from 18 to 46 non-cash finishes in a row since last post

[btrippi]

So yesterday morning I put up a post whining about how I had not won a SnG for a long streak, and received some great advice. I even feel like a better poker player than I was yesterday, but I have gone from 18 non-cash finishes (I wont call them losses) in a row, to 46 non-cash finishes in a row (as in 0 wins in between the 46 losses). I really don't know what to do or say about it. I have just been on a losing tear and I it sucks, but I think I am fine with it as long as I keep learning (and winning again eventually).

The last game I played in was a Tournament with a buy-in of 50 FTP (Full Tilt Points). The Prize pool was five 26 dollar tournament coins. There were 686 entrants.

In the last hand I played it was down to 27 players remaining. Blinds were at 500/1000, ante was at 75. Hero is on BB with A9o with a stack of about 10,000. It folds around to SB who limps (SB has a stack of about 17,000). The Hero has been playing tight, realizes that his chip stack has just crossed the Rubicon, and that he has a hand so to speak, and is in position, so he pushes. SB complains for a while, calls our hero names using a bunch of expletives (no response from hero), and with a couple seconds left decides to call with QTs. The board comes 89TK2 and hero's tournament life is over, less than ten minutes before the third break.

Was this play any good? I pretty much put him on the right hand. This was the few second thought process behind this move; he did not have an ace or a pair, assuming that hands like these would be raised; if he did have an ace I probably had the best kicker. Also knowing that nearly any two cards in that position would be getting odds to limp (6 to 1), he could have anything, but would be more likely than not to play with suited connectors, probably including a face card, as opposed to total garbage.

Interested to see what you all think of this play. Any advice, criticisms, or words of wisdom would be much appreciated.

Peace Love and Poker,
btrippi

[mmbossman]

Played in that one too, and it was my highest finish in a MTT (not, as you mistakenly call it, a SnG) so far. However, if you are playing MTTs and not cashing, especially with a structure like this (5 spots pay out of 686 seats), then you're not doing any different than most everyone else. If you're playing 1 table 9 person SnGs, and haven't won anything in the past 46 tries, something is obviously wrong. But if that was actually the case, I can't see you making it as far as you did in a donkfest like the one you mention. So something is not quite clicking with me...

Edit: Just read your other post again, and if you've gone through a row of losses in just 5 and 10 table SnGs, you have some sort of major leak here. What type of situation do you usually find yourself in? Out in the first 20 minutes? You play too many hands early. Out on the bubble? Possibly not playing aggressively enough. Bad beat for each and every game? Use pokerstove to analyze the hands that you lost with to see whether you were actually a dog going in, or if you did actually get a beat laid on you. Try and find your holes, then work on fixing them. One of the reasons I never made it very far in a MTT before today when I finished 21st was that I tend to put too many chips in early in marginal situations, and don't play aggressively enough nearer the end. Let us know if any of this helps.

[mutiger91]

I looked you up in sharkscope using a couple of member searches.

- Your longest cashing streak (i.e. consecutive cashes) is 3. Over 400 games that's not very good. It's a clear sign that you are taking too many chances early.

- You have 6 losing streaks of 10 games or more. Your longest is 27. (In contrast, in over 1000 games I've had one that was 16 that was a combination of some pretty bad luck and some associated tilt). I know you may be changing some things but streaks that long don't just happen when you are playing well.

Looking at your historgram of finish positions, your most common finish places are 7th and 9th. This means you are way too likely to mix it up early. You are either making big plays and getting burned, risking chips in too many hands or otherwise getting yourself in trouble early.

You have relatively few first place finishes which also means you probably need to work on short-handed play a bit.

Try this:
- Focus on not finishing worse than 6th. While there are still more than 5 other players in the pot, don't play any hands worse than AQ. (you can play pocket pairs in unraised pots, but fold if you don't hit a set)Also, don't commit a lot of chips to a pot where you don't have at least 2 pair. Don't bluff except to make a continuation bet with a premium starting hand.

I suspect what you are doing is splashing around too much early and making yourself a target for others. Then when you need fold equity in the middle and late stages of a tournament, you just don't command the sort of respect you need. The rules above are a bit mechanical, but you need to feel what tighter play is really all about.

