Low Stakes SnG Question

I have gotten really good at HU when I get there playing a FR SnG. My biggest problem though seems to be when we are at three left in the tourney. Can anyone give me a good strategy for playing in this situation.

My problem seems to be either I'm too tight when I'm the chip leader, which allows one of the other players to take the other out putting our stacks at about equal. Or, I'm not tight enough when I'm the small stack.

Should I be betting on any two top cards here? Suited connectors? Gapped connectors? And how much?

When there is only three players left, the mediocre hands like K, 9 q, 10 and a, 3 become more valuable so raise when you are the chipleader with any Ace, King decent kicker and when you have position. When you are shortstacked, you only have two options, all in or fold.

Okay, but is it wise to be tight when on the button? Or should I be a little more willing to get my chips in on mediocre hands.

When you're one of the blinds, you should consider using it to your advantage. If you're big blind and the small blind limps in, you may have an opporunity to steal the blinds. If the small blind has ANY kind of hand, he/she would have raised enough to get you all in. Also, when you're in the small blind and the dealer folds, you have to look at your hand and ask yourself, what are the odds the big blinds has a better hand? The dealer spot is a bad spot so there is nothing wrong with being tight when you are in that position.

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully this will help me get to HU a little more often, because once I'm there I'm a lot more comfortable.

Remember, when you're playing shorthanded...especially 3 or less...USUALLY both or all 3 of you missed the flop. Also remember, that quite a few people know this, so IF you hit the flop, you PROBABLY have the best hand. If you go in with 9 J and hit your nine and the flop is 59K you're PROBABLY leading....use this to your advantage. When you're in the final 3, you're in the money, now you want to win. Go in for the win, be aggressive if you have any kind of hand...WITHOUT putting your whole stack in danger..assuming you're not the short stack. In a nine person tourney, there are 13500 chips on the table....if you have 3k short stack has 1k and big stack has 9.5k, you're not far at all from being the chip leader.

The dealer button is the place to steal from. Stealing blinds and antes is the best way to build your stack. If you are SB or BB you can only win one of the others chips but from the button you can get both blinds.

You'd be surprised how many times a 3x BB bet with 9-4os takes down the blinds. Remember, it takes a better hand to call a raise than to make one.

Don't do it every time and it works better if you have established a tight image throughout the SNG.

I see your point, duff, but isn't this putting chips at too much of a risk with 94o. I've seen most of these low stakes players call three handed with any ace. This puts you at a great disadvantage if they call. Is this a normal practice or just one that you have luck with?

i agree with duff. stealing from the blind is normal practice as it is the best position to do it from. you will notice the other players doing this to you as well. it is a risk, but it is something you have to do in order to win sit & goes consistently. you also need to call the button when have somewhat of a decent hand. you can't wait for the nuts when you are down to 3 left.

Stealing from the blinds is the norm, and you also have to open up your range of hands to raise with. when your down to 3 players they are not going to see a good range of cards..

Using the squeeze play when your 3 handed is a huge play. You should use it often as possible. You should then continue doing it even when your strong. Like the above post said your in the money now it's time to win. Be aggressive!!!

I'm not an SNG pro but everything I learned from SNGs are from the master himself, Collin Moshman. I've just learned about everything he teaches and now using it in practice.

What you do depends on what stakes you play, but heres the basic outline:

To increase your 1st finishes is before it gets 3 handed..but on the bubble..when your on the bubble everyone doesnt want to bust out since they put so much time in, so basically what you want to do depends on who is on the big blind and how big their stack sizes is..if he is a short stack with just a little under 10 blinds you dont want to be overly aggressive as they will push, so be sure to have an above avg. hand when that happens..

when your on the dealer button and the SB and BB have stack sizes of less than 10, you can raise them all-in with Pocket pairs 55+ ,suited aces, suited K7+,Q8+,J7+, and any ace A7+...

Usually when your a big stack/chip leader you shouldnt think how you could keep the big stack but how you now have chips and how you can use it making +EV plays..as long as you get your money in a good spot dont feel regretful if you lose it..

If your multi-tabling I recommend you use HEM..if a late position raiser has a high steal % you can usually do an all-in re-steal with suited aces, PP, and suited broadways..

And when it gets 3 handed with effective stack sizes of around 10 you can shove and decent hand as a big stack and it will still be +EV..other than that 3 handed is when people dont mind when the bust since they are ITM so just whoever gets the better hand gets the chips.

But the key factor in 1st place finishes is being aggressive 4 handed so when you get HU you have a big chip advantage and just shove almost any 2. SNG is a game of either RAISE/SHOVE/FOLD ..calling is not a part of this game

No joke! I've started opening up my range in this type of game and it is working. Instead of getting blinded down to nothing, I'm actually winning a few more.

