The “Bubble Factor” in Poker

In poker, the bubble factor is a way to measure how fair a tournament is. It’s a formula that compares how many chips you have to how much money you have. It also looks at how many chips you’ve won compared to how many you’ve lost, showing the overall equity for each betting decision.

Only poker tournaments use bubble play. For example, if there are 25 players in a tournament and the top 10 players win money and 15 players in the bubble, then the top 10 players win. As players are taken out of the game, that number goes down until the bubble factor reaches a balanced ratio of 1.

For there to be a bubble, at least one player has to leave the game with nothing. Since there can only be one winner, the bubble stays in place until the last round of the tournament. The bubble factor is one of the more difficult poker concepts for beginners, so let’s first show you how it’s calculated.

Different Kinds of Bubble Play

Bubble play in poker takes advantage of low and high bubbles. Your bubble factor should always be considered that of your opponent. Which leads to four possible scenarios in which the bubble factor can be used:

Low bubble vs. high bubble
High bubble vs. low bubble
High bubble vs. high bubble
Low bubble vs. low bubble

As a general rule, you can play more aggressively against a high bubble when it is low. On the other hand, you should be careful when playing against a low bubble because the player with the low bubble has a better equity ratio (or EV). When the bubble factors are the same for both players, they need to be careful when betting because their equity positions are the same.

The more pressure you can put on someone, the bigger their bubble factor is compare to yours. The player with the biggest bubble stands to lose the most equity, while a smaller bubble gives a broader range against pushes.

Poker tips always say that the size of your stack is a significant factor in how much to bet. Bubble play goes one step further than stack strategies by letting players switch the value of their chips for the value of their money. It ensures that the bigger picture is always in mind, making it easier to avoid every possible elimination.

The "Bubble Factor" in Poker

How to use the bubble factor

Two kinds of people play bubble: those who try to stay alive and those who try to win. Whether you play poker online or at a real table, you can find these players in any tournament. Knowing how these players play will give you an edge over them as long as you keep an eye on how your equity changes.

Bubble players who want to stay in the game don’t make high-risk bets. They bluff very infrequently. They only call when they have a good hand and fold when they don’t. It would help if you got rid of these players.

The main goal for players who want to win is to put as much pressure on as many pots as possible by using a lower bubble factor as leverage. These players take advantage of every chance they get, so tight play and calculated risks can used to beat them.

Even if your hand isn’t likely to win, you can sometimes use the bubble factor to pressure the game. If you can get a big stack near the end of the bubble phase. You can make chances by forcing players with small piles to either call your bets or keep losing blinds.

Conclusion

Smart bubble play in poker can be challenging, especially for new players. It takes time and experience to learn how to get through the bubble phase, and mistakes or bad bets are always possible. For bubble play to work in your favor, it has to be a factor in every decision you make at the poker table.

We’ve gone over all the basics you need to know to use the bubble factor effectively, but you’ll still need practice with bubble strategies. Register with OKBet to play all the best poker games and gain the confidence to go into tournaments as a strong player.