Tip of the day.

Just spent the day reading forum posts on 2+2 MTT threads. My god i love American poker players. To many players, cEV -where dead money in the pot from blinds/antes creates coinflip situations where the 1st to push is making the positive +$EV play is THE ONLY way they can play poker. This approach is very useful for repetitive games where edges can be ground out over the long term, like for example if you are a heavy multi-tabler of SnG's around the bubble.

BUT, this approach ignores the other fundamentals that make using FE to your advantage sometimes a disadvantage. Good players understand when another good player is short he will be shoving with any 2 UTG. Its common knowledge. Also, its common knowledge that uber-aggy scandies push any 2 from the SB in a SB/BB confrontation late on in MTT's. So quality players change their calling ranges appropriately. KQo, A9s+ and 77+ become hands that you should call with if a chappie does this a couple of times.

Other skills at the poker table, like stack management, psychology, table evaluation.....these are the skills that turn you from a player that can play a short-stack well and get to final tables, to a player that WINS. Great players such as Jonny Bax/Leggggy/Bodogari have hinted that for the vast majority of the time, their style of play is influenced by their chips stack. Short stack at bubble time with an M of at least 7, all-in every round if short handed and bubble payoff is big enough. Same if they have a monster stack. Largeish stack, but not a monster, selective aggression. Medioum stack where a raise preflop DOESNT commit you to the pot means aggy re-raises over blind thiefs calling despo shorties with 77+.
Dont just be a dumb yank and think that you can push all-in every time its your button on the bubble like i see time and time again.