getting to final 3 spots in MTT

[TankedFrank]

im looking for some general advice concerning getting to the final table and top spots in MTTs. I consistently make it into the money (usually final 3 tables out of around 100 players), but i cant seem to "close" or make it to final 3-5 spots. its getting kinda frustrating and cant be due to purely bad luck.

please i need some help!

[Kidpoker2k8]

Its all about your style my friend and if your afraid to be aggressive. In the late stages its about position and aggressiveness. Throw luck out the door. You have to make your own luck. STEAL STEAL STEAL.

[TankedFrank]

i guess your right. maybe i just have been kinda unlucky at those stages, because i swear, i am being aggressive. let me give you my final demise of a hand last night when i was knocked out at 11th (bubble boy big time) and let me know if my move was OK:

My chips: $6,400
Villian: $15,500
Blinds: 300/600 with 75 ante
Avg chip count: approx $10,000

Villain raises to $1,999 from under the gun, everyone folds around to me and i move all-in on the button with AQ.

My reasoning was this guy has been overvaluing small pairs all night, but (as i realize in hindsight) will call you down regardless and i figured i needed to make a stand to get the chips to make final spots.

Ok, so blinds fold and he instantly calls me with (as i suspected) pocket 66. Needless to say i missed and was knocked out, but lets give the board (for shiets and giggles) to see if i should have called and pushed: 3410 8J

So did i make the right move? Should i have just called 1/3 of my stack and seen the flop? Then maybe pushed from position? I dont think he would have folded on this flop anyway.

[aSonOfBob]

hi mate

poker softwares always give better hands to ppl with more chips, have u ever watched when ppl with small chips go all in with AA even chipleader wins him with just 68 offsuit or 23 even. that's fixed softs as they give priority to chipleader. it's just my opinion, but I watched that tons of time. I always think that is because of rake policy of the sites.

[TomtheBomb]

Pushing is soo overrated....

betting like you want someone to call, gets me way more freepots that pushing...

Start betting less, like 1/3 chip stack.

Seems to work for me.

[villaridge]

You are at 5 to 6X the blinds there at 11th. why even think of pushing all -in with AQos. U know he probably has pairs, and u want to put your whole tournament effort on the line there, with a coin flip at best? Live by the sword die by the sword. sure aggression is needed late, but make it smart aggression

[TankedFrank]

thanks for the input village and you are so right about the sword! it just seems i waste away sometimes in these spots and wasnt seeing many hands so made the ultimate mistake of betting the coin flip for my tourney life. also, it was kinda dumb cause the guy was pretty much the chip leader. i am learning to not cross swords ( no pun intended) with the chip leaders, who are usually hot, at these stages in a tournament.

thanks again. input duly noted and (hopefully) put to good use

[j0sh1ngU]

never risk all ur chips without a pair... plain in simple unless u really low on chips

[TankedFrank]

never risk all ur chips without a pair... plain in simple unless u really low on chips

never? lol dont you think thats a little too tight?

[j0sh1ngU]

this only qualifies for a certain chip stack. but u can raise and get people to fold. a lot of time a raise does the same thing as an all in except gives u options to bail if u dont hit