Are sub $5 Tourneys even worth the time?

So since my BR cant handle anything really more then a $3 buyin, is it even worth the time?

So this really isnt a vent, its more of a "Hmmmm?"

The reason I ask, I know my BR is low, cause my cash game hurt me bad last month, some bad play and some just people getting lucky. So I stick to tourneys alot...the 10 cent 360 person SNG, or the $3 or less buy in tourneys.

I would say I cash in probably 60% of them, if not more, but unless you make the final table they don't feel like they are worth my time. So don't get me wrong if i buy in with $1 and I cash out with $2, Im happy cause I will always take a double up, but does it really help my BR?

I try to look at it as good practice but at the same time, Im in a donk fest most of the time and some of them are VERY LUCKY, and will catch runner runner or maybe im just that unlucky. You know if it wasnt for bad luck I would have no luck, that type of thing.

I was just thinking about it today because I did the $1 buy in on PS and 2.5 hrs later, i get busted out and I won $2...So was it worth the time? I try to tell myself it was since it gave my practice on patience and also since I enjoy playing.

And I totally love playing the 360 person 10 cent SNGs at PS, those are fun and its usually an easy cash, just not and easy win/final table.

I really am curious what others think on this??

*Note*

Just cause I asked doesnt mean I'm going to stop playing these, I was just curious if others kinda felt kinda the same.

I.ve cashed a few times in those .10 cent/380 seat PS tournys---did to the tune of $4.80 or so once and .30 cents a couple of times---so, anytime I cane make 48 times my but in, it's worth it--as a matter of fact, anytime I cash at all, it's worth it!

Low stake tourneys are difficult to build a bankroll with...I feel your pain...anyhow, IF you are trying to build a little quicker, why not try SnGs??

I'd rather play a low stakes tourney than ring game...those seem to be bigger donkfests.

I don't know what site you play on..sounds like PS with the 360 10 center.
Pokerstars does have guaranteed tourneys..those attract more people, BUT, if you can final table one of them, it's a pretty big payday.

I believe it's a good thing playing in those sub $5 games. You get better play than if you were playing with play chips. It isn't a big invenstment to your BR either. If you cash in enough, although it's a grind, you can start playing more expensive games and build your BR smart as opposed to putting all your eggs in one tournament basket.

I won $150 on a fulltilt $0.10 tourney and haven't looked back! So those low buy in games do pay off !!!

I think it totally depends on your bankroll and whether you have fun playing them. As Wonka22 said, if you're trying to build your bankroll you might try $3 SNGs instead, but if you're enjoying the tournaments and playing for a combination of fun, learning, and potential profit there's nothing wrong with sticking with them too. They can actually produce a decent payday if you win one of the things.

Bankroll management-wise an MTT investment should be a smaller portion of your bankroll than and SNG since they're higher variance. You don't want to go bust playing $3 MTTs with a $30 bankroll.

It does seem kind of futile to play for 3 hours and only win a buck or something. I don't do it anymore. If I'm on a site where I don't have much of a BR, I stick to SNGs or micro cash games.

3$ rebuy ftw

I think he's trying to avoid an all in donkfest...LOL

the $3 rebuy is the greatest tourny ever, better than the wsop main evnt imo

Ive done some of those on PS, and OMG its an all in donkfest up until the 1st break...I was at a table where a guy rebought 15 times because he kept going all in with K,A,J,Q and anything....He finally got lucky and tripped his lower card and won the hand but yea, those are my best cashed, its one of the VERY FEW tourneys where you dont need to final table it to get a decent payout. My best cash in one of those is $33 and it cost me $3 and a $3 add on...so for $6 and I end up $27 up they are nice. I will agree they are fun, they are my fav but they are an al in donkfest in all shape of the word.

Multi-table SnG's are the best way to increase your ROV. As was said, re-buys can be a donkfest at times so you must be careful in them.

i am of the opinion of many who read the tips and tricks sections of various poker sites... low limit SNGs ($5-$11) are the way to make money. if you really finish in 65% of these tourneys your ROI will be well into the positive... $1 and $2 tourneys are worth the practice, but no real money can be made unless you play in and win hundreds or thousands of them...

