HJ 100bb Bubble Play

Overview

HJ (Hijack) is the position at a full ring table after the under-the-gun positions and before the cutoff. Bubble Play refers to the stage of a tournament close to the money (bubble), where elimination results in no payout, while surviving guarantees a minimum cash. 100bb (100 big blinds) represents a deep stack, giving the player more room to maneuver.

Strategic Characteristics

• Bubble pressure: During the bubble, players tend to avoid elimination when not forced to put in blinds, so a raise from HJ can generate more fold equity.
• Positional disadvantage: HJ is in a mid-to-late position but still must be wary of later players (e.g., cutoff, button) squeezing or re-raising.
• Stack depth impact: 100bb depth allows HJ to execute 3-bets, 4-bets, and even more complex plays, but requires balancing steal attempts with defensive actions.

Typical Play

• Raising range: The raising range can be moderately widened during the bubble, exploiting opponents' fear of elimination. For example, increase from the standard ~20% of hands to 25–30%.
• Responding to 3-bets: If 3-bet by a later-position player, decide whether to 4-bet or call based on opponent type and stack size. With a deep stack, calling more often is viable, but post-flop play must be considered.
• Post-flop strategy: Continuation bet for value when hitting, and consider checking or making small bluffs when missing, avoiding large bluffs that could lead to rapid elimination.

Notes

• Avoid being the bubble casualty due to misjudgment.
• Observe the stack sizes and playing styles of other players at the table, especially big stacks who may take aggressive actions.
• Tight-aggressive play is generally superior to loose-aggressive during the bubble, but 100bb depth offers more flexibility.