Home SNG Problems

[markdirt]

Hey all ya'll, sorry if this post is in the wrong spot. I know that there's a home poker section, but I thought everyone here would be able to shed more light on the matter. If this is truly inappropriate I'll delete.

The main problem I'm having is the inability to win against bad players. We play with a full table, eight to ten people, with a normal prize structure (the buy-in is $5.00). None of them study or understand poker to any extent. For example, I'll raise 3.5xBB in first position, and get four callers. Their calling range is huge - anything from 79o to Ax. Because of this, it's hard for me to be aggressive. Any all-in is immediately called by hands like KJ and A10.

I'm normally an extremely tight/aggressive player, but I'm finding that every hand I play gets outdrawn.

Is the randomness of everything messing me up? Is it all luck at this point? Or am I just an idiot that needs to study more and work harder? I know that if I were good I'd be able to beat weak tables, but I know that I'm a much stronger player than any of them. It's demoralizing to get beaten down week after week by trash.

Thanks.

[eurythmech]

If you can't beat these horrible players, I'm not sure why you feel you have the right to call them "bad".

[ManChild]

it could be variance
it could be that you are also not good either

in any event, if no one folds, play tighter, value bet thinner, dont bluff

[jkpoker]

against bad players raising 3.5 early is horrid btw

you should be trying to get into pots cheap and double

when raising bad players i would try to get position which is a very important part against bad players and against all players

[jkpoker]

early as in first position you want to have position on people and when dealing with lots of callers raising doesnt accomplish much

[Josem]

1) ignore what jkpoker wrote above

2) listen to exactly what manchild wrote

3) then, after doing that, play even tighter early on. if you don't have AK, AA, KK, QQ, fold early on.

[ukjw]

my friends are the same way, i dont even play any hands, unless they all limp and i am in late and i will limp with certain hands, or ill play premium hands. but when it gets close to the money i will have played maybe 1 or 2 hands usually and my blinds. and when close to the money its like any other sng they wanna make it so they will fold so at that time i turn it on. we just pay top 2 out of 7-10 and i almost always win or get 2nd.

also pay attention to there tells, they will show them all over, they will also slow play most hands and chase any draw. dont be afraid to fold over pairs when you know you are beat

[Dr_Wonderful]

"Any all-in is immediately called by hands like KJ and A10."

Tighten up and make huge bets with your big hands. If they're going to call an all in then push all in with QQ-AA, don't worry about value there. Basically play very tight but make large raises with your premium cards. Play in position and never bluff. Simple super tight poker should take these home games down pretty often.

[jkpoker]

[ QUOTE ]
1) ignore what jkpoker wrote above

2) listen to exactly what manchild wrote

3) then, after doing that, play even tighter early on. if you don't have AK, AA, KK, QQ, fold early on.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you dont want to have position on bad players.

You for no reason want to double against them.

And by all measn raise 3.5x with those KQ first to act threw 10 calling stations!!!!

[Josem]

[ QUOTE ]
So you dont want to have position on bad players.

[/ QUOTE ]
The value of position post flop against bad players is reduced in SNG because the stacks are relatively short.

the value of position increases on latter streets in deep stack poker (eg, 100bb at cash) because the early stuff is relatively automatic; raise pf, have a caller, random flop, cbet, call/fold. of course, there are some situations where position on the flop is valuable, but it's not as valuable as on latter streets.

it's not until the turn and river where the value of position increases. this is because there is more information to take advantage of.

[ QUOTE ]
You for no reason want to double against them.

[/ QUOTE ]
Of course doubling is good, but you are unlikely to be in many positions where the equity gain of doubling outweighs the equity loss of those situations where you fail to double.

[ QUOTE ]
And by all measn raise 3.5x with those KQ first to act threw 10 calling stations!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
raising 3.5x from ep is not inherently horrid. i don't know what else to say here (although KQ is an obvious fold from ep)



your posts said to the OP that he "should be trying to get into pots cheap." this is wrong. he should not. he should be trying to keep out of pots entirely.