And I'm pretty sure I know what "squeeze play" means, but I would appreciate it if someone would explain it in a little more detail or give me a link.

Thanks!

^ This for me too please

A squeeze play is when there is a open raiser and a flat caller and you hving position on them put out a bigger raise...to the raiser who raise will have to give serious consideration since you re-reraised into a raiser and a flat caller..so it would be hard for him to call w/o anything less than AK-QQ

EX:

blinds 100/200

MP1 raises 200 to 600

CO calls 600

BB (Hero) re-raises to 2000 with pocket 99s

Okay, I was way off. Thanks!

That's what I thought. So typically what you want is them both to fold ?
Or do you want a call from the CO in the example, the flat caller ?

And in general is the flat caller more likely to call or the initial raiser ?

As the number of opponents drops, you have to loosen up step by step. You can start raise with any Ax, any Kx (down to 8 or 9) and so on.. 2 or 3 times the big blind is enough and on flop a constant continuation bet certainly..
In shortstack position if you have 3-4 times the blinds+antes, you should move allin with any two facecards and any suited connectors also.

Ive played in a lot of S&G's over the yrs. and ive learned that its more about stealing blinds if youre the chip ldr. you want to keep the pressure on the lower stacks into making a move they may not be comfortable with. However, if im the low stack or in 2nd but considerably behind i tend to only play premium hands. If Im low stack, i prob. go ahead and push esp. on the button. Thats the best time to be raising with 9 at the tbl so keep doing it when youre down to 3

You really have to loosen your playing style when you get down to 3-4 handed. You shoudl be in just about any hand when you have any broadway card with a decent kicker. Top pair will almost always win a hand. Aces and kings can be played with rags for a kicker. Blind stealing can be extremely profitable, usually hwen you are down to 4 or less the blinds are a decent amount and can eat a stack down fairly quickly.


~H

I've been in this situation many times. the way i would play it is to pick hands that are big to play. i say play as tight as you can no need to waste chips. and start goin all in on most hands you think you can win with like aa ak aq aj a10 a9 a8 a7 basically anything with an ace in it if you are lower stacked its a prime way to steal blinds safely. that just my opinion, im new so i'd just say try it out and dont be affraid.

What i try to do when there are only 3 people left in lets say a 6 person sng and the top 2 get paid is try and make the other players take eachother out. i dont know if this is a good stratagy but i will make bets in the bb if both people limped or the button raised and the SB called is i will re reaise or just raise to get them both putting money in. I dont really care as much if i dont win the hands because i am just trying to get the lower stacks lower or if i am the chip leader or second, try and get the person in 1st or 2nd to lose more chips so i have a bigger lead.

this is the perfect place to roll the small ball...usually when you're in this position late in the game. the blinds are high enough they can dwindle your opponents stack with super aggressive play to steal blinds

This is totally situation dependent. If your opponents are playing loose, then tighten up and 3-bet with good hands, if they are playing tight, then open up your range and bet more liberally. Generally speaking though, the more aggressive you are, the better.

play agressive and pressure the others when you have decent cards

When blinds are high, you are supposed to be pushing or folding as your only two moves. And which hands should be pushed or folded can be decided mathematically if you can make correct assumptions about your opponent's calling ranges.

SNG wizard should let you train how to do this best.

i think it depends on the players your against, and by this time you probably have a pretty good feel of how they reactto your bets....some ppl are stubburn and will call with almost everythign especially if they already know they have won some money...get a little more agggresive though

If you have a big chip lead I think its fine to take chances raising with mediocre hands. You will buy a lot of the pots and if a short stack pushes its usually not too much more to call. Unless he has an overpair it can be worth the risk.

mi advice wen 3 handed ,, AGGRESION,, PASSIVE PLAY AND FLAT CALLING WILL IN THE LONG RUN BE A LOSING PLAY ...GOTTA TAKE THE LEAD AND BULLY ,,LONG RUN U WILL WIN ,,PLUS U WILL SUK OUT ,,ON THE WAY BUT STIK WITH THE BULLYIN

When you are down to 3 players you have to start playing hands you would have folded earlier without thinking about staying with. Don't forget by this point the blinds will really add up so if you can steal a few you can really hurt the short stack player who can't afford to gamble. Watch out though for the short stack to go all in.

Thanks, I will check that one out.

Okay, but quit yelling at me!

Very nice thread ppl...Im still learning how to finish out a sit and go as well.

Usually when Im heads up I seem to always pick the wrong to cards to go all in with or to try to re steal a pot...but it has not been that bad I guess...lol...

I have to agree here, when you are down to only 3 people face cards are good when you have the chips. Short stacked you defently need to fold or go all in. You are either going to steal all of the blinds or get one person to call you, then it is pretty much a coin flip as to who wins. Good luck and keep up the good work