Hello out there in TPE land. I am in a rut….a deep rut in my play. I can’t seem to breach the wall I hit that won’t let get deeper into a Tournament and it has been happening for a long time now.

This is what happens:

I do very well to about 11th – 16th levels, build a chip stack that most would be proud of. This doesn’t happen sometimes…I’m talking 8 out of 10 times I play I do. Out of those 8….. 2 of those 8 times I amass a very nice chip stack, 4 of the 8 times a decent chip stack, and 2 of those times I have a fold/shove stack by the above mentioned levels.

Then the wall is erected. I can, and have tightened up and can make it into the money past the bubble…but we don’t play poker to JUST make it into the money. We play to win, or I do anyway! Hence I join a poker training site so I can improve and make it to final tables instead of just making it into the money.

The last Tournament I play was last night, wasn’t a huge tournament but was a training exercise to find leaks and try to understand what’s going on with my play and realized I get so far doing very well and then nothing. I play this tournament almost every Sat. night its a $5 buy-in $5000 GDT $20 add on at beginning, $20 re-buys, and at end of Level 5 (first break) you can buy up to 5000 in chips at $10 per 1000. Levels are 20 mins. In this tournament, I get the beginning add on, I don’t rebuy ever (prob. because I don’t have to, except once I’ve always made it past the rebuy period, and that once I didn’t because….well because). As for the final add on, if I don’t have at least 20BB at this time I’ll bring myself to 20BB (blinds are 200/400 anti 25). I’ve played this tournament 7 times, once busted out early, twice had to add on to bring myself to 20BB, and the other times I had over 20BB. 

Here are the happenings of last nights play:

Level 5 add-on $40 to bring me to the 20BB mark.

By level 9 had built a chip stack of 39K

This tournament has some odd level jumps, for instance 6 is 250/500 and 7 is 400/800, 9 is 600/1200, 10 is 800/1600 and goes up 200 every time for SB, know it’s to speed play, and have no problems with it. 

Level 11 stack of 41K all other stacks are less than half mine at my table that I was just moved to.

Hero 40K

MP 13.5K

Hero gets A/10o UTG blinds 1000/2000 anti 300

Hero raises to 6300, MP hem-haws around and finally shoves, everybody else folds and I call. He turns over AQo and neither of us hit the board so he takes a total pot of 26K plus blinds and anti

Next hand I play: HJ played donk card on two previous occasions since I sat down.

Hero 26K

HJ 18K

same level, Hero Q7 on BTN, HJ calls, folds to me, I call, SB calls, BB calls

Flop J 98

HJ bets 4K, Hero calls both Blinds fold

Turn 6 

HJ bets 6K, Hero rasies enough to put HJ all in and HJ calls

HJ turns over Q/10o takes the pot

Chip stack so low wait for a good face card or A and shove. Taken out 28 of 210 players, 21 places paid. 

It seems that this is what happens every time the bubble wall gets close. tired of just cashing and want to make final tables… any input would be great.