MTT/SNG/CASH (differences)

ok guys can anyone explain to me the difference in strategies in those 3 games? Since i`m new to the game and i`ve only been playing MTTs i want to know what type of adjustments does a player need to make from one to another type of game? Thanks a lot.!!

Well this is not a simple question. I'll do my best...

1 - MTT or Multi Table Tournaments
- In these type's of tournament's it's important to be patient through-out, take advantage of position, and pay attention to the levels. The reason I say pay attention to the levels is the lower the blinds are in proportion to your stack the more patient you can be, the higher the blinds go the more you have to attempt to steal the blinds while in position. This is most likely the basic stuff I just said here. I recommend FullTilt Poker Strag. Guide Tournament Edition or Harrington on Holdem.
2 - SNG or Sit and Go's
- These are tournaments that start when the enough people sign-up to fill up the table. Usually 9 or 10 people depending on the site or poker room. These type's of tournaments are similar to MTT's in many ways with one exception. You have to be a little more aggresive in the early going, but this doesn't mean playing loose. It is still important to take advantage of you position.
3 - Cash or Side Games
- These games are my specialty. They are much more fun IMO too. You can play more hands in various positions. For instance I enjoy playing a hand like 45suited from early position with a 4XBB raise or the typical raise that has been going on in this game. If you flop something big you can often make a lot of cash. The best part of cash games is if you bust out you can rebuy and should bring enough to rebuy at least once. This way you won't be scared to lose your only rebuy.

Listen this is the most basic of advice I can give. A couple of good pointers for begginers are play WAY less hands than you think you should. Now this is something every new player does even though they are told not to do is play too many hands and play marginal hands out of position. Position is key to poker and playing better hands makes the game easier until you learn more.

The first thing you should do is go purchase a book or two on poker. Doyle Brunson's Super System, Harrington on Holdem, FullTilt Tournament Poker Edition, there are maybe 1000's of good books with great points. Most will tell beginners to play fewer hands and take advantage of position. Of course one way of learning is making those mistakes and learning from them.

Once you figure out the basics of the game like hand ranks, pre-flop hand value, and such you can start to learn about pot odds, implied odds, and learning the odds of typical hands. For instance a simple odds to learn is AKsuited vs. a pocket pair i.e. JJ is a coin flip. JJ is leading approx. 54% to 46% for AKsuited.

Listen I could go on and on for ever, but I'm not going to write a book on this post. Do some google search's, head to the book store, and play. Playing poker is the best way of learning poker. You can play for free on most of the sites although it's hard to learn much because play money games are DONKVILLE. If you serious about learning put about $60.00 on Poker Stars and play $5 SNG's. You'll most likely loose all of your money, but you'll learn a lot playing in those games. You can also buy-into a couple of small stacks satillites that you might win a seat in a bigger tournament which you'll really learn a lot. Who knows maybe you win some money.

Good luck and have fun! I've been playing for 4 year's and this is the first year that I've been making money on a regular basis and enjoying myself doing so. The first year I played I lost a little money, but I didn't play real money poker much, the 2nd year I played I lost a little more, but learned a ton, and the 3rd year I thought I played pretty well, but tried to go up and play higher limits too fast and lost my bank roll (learn Bank Roll managment too), and then this year I've only had 1 loosing session playing cash games. I do not play online much I play more live and do better live anyway.

Anyway man have fun!

^^ Everything he says is very important.
Great post right there

Great post BrentD22.

BrentD22; very nice post...

BrenT22; ty for that post!

Just wanted to add that 1-Table SnG's are a good way to learn poker, because you need to finish ITM really often to win money that way. It's also a good way to try different strategys. I think that a good poker player, which i'm not, should change is way of playing the more he can, and SnG's can help for it. It's also a way to handle FT and improve this part of your game, even if there is some differences.
I won't tell about Cash game as i don't practice it yet.
MTT are good to play when you are confident in your game.

Good post with the exception of the advice on the deposit of $60 and playing the $5 SnGs, being a relative newcomer to online poker this is bad advice(sorry Brent) but you should also be learning proper BRM(bankroll management) Poker Advice for New Players - Beginners guide to Poker. - read this
http://www.cardschat.com/attachment....1&d=1146365596 (http://www.cardschat.com/attachment.php? attachmentid=757&stc=1&d=1146365596) - follow this rule for BRM

I would not follow the advice by Brent that you have to be more aggressive in the early stages of STTs. You should actually be more aggressive in the later stages, because the blinds are bigger and are more valuable and at the same time most players tighten up too much and hope to squeeze into the money. You should be taking all the pots in that situation with all kinds of crazy hands because unless they have a real hand they'll fold, and your main focus is to win the tournament, not to finish ITM. Remember in most cases the win is 50% of the prizepool and quintuples your initial investment.

After further review, I agree with LV's comment on Brent's post...playing only premium hand in the early stage of SNG and aggressive in latter stages...otherwise Brent's post is a nice summary of a big subject

This link to a great post in the Golden Archive by Chuck T

Important aspects and tricks for the beginner/intermediate player

Nah, $60 is plenty for $5 SnG's (single table ones). The attachment you linked to was for MTT's (where obviously you are less likely to cash).

You will need to fail to cash in 10 straight SnG's to blow $60 - if you do this it's your play, not your bankroll management that is the problem.