They are a waste of time in the sense that you are never going to make much $$/hr with them, but the entire point of micro tournaments (unless you just like play poker without the pressure of playing for much money) is to build your BR to the point where you can support playing some larger games and actually make some $$s.

Obviously their $/hr return is lower than the bigger buy-in games, but as to whether they're a waste of time... really, what's your alternative?

If your bankroll has dropped to a level where these are all you can afford then you don't have many options - you can not play them, and have your bankroll go nowhere. You can play outside your roll, and risk going completely broke. Or you can wait until you can deposit some extra cash and then go back to playing your old stakes.

Given the alternatives, I'd suck it up and play the low-stakes games.

this is it. one advantage of small buy-ins is that not everyone cares about game, and just by waiting queens and better in 600 person game, u can be in the money. step by step. i had raised 25 dolar to 800 dolar, everytime sticking to a low buy in tournament, and after bakroll reaches to a point, stick to a higher buy in tournament that was also under 5 dolars. and withdrew it : ) now again from the start, everyday playing one 1~2 dolar tournament is enough for me. if you dont play for income, its good. also i think that your bankroll must be at least 15-20 times of buy in.

Waste of time if you want to increase roll @ at a quick pace

Good if you practice or play as a hobby and dont enjoy play money (my camp)

Some times where you play is limited by your BR and sometimes by your skill level. If you consistently double up in the small or micro limits...well, take and penny and double it every day for 30 days. What do you end up with? (OK, fine...not directly applicable here, but I am trying to make a point)

My 200 dollars tonight says yes.

If you cannot get top 50 every so often in these how can you do well in larger stakes?

The Sub $5 tournaments are a good place to start, if you play patiently you will usually finish in the money, and its very good experience for final table play. Its a good way to learn without burning through a bankroll, lets you get experience playing in and out of position as well. It really prepared me for the larger tournaments that I have played in when I actually get to the final table. Just remember when you move up to the high $$ games that you play the whole tournament like you do when your down to the final 5 at the sub tournaments as the quality of players will be much higher from the start.

i played a lot of sub 5 tourns and sngs - so boring lol. just forced myself up with a bigger bkr...more fun now ^^

FTP has some good sites with rakeback programs which makes the high rake of low level sngs worth playing...as for low level sngs on PS i am not aware of any rake back but i still get suckered into playing them over lower level MTTS...i just like my odds better beating out 6 donks to make the money rather than 600-700 in an mtt

it well be very hard to build a quick bankroll in a short amount of time but that is hard t odo anyways so i dont think its a waste of time unless you are doing awful with the lower buy-in games

I love playing the 10 cent 360 person SNG. I can place in the money about 50% of the time and over time it helps my bankroll. I seem more relaxed in the low tournaments or sit and goes. Every now and then I will play in the 11 sit and go but players are much better and harder to place.

I find Poker Stars deep stack tourneys are the best. 11 buck and up. More seriuos players with 5000 starting chips and 30 minute blinds.

Kreepy,
I had played alot of sub $5 SNGs and MTTs for quite a while (over a year). Much like you, I would cash, but also others would get lucky on me alot (or so it seemed). This would often put me on tilt and I'd break my BRM rules and get myself in trouble.

Finally I put enough money on to play $5-$11 SNGs and I've found much greater success. For the first time online, I'm making money. I'm not tilting when I'm losing and I'm generally enjoying myself when I play win or lose.

Just stick with BRM until you have enough to move up. Your ROI is going to stay rather stable, though it may drop when you move up, the higher stake will produce more income. Sorta like compound interest. Just don't move up until you can afford to.

If you loook at it as pay off per hour, then it stinks but if you look at it as you have no other option because you don't have the money, then it is great. Build back up and then play higher stakes.

jane

If you're truly cashing 60% of the time or anywhere even close to that but your roll isn't growing nicely, it seems likely you're playing to cash rather than to place high.

If you don't know what your actual ITM% is, then you might want to see by tracking you results instead of guessing.