Finding your game

Hey guys

Ive moved to carbon and am currently testing the software to see if I should move to there or cake next. I heard cake is softer and has more bonuses and better rake back although Carbon has better software so Im not sure. Anyway, I was hoping to ask the winning players how they found their winning game.

I honestly don't know if Im a decent player or not. I know the strategies and play tight but never do well in the SnGs. Despite sticking religiously to proper bmr and proper SnG strategy in the micros (playing tight, no limping, shove/fold at the bubble), I get killed (went from $100 down to $13 on the $2 SnGs on FT). I pretty much took a long break from poker then.

I started back up on poker again after hearing about FT's Take Two. During that time, I tried out rush poker and did really well. Playing at the lowest stakes .02/.05, I was able to move my bankroll from my measly $13 up to $35. I made $22 in 11 days. (Not as good as the pros but for a losing player like me, it was amazing). Now that FT is shut down, Im thinking of moving to another site but dont know if I should pursue cash or tourney. Even playing the freeroll SnGs on Carbon, I cant seem to win consistently even against the donks (I often get sucked out and just lose my stack. I just lost to A2o with AKo with shoves preflop and I knew the guy was shoving light).

Since I wait for cards and really play with top ten starting hands or so and can really consider pot odds with cash, I find it to be a better game for me. However, Ive been studying SnGs throughout my poker career and know that cash requires different skills from tourney. I do know that some players are just suited to one game over the other (look at Phil Helmuth. Not the best cash but probably one of the best if not the best tourney player). I was hoping to ask how did you winning players find out what your game was? Should I switch over to cash?

Tight is always right for sit n gos up to a certain point. When the blinds get bigger is when you gotta change it up play hands you wouldn't and make reads and daring raises. I think you will find profit if you don't let peopole scare you off your hand. Instead be the person to apply the preessure because that will keep the pressure off you. Just some advice to consider. As for carbon thats where im play until this whole ordeal with the government blows over. I find it ok. At least it has freerolls. Not as many as tilt or pokerstars but it is something to look into. Maybe they will adjust there site with no U.s players making the move to it.

O yeah and it looks like your working on getting posts like me. Its hard with the seven a day limit. But just stick to it. Eventually we wil be able to play the freerolls. There is one at carbon. So keep an account there it definitely couldnt hurt you. Look me up sometime on there. SN is JonBiggieRaber

I am investigating now on where to play. I play at Carbon, but the fish there are just to much. I was looking at trying some of those sites that are offerring no deposit bonuses to play what are you guys thoughts.

888 Poker offers a legit 8.00 starting bonus, might as well sign up through CC.

There will be fish on any site you use. I personally don't mind them, they seem to give away chips pretty easy. If there was no fish, just sharks, it be an even tougher game.

been going to the casino lately and it hasn't been pretty. i play three days a week "tourneys only" and haven't cashed yet. i was chip leader yesterday with 40 players left and finished 36 because i am not agressive enough. no matter how much you bet preflop some idiot always calls and flop a set.......i had QQ twice and lost and eventually eliminated....first i had QQ...bb was 200 i raised preflop to 2k this guy called with 54 suited and flop came j44. he went all in i took a minute called and was disgusted. later....QQ again and this guy had Q9...bb was 400 i made it 1500 and he called flop came 10 9 9 and he pushed so i called "i was so mad at this point after losing to those clowns" so i called and got busted......now i've learned my lesson next time i go there....I WILL BE ALL IN EVERYTIME I HAVE A GOOD HAND....my problem is that i hate donkys and me going all in 40 times the bb seems kinda stupid to me.....well that's my story.

i think you have the early strategy down and the bubble strategy

you may be missing some of the middle strategy (i.e. stealing blinds and generally being opportunistic)

that comes with experience, it's like the light bulb goes off and you just realize you can probably take a pot based on the players in blinds, the stacks in the blinds and what you hold almost becomes irrelevant ... and that's not loose play, that's opportunistic play ... remember mid stacks are afraid to become short and short stacks are looking for the right spot ... they'd rather get their chips in before anyone shows any strength

but be very careful of doing an any two play vs. a player that is at the point where they really need to push all in

^^^ +1. Missing some mid-game steals and re-steals will make you a break even to losing player. Timing is essential though.

