When you’re playing in any online poker tournament, you’ll see a real sea change occur as you get closer to the bubble and the tension can become unbearable. There’s nothing quite as bad as busting out right on the bubble and we’re going to talk about how you can play through the bubble and get your money back at the very least.

By now, you’re probably aware of the fact that there’s no “right” way to play poker. Phil Hellmuth and Phil Ivey can have the exact same cards, the exact same flop and turn, and make a completely different decision based on their personal experience. That said, there’s some basic poker strategy points that can help everyone move forward in the game.

We’re going to use the example of a sit-and-go tournament here, just because it simplifies matters greatly. If you’re in an SNG and they pay out the Top 3 positions then things start to get interesting when there are 4 of you left. In general, players will tighten up greatly to try to walk away in the money, but you can take advantage of this and be more aggressive. Blinds may be up for grabs and you might well be able to take a money spot on them alone, especially in later hands.

Please note that playing aggressively does not mean spewing your chips off for no reason with trash hands. You also have to be aware of who you are playing against. By this point in the SNG you will have been playing with your opponents long enough to be able to get a read on how they play. You will realize throughout the tournament who the passive players are at the table, and on the bubble these players will be holding on for their tournament life. You’re not the only player out there running strategy and there are good players who will fire back at you, regardless of it being the bubble or not, so avoid throwing wasted chips into the pot.

Perhaps the best advice we can offer is to avoid psyching yourself out. It’s possible to cruise into the bubble when the cards hit you just right and then there’s days in which you have to fight tooth and nail to even crawl out of the first round of play. While strategy is a huge part of poker, random chance is still there, and some days are better than others.