Mastering The Fundamentals: Final Table Strategy

[@PokerCoaching]

What is the craziest Final Table story you have?

[@jasondettloff]

I started the final table as chip leader. Busted first. Set over flush. Then, nut flush over boat. I was ahead both times. Doubled up second in chips, then busted to 3rd in chips next hand.😢

[@wildcatchamp7354]

An early position shoved a big stack 1st hand. Had a medium stack and sigh called with 7s. Everyone else folded. Was in amazingly good shape as he had 75 suited. He flopped a flush and I was out 😢

[@kyleargue1969]

Had a great one this week, I was chip leader with half the chips, 3x more than 2nd. One of the small stacks was sitting out. Got to be a real bully until he chipped out

[@malcolmwasher9915]

200 chips left was 9 outta 9 was forced all in like 10 times won ever flip then came back and won was crazy

[@brickfistpow3587]

A post flop ICM video would be awesome!

[@sergiozack974]

@Jonathan Little, are you plan to record the postflop ICM video?

[@stevenfagaly3810]

Thanks for the video. Wasn't in the tournament but saw it. Second hand at the final table, people still checking each other out, counting stacks, etc. Two biggest stacks get all in, boat loses to quads. First is 8200, ninth is 1150? Something like that. Loser, second biggest stack, could have blinded out for a few thousand more but instead went home with 9th place money. A dealer told me about 6 months ago at Hard Rock Cincinnati, final hand had QJT of spades hit the table. One player had AK spades and the other had 98 spades.

[@vader6203]

Really needed this one JL - been finalling a lot but been a little lost on what framework/s to apply

[@ashleyowens5231]

Would love a post flop final table video! Thanks for this one!❤

[@Cheebameister1]

This is a very nice video, i learned a ton... your tool is super nice !

[@PokerCoaching]

Glad you liked it!

[@garnetnard4284]

Last week the guy to my right raised 30% of his stack and I went all in and had him covered. Guy to my left called. I had AK, guy to my right had AJ, and guy to my left had AQ. Flop was 10 Q A. Jack came on the turn and I knocked two people out. Felt great.

[@barygol]

Talk to Steven Spielberg. He will definitely turn that amazing story into a movie.

[@alexanderstrohmeier1178]

But with the J on the River then

[@Funkybrad]

What a lesson for the final table play! By the way, how can I climb up to the final table anyways?

[@jeffk862]

Played a tournament this weekend. Top 4 got paid i was in the final 5. Blinds 50k/100k with a big blind ante. I was maube second biggest stack. We were all down to about 3-4 big blinds. Raised from the cutoff with pocket deuces. Got called by the BB and shit the bed. Shouldve listened to low pocket pairs going way down in value!

[@carlosdelao6552]

2 weeks ago I made a final table at a local poker club, 10 handed, I had pocket 8s on the button, the chip leader bet from UTG, hijack raised, cutoff goes all in. So I stayed there thinking if I lose here I will be tenth. Because I had the small stack on the table. So I let them go at it, chip leader goes all in so did hijack, chip leader won the hand. I ended up getting 7th place money..

[@Muhahahahaz]

Good fold!

[@HandbreakGlass]

Final table - I'm all in (3 bb's 😅) pre-flop with 2 others. Flop was A 8 10 rainbow. Kid angrily folds face up mid-hand with AK. It was quiet for a full 10-15 seconds... then I hear, "Timmy, what the fuck are you doing?" I don't remember what happened after that, except for losing with my pocket 9's while Timmy went home with my 4th place prize money. So yea. Perfect example of your lesson here. Folding has value. Even when you fold the best hand. $200 value to be exact.

[@HandbreakGlass]

I've been at that final table 4 times now and still haven't won any prize money. Always one seat away. The blinds eat me up. I try to play loose, get wrecked. I try to play tight, bleed out. It's been one of those "no matter what you do it's going to be wrong" situations. This tourney is for fish like me at our local club, but it would still be nice to grab a little $$ to play with next week.

[@metzgerbeats]

@@HandbreakGlass Are you generally getting to the final table as a short stack?

[@HandbreakGlass]

@@metzgerbeats generally, yes. Ive made it with a heavy stack twice now, BUT since I commented this, I did get 1st place in said tournament. Finally!!!

[@metzgerbeats]

​@@HandbreakGlassLFG! Congrats

[@JoePoker]

Description says icm stands for module. Everywhere else i have seen it as model

[@Muhahahahaz]

ICM = I Can’t Minraise

[@dustinbrown7248]

Went from 1.6bbs to win first for 6500cad

[@chrisko6439]

I think the calculation in the first "simple example" is not correct. Everyone is guaranteed 200$, so there are 800 + 500 + 200 = 1500$ remaining in the prize pool. So each player's stack is worth 375$ instead of 575$. I know ICM calculators say otherwise, but this is not logically sound. The players are fighting for 800/500/200 extra, they got 200 already. The 200$ are not at stake at any point. Your point regarding the "strive not to call off in breakeven situations" is obviously valid nevertheless, it's just enables you to call off a bit looser when 200$ are out of the calculation in this example.

[@Muhahahahaz]

It doesn’t actually make a difference You can choose to make the $200 your new zero-point reference or not. The relative difference in payout is the same either way. Most calculators probably avoid doing this just for sake of simplicity… Might as well make the stack value equal your total $EV for ease of use