SNG buy ins

Was in chat with the other mods yesterday and I asked at what level does the quality of play get better in SNGs. Dook and Tenbob both said at the $50 level. Well, tonight I played 3 SNGs at Stars, a 5, 10, and 20 and I can tell you there is not one bit of difference in the quality of play. In each one I had at least 1 calling station at the table, the kind of person that calls a 4xBB raise with 5-3 and catches a straight or flush. Stars itself was very unkind tonight as it seemed every flop was suited - which suits these folks to a tee. About half a dozen time tonight I flopped 2 pair but the flop was suited and a flush won. Needless to say I didn't win any of these (bubble in 2 of them). I guess I'm going to have to consolidate my funds on just 1 or 2 sites so I can play at the levels where blind luck is not the determining factor. Personally, I can't afford to throw $20 away like these folks do but to each their own I guess. As an example, 1 person went allin about the 3rd hand and this donk called with 6-3 suited. The allin bettor had pocket queens and you guessed it, the 6-3 flushed and took them out.

Funny as this may sound i have also found that quality of play is also a factor depending on what time of day im playing. Seems like the later i play in the evening (2-3 am central time) the play gets better. Not sure why but it does.

g/l

I agree withthe time comment. I play at Party and the quality of the tables increases the later it gets. You can tell by the traffic too. Peak traffic is around 50-70k players and there are plenty fish in there. When it gets down to around 17k the play is much better. Gotta watch out for the Scandinavian guys getting on.

I agree with the time issue as well, I play a lot early in the morning and the quality is much better. The scandanavians can be very tough I know. Ended up heads up with a guy from Finland in one event and we went at it for nearly an hour before I finally won. Wanted to mention one hand I played in the $20 SNG last night as it was typical of how things went. I'm on the button with AK offsuit early in the game with low blinds. UTG min-raises and everybody folds to me, I raise to 120 (6xBB) the blinds fold and UTG calls. The flop comes 7-7-A rainbow and I'm a little worried about ace-rag so I bet 120 again and UTG calls. The turn comes a K, no flush draws so I push hard with top 2 pair and I bet half my stack - UTG again calls. River is a 2 but at this point I have no idea what they have so I check and he checks. He rolls a 7-2 offsuit for a full boat.

First to even min-raise UTG with 7-2 is idiotic. If you want to try to steal (silly at 10-20 blinds) at least push a reasonable raise. Then to call a significant raise is again something I cannot understand. I've said it before, it's like throwing your money in the pot and playing showdown. No skill or strategy that I'm aware of can prepare you for this so as usual I'm totally confused on how to play this game. This wasn't a freeroll either - we all put up $20 to play...

Well Dave as I told you before, the main games I play are STT's on Stars, I ususally play $5-$10- but I will occasionally play as high as $50. The skill level is amazing, it sucks, some people will call a raise with anything. I found the $50 games a lot different, most of the betting was pre-flop, with very few flops being seen at all. Now ive only played about 10 of these so its a small sample.
But really you can be successful in the lower buy-ins, if you play solid enough poker in the early levels and let the donks bet and raise, so eventually youll either have a good player as your chip leader (damn !) or one of the donks (YIPPEE!!). Only play your huge hands in the early levels, and be fully prepared to release your hand if you find any major resistance, they usually have it.

Dave, you only know what he had because the hand was played to the end, and he has no idea what you had. He's shown you strength (of sorts) raising (OK only negligible) then calling your re-raise - again, you only know now what he had, but if the hand doesn't get to showdown that's irrelevant. If the flop was raggy and you didn't show strength you'd probably fold, and he'd win the hand - maybe he had seen something previously in your play. I do this time to time - sometimes it works, more often it doesn't. Once the cards flopped, all this was out the window - he had a big hand that he was going to play to the end - I cant imagine he called thinking he would be ahead post flop, or that he had correct pot odds.
Poker (no limit) isn't all about the cards you are dealt and whether you hit or miss flops - it's also about when you bet, how much you bet, whether you call etc etc. If you can make the odd play like this, when you do happen to hit one, you can take a monster pot (though obviously you wont last long if you over-do it).
Re levels, I run a smallish bankroll as I try and withdraw money to subsidise other expenditure, but i've played one $100 and one $50 Sng on Noble, and I won them both. There were some players i noted that were repeatedly playing $100 level, that were rubbish in my opinion. Conversely you can play $5 SnG's and be comprehensively outplayed by 3 or 4 players. To some extent, I would say higher levels are easier to play than lower, because you can get a feel for opponents (they will often play the same way you would in those circumstances), and they are more alert to possible danger flops (and therefore more likely to lay down to a bluff). You've also got to realise that $5 is a lot of money to one person whilst $20 is peanuts to another.

Rob, the guy min-raised UTG with junk and had no business in the hand - period. This was the second ot third hand of the game so none of us had a read on anyone else. Now if the blinds were significant, and worth stealing, this would be another matter.

I have no idea why you try to say this is anything but idiotic play but opinions are like assholes and we all have at least one...

Cos I didn't know it was only 2nd hand of game, and I usually pull 2 or 3 of these myself in a SnG - Did recently in an MTT, hadn't played a hand in ages so raised early with 6 10 os to make an "unobvious" steal attempt. Small stack in late position went all-in and I was left with dilemma - call (pot odds were overwhemingly in favour) and look a donk, or fold. I called, and hit flop. Luckily table broke up immediately afterwards so I didn't have to endure the "how can you raise with 6 10os?" question, but there was method in my madness (well at least I thought so!). I could easily imagine that hand was analysed on another site somewhere. Grum tried identical thing last night - unfortunately for him I had overpair to the board, but 3 times out of 4 his all-in with 2 4 post flop would have worked (and i'm sure he would have showed!). He's not an idiot - he was just making a play. I wont make the mistake of replying to one of your posts again.

If you read the thread I said it was early in the game when the blinds were low (10-20) and I addressed the fact that making a steal attemt at this level is silly. All I ask you to do is actually read the thread before you attack everything I write...

I play a lot of SNG tables but run from$1-5 and have won on them. You at time get some dumb butt's, but over all the play is quite good,not like the freeroll scene.