starting sngs strategy going offroad?

[S_F_H]

my last five donkaments (mostly 18-27 plyrs) have been going badly... finishing around the 9th position. Even though I stayed very tight first three level (AA,KK,QQ,AK), i usually lost 100 chips in blinds only, since I havent seen them in my last 5. Then if I get any better hand, such as AQs, AJ, 77 to JJ, then playing a raise (usually small one), I end up losing few more hundreds... I am now close to ~1100 (+- 100)... then im about to get to level 4 of blinds (50/100) and stuck to push all in very soon since stacks are getting around 2200.. because I cant really afford myself to open up my game by flat calling, since a raise is mostly probable, and raising myself is gonna probably committing me..
bottom line, I played something like 3-4 hands out of 30 and an all in push that usually ends up bad...

my question is about the starting strategy.. is playing this tight really the good way, as everybody suggest? or should I try to open up much more playing more trash hands?
everyone knows that early, every raise is a call, etc.. so playing trash hands is mostly as risky... where is my big mistake this time? (i was ITM 90% of the time last month)

thanks for help!!

[seke2]

5 tournaments is not nearly enough to even consider making an any sort possible consideration about your ability.

Without specific examples of hands, nobody can give you much worthwhile advice.

[Memphis Mojo]

Do the experiment.

By that I mean try different styles of play. SNGs are ideal for that. Move down to $5 ones if necessary so you don't worry about the money.

The righteous posters here say play tight/aggressive early, but that is what they think sounds good. The "right" style is the one that works for you. Being righteous and saying righteous (things) will make players feel good, but doesn't necessarily win tournaments. These are donkaments and you will have to gamble at some point. If you gamble early and win, *then* go to T/A mode, don't gamble any more.

[seke2]

Despite the "righteousness" of various posters here, fundamentally, it benefits you to play the opposite style of everyone else at your table.

Typically, most other players will be playing loose early and tight later, so most of us advocate playing tight early and loose later.

This is because when other players are loose, you play tight and get paid off more when you have a big hand.

And because when other players are tight, you play loose and steal much more often.

So, "righteous" or not, it's still based in math and probability.

[S_F_H]

[ QUOTE ]


This is because when other players are loose, you play tight and get paid off more when you have a big hand.



[/ QUOTE ]

I know this part very well.. my problem has been that I didnt had any big hand, and when I did, I hadnt flopped anything and usually facing 2 opp... so it's all about the fact that im losing very few hundreds of chips, then waiting for the blind to go up, then im forced to push all in because most stacks at my table are mostly the double as mine.. and that by either betting, calling a raise or raising PF is commiting me to the pot mostly..

[seke2]

Yeah, sometimes you don't get hands. When the blinds get to the point that you have about 10 BB's left, you're forced to play push/fold poker, but if you pick your spots right, you can stay afloat for a while, maybe get lucky and win some flips, etc.

Like I said before, we can't give you any useful advice without you posting some specific hands where you felt you were in a tough spot or something.

[S_F_H]

well, I wouldnt say I was in tough spot, except maybe for my all-in moves... these times, all of my hands were bad... first 3 rounds... or playing small raises (~2.5xBB) with pretty good hands (AQ, KQs late, AJs).. and the fact that not hitting these + poor cards + aggressive table = cant get that many chips and force to push soon with 89s late

[Soulman]

I hope you're not raising with AJ, 77-TT from early position early on, AJ is either a limp or a fold and 77-TT is usually a limp, hoping for a set. Even the most aggressive posters here (and there are some VERY aggressive ones...) usually play pretty tight early on. The pots are simply not worth LAGging it up too much...