[btrippi]

Appreciate the feedback:

Just to clear things up, mmbossman, I did mean MTT and not SnG for that instance. I just mostly play 45 player SnGs so lumped everything together and called it a SnG, even though it was a true MTT and not a multi table Sit n Go. My mistake. Good work on that too, we did spend quite a few hands at the same table. And it was nice to wade that deep through the field even though no prize.

To mutiger91, i went to sharkscope and looked myself up too. I had not been to that site before; it is pretty amazing what you can pull up. Definately better than Poker Tracker for tournaments anyway. It does show that my longest losing streak is 27 but I believe it really is about 46 including a few MTTs and free rolls. So unless I accidently forgot to record a victory in my records, which I might have done, but kind of doubt, I think 46 is the real number which is even more ridiculous sounding now, but if sharkscope says it's 27 we'll go with it. Also for those who are keeping score, my longest consecutive cashing streak, according to sharkscope anyway, is 13 not 3 as mentioned above, but who is counting anyway?

Also one quick question mutiger91, you used the term "fold equity" and the need for it in the middle and late stages, what do you mean by this term?

Thanks again,
btrippi

[Acein8ter]

If you want to continue playing S&G's, do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of HOH1 & 2. Read them like 3x each and highlight important topics. Keep them for reference. I guarantee you that you will start winning SS S&G's if you execute the advice in these 2 books...

I play a S&G once a week or so just to mess around. Played a SS one today and got 2nd. I base my play on and from HOH 1....

[btrippi]

Alright so its down to it. At 10:41 I used the remainder of my bankroll to buy into a 45 player $1 + .25 SnG. There is $.52 cents left in B.R. after buy in.

[btrippi]

so as you can probably tell from the time between this post and the last one that it didn't go so well. 2nd hand of the whole thing. Was dealt KK pre-flop on BB, 3 callers, I raised to 150 (5x BB), and two callers, 5 seat and Button.

Flop came JQQ. I continuation bet 360 and was called by 5th seat and by Button.

The turn: T
I bet 240 trying to rep a straight draw or and continue the image of AQ that I was trying to rep, 5th seat folded, Button raised to 800
I called (the real mistake)

Flop came 5
I bet the last 300 all in hoping for a bluff i guess?
Button called.
Button Showed: QJ making Queens full

I lose

peace,
btrippi

You know i'm buying back. I just don't know where, up until now I have strictly played at Full Tilt, and I do have bonus money at Full Tilt too, that they gave me a few days ago for some reason. Probably this. But I am going to read through here to see whats good out there.

To all the people whose chips my hands have ended up in, there have been many of you, I hope you lose them really really quickly, all of them.

btrippi

[mmbossman]

Good luck with it, and there's not harm in depositing again. I've done it several times, and like you, have tended to lose money at a slower rate each time, for the most part. However I've noticed that only depositing 50 isn't the best way to do things, mainly because you can hit a bad streak even if you've played well enough to win, lose a few in a row, and be down 20 or 30 bucks, which creates that desperation type play you've mentioned. If I wasn't still in school I'd buy in for 300 or so, so that I could truly be staked for penny tables and dollar SnGs. So if you do happen to bust, and have the means and the motivation, try buying in for a higher amount but continue playing the smallest stakes you can. That way you won't feel the strain as much when the variance hits.

[cprice2]

ah man, thats ugly. The preflop was fine, and aside from betting a little more on the flop, that was fine. If you're going to shoot a double barrel you need to bet more than 240 on the turn, and if you get reraised there you are beat and gotta let it go immediately. Played as is check the river down and fold to save those last 300 chips.

Don't give up hope. I lost my first 2 or 3 deposits before I started to become a winning player at any stake. Read the forums here and watch some of the videos. Good luck.

[btrippi]

Finally. 1st game after buying back in managed to finish in the cash, 5th place, in a one dollar 45 person SnG. Also some hecklers appeared during final table time and when there were 7 players left someone put a bounty on my head (top 6 cash). They needled me a little bit about how bad I was playing, and said some pretty funny stuff like "rigged" when I won a hand. I thought it was pretty cool anyway.

It's pretty sweet that by posting in the Beginners forum you get a nice red bulls eye branded on your back. Also everyone has a free guide to your leaks and whatnot, but my feeling is that better players are going to find me and beat me whether I talk about my weaknesses on here or not, and at least here I might be able to help someone else and get better myself at the same time.

This is an amazing community and I feel privileged to be a part of it.

btrippi