($22r) Early on, starting hand questions (Kinda long)

[STALLOWN3D]

Ok, so I understand that the questions I am going to ask are going to be so obvious for most they will seem silly. But I have really been struggling with my game lately and I need to start figuring out what is hurting me so much.

Earlier, I read in a post where someone posted there entire HH and had people comment on it I was surprised by one response that made me question a lot about the early stages of my game. It was early in Level 1 and Hero was holding AJo in MP with a couple limpers and a common response was to fold this hand. This surprised me very much as I would play this every time in an unraised pot from that position as well as a few hands weaker than that.

Now I understand that Tight-Aggressive is the commonly accepted play for early in SNG's but am I really supposed to be playing that tight where in the early stages I'm only playing hands such as TT+, AKs? I've been searching for answers to this question but haven't come up with any so I'm putting pride aside and coming to terms that I understand even less than I originally thought on SNG's.

I'm studying with SNGPT for the later stages of the tournaments, but I think after coming to this website that I need a lot more work on the first few levels.

I guess what I'm looking for here is maybe some loose guidlines or another source of information to help me fix this problem. Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

[Pudge714]

Could you post the specific hand you are referring to.

[STALLOWN3D]

Here is one example...hands like this. Where there are some limpers and I have a hand but not spectacular. I just don't know anymore after reading the suggested play for that AJo was to fold

PartyPoker $22 Regular Tournament, Big Blind is t40 (9 handed) Converter on pregopoker.com

UTG (t2100)
UTG+1 (t2220)
MP1 (t1980)
MP2 (t1900)
MP3 (t1900)
Hero (t3920)
Button (t1900)
SB (t1960)
BB (t2120)

Preflop: Hero is in CO with A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]
<font color="gray">UTG folds</font>, <font color="gray">UTG+1 folds</font>, <font color="gray">MP1 folds</font>, MP2 calls t40, <font color="gray">MP3 folds</font>, Hero calls ???

[Pudge714]

Here I raise t160

[morgan180]

i think one of the first things that i had to learn when i started playing SNGs was that what i thought was tight actually wasn't very tight at all. if you have poker tracker you can look at your VPIP in the first several levels from various positions at the table and you'll probably find that you aren't as tight as you need to be (or think you are) early on.

early levels for me is all about position, the further from the button i am the way tighter i become.

hth

[STALLOWN3D]

I've been thinking about getting PT. Hate to ask this question but what is VPIP? Don't be too mean, I'm new [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[nomadtla]

[ QUOTE ]
I've been thinking about getting PT. Hate to ask this question but what is VPIP? Don't be too mean, I'm new [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Voluntary Put money In Pot- times when you did not have to put money in but you did. Essentially a stat that defines how loose you are preflop.

[Dirksqjaw]

Stop thinking about getting PT and go get PT. While you're at it, go get PokerAce at http://pokeracesoftware.com/ too. Sitting down and learning these two tools through and through, in my opinion, is the first step.

I can't stress how important self review has been for my play and in identifying leaks (I'm still leaky as hell, but I'm getting better!). These tools are invaluable (There are also alternatives that do the same thing, I only mention these because I currently use them).

And I feel where you're coming from with regards to tight play. Got too used to ramming and jamming live cash games. Can't play early SNG like a cash game or you're -EV from all that I've read.

-Dirk

[Gelford]

[ QUOTE ]
Stop thinking about getting PT and go get PT. While you're at it
-Dirk

[/ QUOTE ]


PokerAce is not essential by any mean, you can even argue against it in that it makes you lazy, but pokertracker is nice.

These days I have my Pokerace only showing me table stats and peoples holecards (after the hand has ended that is) as I found I was basing my play to much on some number that don't have mean, what I think they mean. So no personal numbers on the players themselves.

[Gelford]

But yes very tight early, you will need those chips in the latter stages of the sng.