Quand faire tapis
We saw in the previous bubble play article how your strategy can evolve during this crucial phase of single table tournaments.
You need to know exactly which hands to play with and what to do when it’s your turn.
The following tables show you the type of hands you need to all-in, call, or fold during this time period. They take into account the size of your stack and the stack of other players at the table as well as your position.
Stack sizes are measured against the big blind. Therefore, a “6 BB” stack is 6 times the big blind. Remember that the hand categories used in the tables are those defined in the article Introduction to Single Table Tournaments.

CORRECT CARPET RELAYS
If you’re planning to put all your stack in the pot, here are the hands you need to call:
Your position | You have the biggest stack still in your hand | An active player has a bigger stack |
---|---|---|
Cut-off | Category 8 | Category 5 |
Button or small blind | Category 8 | Category 6 |
CALL OF A CORRECT CARPET AS A MEDIUM CARPET
If a player went all-in before you and you have an average stack, these are the hands you need:
All-in player stack size | 10 BB | 8 BB | 6 BB | 4 BB | 2 BB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
In the big blind | Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 | Category 5 |
Any other position | Category 1 | Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 |
CALL A CORRECT CARPET AS A BIGGER OR SMALLER CARPET
If a player has moved all-in before it’s your turn and you have either the biggest or the smallest stack, these are the hands you need to call:
All-in player stack size | 10 BB | 8 BB | 6 BB | 4 BB | 2 BB |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
In the big blind | Category 3 | Category 4 | Category 5 | Category 6 | Any two cards |
Any other position | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 | Category 5 | Category 6 |
THE BUBBLE POST-FLOP GAME
No need to change. You should follow the same advice as during the mid-tournament period.
KEY TIPS FOR BUBBLE GAMING
- Follow with stronger hands.
- Move all-in first more often.
- Be more aggressive when you’re the big stack.
- Squeeze your range of hands to get all-in against the big stacks.
- If you have the smallest stack, attack the one closest in chips.
- As the smallest stack, make all-in like a medium stack and follow like a big stack.
- Expand your range of hands to bet post-flop with.
- Follow the same tips for post-flop play as given in the article on mid-tournament play.