Playing it safe in low blinds in small stakes games

[nulli]

It’s not my intention of this post to be a whine – although I feel like it! Apologies for the length the questions are at the end of the post.

Up until recently I’ve been a winning player although I would probably class myself as competent rather than very good. I moved to poker stars recently from another poker room as the one I was playing in was quiet, (up until now I’ve had reasonably good results) I’ve been entering $5 SNG’s with a starting bankroll of $200 with a view to moving up when the bankroll was large enough.
I had a great run at first increasing my bankroll to $250 in a around 5 games, however I have now endured a massive losing streak.

Since my initial success I have failed to make the money 32 times out of 45 games, needless to say my bankroll is looking pretty bad.
Here are my results,

1st x3, 2nd x8, 3rd x13, 4th x13, 4+ x28

As you can see it’s quite shocking. I am bubbling most of the time, and if I do make the money I’m in 3rd mostly.

So what’s going wrong? Apart from the most obvious reason (that I’m a losing player and need to improve my skills!) I have come to the conclusion that my playing style just does not fit in with the way the $5 games are being played. It appears that the very aggressive players are walking all over me.

I went through my results using PT and looked at the games in which I came 4th and worked out what percentage my stack was, on the bubble I am more often than not the short stack with 16% of the chips, 2100 of the 13500 in play.
I have read a few books in the last year s The 3 Harrington Books and recently Sit N Go Strategy by Colin Moshman, both authors advocate a tight, aggressive but cautious approach to low blinds (10-20 15-30 25-50) playing Premium hands strongly, playing Medium pocket pairs with caution and speculative hands when the conditions are correct. (Ie good position, limpers in front, no LAGS behind) I’ve adopted this strategy and this is where I think I am failing.

This is my typical SNG experience... my 1500 starting stack gets blinded down to 1300 throw in a few speculative hands and medium PP’s here and there and its 1200 I win a couple of hands with AK or AQ or something similar and I’m up to 1800-2000,(although sometimes it’s the other way around and I’m down to 800) the players are gradually reduced as the ‘maniacs’ knock each other out, it’s usually after and All In with hands like J9s vs QT all in on a K93 flop..
The rest of maniacs and other less competent players gradually get knocked out at around level 4 or 5 and that leaves me nursing a small stack (the one I started with because I’ve played 15% of my hands) with 3 other ‘maniacs’ with 4000 3000 3000, they continue their relentless barrage of raises and re-raises until I’m forced to push all in and hope for the best.

I have gone from being confident of at least breaking even to presuming the worst every time I play.


So my questions are.

Are these ‘maniacs’ really maniacs or are they actually playing better poker given the conditions than me?

Is the prescribed cautious play setting me up for failure as we enter the mid to high blinds when I am forced to push A9 into the aggressive players who’s calling range appears to be wider than my pushing range?

Am I just a bad player!? - Given my results I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that!

Thanks in advance.

[hoyasnaxa]

You probably arent playing very good. Just because people are going all in as blinds increase doesnt make them maniacs, nor does it make it a bad play. Look through the stickied threads here, you probably need to practice pushing in good spots as blinds increase, and fold "speculative" hands early because that is also probably a problem. Read the FAQ, it will help.

[Insty]

[ QUOTE ]
So what’s going wrong?

[/ QUOTE ]
45 games is not very many in the overall scheme of things.
The long term is always longer than 45 games and often longer than you would think.

[ QUOTE ]

Are these ‘maniacs’ really maniacs or are they actually playing better poker given the conditions than me?


[/ QUOTE ]
There are just more of them. Most of them are consistently losing players who just happen to get lucky in this one game against you.

[ QUOTE ]
Is the prescribed cautious play setting me up for failure as we enter the mid to high blinds when I am forced to push A9 into the aggressive players who’s calling range appears to be wider than my pushing range?


[/ QUOTE ]
This sort of thing is what ICM calculations are for.

[ QUOTE ]
Am I just a bad player!?

[/ QUOTE ]
At least you are considering the option.
You seem to be thinking about the game enough that you'll be able to turn it around if you are.

Post hands here (converted and well subject lined) or in the #stt irc channel.
People will tell you if you are a bad player.

[John Pars]

I used to play nine seater sit and gos at $5/$10. I did ok but what u find is that theres going to be a few players who double up early on as theres always one or two players that usually just give there chips away. You need to stick with it and as said play your strong hands strong. Making decent raises with premium hands.

I switched to six seater. As with them even if someone doubles up early on your never that far behind by not playing crazy. I have much better results playing six handed cause by playing passive early on and only playing premium hands or small pocket pairs are suited connectors in position. Once you get down to the last three you must get more aggressive as the blinds increase.

[runner4life7]

45 games is definitely a big enough sample size to conclude things from.

for now your best bet is to read more, post/play less. Get sng power tools, learn how to push properly.

[IFoldPktOnes]

You mentioned playing 15% of your hands, if you play this many hands on the first couple of blind levels you are actually playing too much imo. Stick to raising big on AK/JJ+ (+ AQ/TT in position) and play with the intention of doubling up, limp smaller PPs for set value.

When the blinds get to ~1/10th of your stack make sure you are the aggressor, push depending on position. Push solid upfront and wide from Button/SB.

If you are doing these things then just keep at it. Your sample of 65 is not big enough. Based on that sample alone there is a ~5% chance you are a small winner and ~10% chance you are break-even. I think the fact that you question your play makes you a better player than most the people you are up against, good luck.

[Guthrie]

[ QUOTE ]
Are these ‘maniacs’ really maniacs or are they actually playing better poker given the conditions than me?


[/ QUOTE ]

In the early levels, they really are maniacs knocking each other out. In the end game, near the bubble, they aren't maniacs at all, but, given the conditions, playing better poker than you.

If you have PAHUD, look at their stats. The loose players (high VPIP) will be throwing money around at the early levels, sometimes doubling up, and sometimes busting out, with crazy cards. The tight players (low VPIP) will be folding junk while the maniacs kill each other.

Near the bubble, however, the loose players will frequently (but not always) choke, folding, limping and minraising, while the tight players suddenly appear to be bigger maniacs than everyone else, pushing so often they can't possibly always have a hand. Problem is, by the time get up the courage to call them with a halfway decent hand, they have moved two-thirds of your stack to theirs, and can now absorb your spite call.

Forget the books, study the forum. It's all here, just takes some work finding it.

Get SNGPT or SNG Wiz, and knock yourself out.

[KCW12]

It sounds like you are having a hard time adjusting to play on the bubble. You say that the aggressive players are running all over you by raising and reraising. I think you should start to get very aggressive when your stack gets below 10 BBs. Maybe you need to be stealing blinds more often. I find that a lot of times, I make it to the bubble as the short stack as well. Usually, I am able to stay afloat by stealing/restealing, and not doing a whole lot of calling unless I have a good hand. If the players you are facing really are maniacs, it is only a matter of time before one of them gets knocked out.