Sit 'n Go Strategy study group -- Part 2: Mid Blind Play

[Slim Pickens]

OK kids. Same deal, Part 2.

Rules
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* 1) No flaming Collin, or anyone else. Save the flaming of Collin for the Official STTF SNG Book Review Thread and your general flaming for the Castro Street Fair.
* 2) No unsubstantiated useless answers, even if they're right. If you say something, support it with something else. To phrase that differently: no one-word answers in the vending machine please.
* 3) No posting copyrighted material. Just assume everyone has the book and say things like "In hand 1-x, I think..." rather than posting the entire hand. My understanding is that posting a few sentences is OK. Posting an entire paragraph or hand is not.
* 4) No being a jerk. This is thread for beginners so there might be a lot of questions that seem stupid to more advanced players. If the stupidity of the questions is making you mad, stop reading the thread and go chat-berate some fish for a while until you feel calmer.

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My initial review is in the Official STTF book review thread. In the 2+2 Magazine forum, DevinLake's thread shows good analysis of several hands. I'd like to use Hand 2-32 as an example since ([img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]) I've already worked through it to some extent. The discussion here will be more complex than Part 1. If you're not sure about the mechanics of STT prize pool equity calculations, check out the Part 1 study group thread for a good example. Hand 2-4 has effectively been discussed in STTF here.

Devin's link to the hands in his post is not working [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] Do you know where to find them??

I got the jist of what was happening from Devin's Post tho. I generally if re-stealing like to have atleast 4-6 times there bet meaning 12-18BB's.

As my stack approaches 10, my range tightens considerably. Also I'm assuming as this is referring to Mid Blind play ante's have not kicked in yet, yo? Or does MBP still include the 100/200/25 level?

[shyturtle27]

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No being a jerk. This is thread for beginners so there might be a lot of questions that seem stupid to more advanced players.

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Here's one of these questions: I think I play good during low levels and pretty good late on the bubble or close to it. I'm having trouble bridging the gap between these two stages though. I know when to steal and am learning when and against who to resteal, but when technically does the mid-blind phase start and end? It's obvious on Stars it's when the BB reaches T100, but I play on FT where the blinds increase more smoothly. Where does it start at FT? Still at T100? Also does the high blind phase auto-start when either my stack or the other stacks reach 10BB?

[billxo1b]

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Devin's link to the hands in his post is not working [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] Do you know where to find them??

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google cache

[pineapple888]

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No being a jerk. This is thread for beginners so there might be a lot of questions that seem stupid to more advanced players.

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's one of these questions: I think I play good during low levels and pretty good late on the bubble or close to it. I'm having trouble bridging the gap between these two stages though. I know when to steal and am learning when and against who to resteal, but when technically does the mid-blind phase start and end? It's obvious on Stars it's when the BB reaches T100, but I play on FT where the blinds increase more smoothly. Where does it start at FT? Still at T100? Also does the high blind phase auto-start when either my stack or the other stacks reach 10BB?

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I'd say "high blinds" start when your effective stack is less than 10BB, either because that's where your stack is already, or if everyone left to act has less than 10BB because then your effective stack is less than 10BB.

Mid-blind is, in fact, a quite tricky and read-based segment of the game.

Slim maybe worth posting this at the start of the thread so we don't have the same discussion from last one.

In a 9 handed SNG with t1500 start bank

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How I view blind levels,

Early: 10/20 + 15/30
Middle: 25/50 - 100/200/25
Big: 200/400+

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[pineapple888]

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Slim maybe worth posting this at the start of the thread so we don't have the same discussion from last one.

In a 9 handed SNG with t1500 start bank

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How I view blind levels,

Early: 10/20 + 15/30
Middle: 25/50 - 100/200/25
Big: 200/400+

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Well, I don't think it's that simple. You always have to be thinking about your effective stack IMHO.

What's the most common mistakes the more experienced players out there see amongst the fish that we should learn to avoid during these stages?

1. I often see people making thin calls for a large portion of their stack that will often cripple them if they lose.
2. Playing Speculative hands badly and overcommitting with them.
3. Mistaking chip EV for Tournament EV.


Hopefully this should spawn some conversation even if it is flaming of me. Any other prominent mistakes evident in this level.

[mildeng]

I still see a TON of people overplaying things like AJ or KQ here. UTG or UTG+1 is still no place for these hands, and at mid-level we're certainly not in push/fold mode.

[shyturtle27]

I make the following adjustments during the mid-levels. First, I of course stop limping hands unless I'm in the small blind and it has pretty good implied odds. Second, all those hands like KQ, KJ, QJ, AT, AJo, JTs that I'll open-fold most of the time early on I will now steal with on the button or cutoff. My earlier range stays strictly at about 99+, AQ+, AJs. Finally, I'll observe late position raisers to get reads on rather they are value raises or steals and I'll look for opportunities to resteal from them. Any major leaks here because I feel this stage is the most lacking in my game? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]