lamb

When a tournament approaches the money bubble, every remaining player must decide if they want to play like a lion or play like a lamb. Lions are going for the money up top; lambs are just going for a min cash.

This is an excerpt from my July 20, 2020 post. Last night, I played like a lion. On my last hand, I was Caboose Boy on the money bubble. I was dealt the king and queen of spades, and flopped an open-ended straight draw. Both of my hole cards were overcards to the board. I got all my chips in the middle, but the turn and river were both blanks. In a New York minute, Caboose Boy became Bubble Boy. No regrets, though.

style flavor buy_in  entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000  26000       6      83   21    22        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $23,191,768
2021 balance: $-130,000
blue distance: $1,645,900
balance: $77,535,453

Lion or lamb

When a tournament approaches the money bubble, every remaining player must decide if they want to play like a lion or play like a lamb. Lions are going for the money up top; lambs are just going for a min cash. Interestingly, there's no hard and fast answer to the problem of how one should play. Many times, I'm content to be a lamb, and try to fold my way into the money. However, many other times I insist on being a lion; that's what I did last night. I missed the money by three spots, but have zero regrets :-)

style flavor buy_in entry players entries paid place winnings

MTT   NLHE   174000 26000       6      85   21    24        0

delta: $-200,000
MTT NLHE balance: $21,362,668
2020 balance: $14,140,343
balance: $75,948,353