Too Many Races?

mad_gambl3r · #1 11-02-2007, 10:13 AM

First post here, but I've been reading for awhile. I've recently gotten back into SNGs, and I've been playing both the 60 and 27 turbos on Stars. I find that most of my games generally go the same way:

1) I pretty much fold everything for the first two or three levels, since I'm only playing premiums.

2) I find myself in the last 4-6 players around the BB200 level.

The problem is that I'm almost always one of the shorter stacks at this point, and I mostly get stuck flipping a coin for survival. I guess this wouldn't be so bad, but losing means I'm out, and winning guarantees nothing.

Is this typically the way SNGs go for the better players, or is it possible that I'm doing something wrong?

otc · #2 11-02-2007, 10:25 AM

at the early levels you have to make some moves... playing marginal cards in position is essential to surviving the bubble.. try going down some levels and improving your win rate/roi $$$...

also it really should not be a coin flip for survival... shoving hands on the bubble have +EV so you should be better then a coin flip...

the motto for the best SNG players... and im not one of them is "SHOVE MORE" and earlier

omnipokent · #3 11-02-2007, 10:29 AM

You almost answer this yourself:
Something should be happening between the first levels and Level 6 (which is BB 200).

mad_gambl3r · #4 11-02-2007, 10:36 AM

[ QUOTE ]
at the early levels you have to make some moves... playing marginal cards in position is essential to surviving the bubble.. try going down some levels and improving your win rate/roi $$$...

also it really should not be a coin flip for survival... shoving hands on the bubble have +EV so you should be better then a coin flip...

the motto for the best SNG players... and im not one of them is "SHOVE MORE" and earlier

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I should clarify a bit.

I'm not ridiculously tight in the beginning. I'll call moderate raises with PPs for set value, and I play the big hands aggressively hoping a donk will donate his stack to me, though I'm not going to be calling early position raises with hands like AJos.

I understand the +EV aspect of shoving because of fold equity. I guess I'm not entirely sure when I should start making those types of plays, which I know is heavily dependent on who the villains are and what types of reads I have on them.

otc · #5 11-02-2007, 10:45 AM

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I guess I'm not entirely sure when I should start making those types of plays, which I know is heavily dependent on who the villains are and what types of reads I have on them.

[/ QUOTE ]

shove mode starts at ~12BB... SHOVE SHOVE SHOVE... with 2 players to the left.. 99+ AJo thats my range at t100 with 1200 left at 8-9bb the range is wider

my idea is that if i double up here i will be in good position to win the torney... 1 first place is better then 2 3rd place

mad_gambl3r · #6 11-02-2007, 10:48 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I guess I'm not entirely sure when I should start making those types of plays, which I know is heavily dependent on who the villains are and what types of reads I have on them.

[/ QUOTE ]

shove mode starts at ~12BB... SHOVE SHOVE SHOVE... with 2 players to the left.. 99+ AJo thats my range at t100 with 1200 left at 8-9bb the range is wider

my idea is that if i double up here i will be in good position to win the torney... 1 first place is better then 2 3rd place

[/ QUOTE ]

Makes sense. I think my recent downswing as made me a little gunshy. Thanks for the help everyone.

DevinLake · #7 11-02-2007, 01:49 PM

You didn't get any help, replies to this thread have sucked.

Basically, playing tight early is right. You don't need to make moves in position early. chips you gain early aren't worth nearly as much as the chips you lose when these 'moves' are unsuccessfully.

You want to play your premiums aggressively and chip up early if you can. But, if you can't. You want to maintain your chip stack so that you can maintain fold equity later.

For the end game, you need to learn ICM. It's that simple.