Anywhere you go the best thing you could learn is ring games. Takes forever to fill SNG anywhere except the big three.

Also Cake sucks all around. Both sites will pay out the same 35% RB so that's not an issue. Carbon, Lock, or other merge sites seem to be the best way to go. They suck for filling up SNG but have more traffic than Cake(ugh). Another thing is players are way softer than FTP at Carbon. Can't see Cake being much softer if any. Cake don't allow HUD either if you use one or decide to in the future.

Unless change was made recently Cake RB is 33%. Cake is softer because no HUD (wich keep away supergrinders, at least the ones who needs HUD and more traffic[cake have less])

+1 to the rest. Cake sucks big time.

I used to be a big Cake fan,but recently,Ive got to say I prefer the Merge sites better.I like them both,but merge is just a bit better in my opinion..

I like both but have had more success on carbon. IMO poker skills vary as well as your ideas on success or not. Sometimes when I lose I win. Either i view it as a learning experience or I know I played it right and someone just got lucky. Chew on it.

I consider NLHE micro-stakes STT SnGs the only games really within my comfort zone... everything else I haven't played enough of to determine if I'm actually winning or losing. I naturally transitioned to them, instead of cash games, because they were what I took to during my play money days. I'm mixing things up more and have been gradually trying to break into cash games, but the lockout isn't really helping.

I don't know exactly which format of SnGs you've been playing, but I remember finding the Turbo STTs a significantly tougher nut to crack at the beginning than the regular STTs. I remember winning steadily at the regulars, then going on a huge downswing when I tried to switch to Turbos. I found the regulars more forgiving of mistakes. In retrospect, I probably didn't understand bubble time push/fold dynamics properly as I thought, and was calling too light. Your leak(s) may be different, though.

Due to the lock out, Ive been basically playing the play money on FT. Luckily, Im crushing the 2,000 and some of the 10,000 and found I do much better on the regulars than the turbos, probably because the regulars give more opportunities to wait for decent cards. I know that play money is nothing like real but I do hope that given the lock out, some decent FT players are playing play money. I want to deposit on Carbon or Cake but dont have access to Neteller here (will when I leave the US for break so probably will wait until then).

I was playing the turbos almost exclusively since my friends insisted they were softer than the regulars but they are also much better than me, playing a year or so more before I even started playing. However, further research does seem to reveal the turbos to be tougher due to more regulars and it just doesn't fit great with my play style of playing really tight. Im still not sure if I should transition to cash which seems more consistent and one I was doing good at in rush (although to be fair it was during take 2 when there was probably more fish as well and I may have been running hot after my huge downturn in SnGs). Is is just me or does cash seem to reward tight play more than tourney which rewards aggression more?

i saw a post about playing for play chips

i think there are better options ... i understand in this current climate you dont have all the options, but ...

i've found realistic freerolls on a number of sites ...Carbon, et. al, Interops Poker, Sports Interaction, Doyle's Room, etc.

i realize the look and feel of these sites can be frustrating and freerolls are MTTs and that might not be you're preferred format, but at least there is some type of Ticket to something else and even small cash prizes dangling there for you

since Black Friday, i've played about 20 freerolls and placed once (5th out of 4000 in PL Omaha (not my game)) ... won a ticket ... 1st thru 4th would have been a ticket plus some actual cash ... i think $3 for 4th, $33 for 1st ... this was Sportsbook Poker part of the Carbon, Lock family and really all the same games (Merge Network)

but the freerolls on Interop and Sports Interaction are easier, i've gotten to the bubble 3 out of 5 tries ... gotta get over the hump now

anyway if you were a small stakes, mostly for fun player before, there is still a way to have fun playing poker ... sure it is not the same, but it's something