A Question that has been buggin me

Ok...so hear is my story about a 1 1/2 years ago i made my first $25 depost at pokerstars. after playing many sit and go's I lost $15 dollars just from playing. After losing that much I started to read alot of poker books. Hear now a year later I started to play for real money again. But this time only cash games. I have my good days...then I have my bad days, which how cash games normaly are. I been also playing sit and go for play money and about 85% of the time I been in the top paying places out of nine people.

My Question is do you think is time for me to go back to play real money sit and go's or just stick with the cash games..

If you're ITM 85% of the time, yeah, I'd go back to SNG, though if you only have a $11 BR left, you'll have a nonzero risk of busting, but odds are you'll be fine. Your graph doesn't say how many hands you're talking about. You've won 40 big blinds, so either you're doing well over a very small sample, or you have a big sample and are winning only marginally. There's really not enough data there to say how this is going to turn out.

The bit I think always gets left out of BRM is this: Willing to deposit again? If so, then definitely go to SNGs if you're 85% ITM. If not, I'd stick to cash, which you imply you're winning, until you have some of your BR you're willing to slice off and treat as play money.

RF

Pokerstars has 90 player $.25 sit n gos with no rake. They are pretty easy to cash/final table in. 1st pays a little over $6, so not bad for a $.25 buy-in. You could try these for a while with almost no risk, is about all that you are properly rolled for anyway, with only $11 left.......

i think it depends on how tilt prone you are. theres money out there in both cash and sngs but cash can be particularly tilting. really are two completely different strategies as well so id just go with what your more comfortable with.

If you like SnG's and feel you have learned enough to take them down on a regular basis, then yes!
I would take a small portion of my bankroll and start at the low stakes.
You didn't say how much of a BR you have but since you seem to be doing ok in cash game, could you take $20 (about 15 Buyins ) out to play some $1 SnG's without effecting your Cash Game BR?

Pokerstars also have .25 no rake for 45 players also..good game..

If you go to sit and go's I think you need to change your expectations......Top 3 in a 9 man sit and go 85% of the time is unrealistic.....actually I will say it is impossible over a decent sample size.....The best of the best sit and go grinders are only cashing in a 9 man between 30-40% of the time.....so switch if you want but do not expect to be anywhere near 85% cash rate

Well you do very well in the play money SNG's why not do it for real money. You should do the 25 cent 45 ppl SNG's or the $1.10 single table SNG's. Well GL in what ever you choose to do.

You should go where you feel confortable and you are good at... SNG

Go for it!!
Although my feeling is that you shouldnt compare real and play money games. My eight and six year old loves playing in the play money games. As im sure everyone knows, Chris Ferguson has great ideas on bankroll managment. Maybe look there for some more tips.

The play money S&G's have terrible players. I used to take breaks from my $10 NL cash game grinding by playing the $10,000 play-money S&G's, which were really easy to cash in.

Playing the real money S&G's was quite a bit different.

I think if you're cashing 85% of the time, (and this is after playing a lot of games, not just 20 or so), then you'll probably be a winning player at the micro stakes S&G's.

With the win rate you have at SNG's .. you may want to look into the "Double Up" SNG'S on Bodog ... Just finish top five out of ten , double your entry minus rake ..

Sure I wouldl go for it.....Get in there while you are on your rush!!! Good luck

play money is easier than real money... you arent going to be ITM nearly as much, i would definitely start low with SnGs that cost less than a dollar.

I have found the real low stakes sit n gos are actually harder to win then the higher stakes because people dont seem to care how they play, you get called down with anything and take a lot more bad beats but in higher stakes where people dont want to lose their money so easily I have had much more sucsess

I play mainly PS $2 180s and sattys, and do ok, I have also tried $0.25 and $0.10 games, while the standard is not good, you should by correct play and a bit of luck build your roll. Varience may be higher in these games due to the suck out factor, but big hands will over time prevail.

For me with your BR I would do as others have suggested and run the $0.25 sgns for a while and see how you ITM % works out.

Good Luck, let us know how you are doing

well hear is a update on the games. I have won acouple but now I am getting in to the heads up sit and go...i find that I'm better at head's up then mult-table

I would prefer playing 'sit n go's, I think it's way easier than cash game to cash lol, but I wouldn't take your winnings so seriously in the freerolls, most of people don't even bother playing it right
gl

Sng's are a safer way to go and about the best bang for your buck. Play money is way different than real. I would definitely go with the .25 45max sng get the maximum value and slowly build your roll back up. Not to mention alot cheaper than sitting on a NL2 table. Gl on which route you choose.

Honestly, I'd stay away from the HeadsUp SNG's. You need to maintain a decent winrate to stay ahead of the rake/tourney fee in HU sng's at the micro stakes levels.
Also, if you're a newer player you'd be WAY better off trying to perfect the 9-plyr. SNG's before other stuff (ie. like making HU sng's your game).

stick to what works, sngs for play money is going to give you good card so yout hink hey maybe i should play for money and then youll start to loose again, stick to the cash tables and maybe try tournaments

You could try to make a play money bankroll and win many tournaments and sell it for money so that there's less risk when you play real money sit and gos and tournaments again.

That seems like the most reasonable solution to your problem. I would pursue this option. It will still give you practice with real tournaments. I would NOT go to play money. Stick it out steve.

Stix

You may find that you like to mix it up. I play cash games mostly-right now. After a while I will play some SNGs, and once a week or so I play a big tourney. Keeps you well rounded and breaks up the monotony.

I'm in shock that this is still being talk about

I spent and wasted time on fake money on Ps too, well its totally different on cash games.

Basically the idea is good to start with fake money, but the experience you do there its not good, cause other people doesnt play with real money, so they willing to all in easily, they dont play as people on cash games.

Its far better spend few cents on sng like 0,50 cents sng, and earn experience there for 1-2 months rather then fake money.

Its total different world. Only good if u dont know basic of poker and need to learn it.

I know people who have done alright with .25 sng on Stars as has been mentioned. I lent a friend who is a decent player 5$ and he's built up his BR on it.
I have a small bankroll myself these days after necessarily cashing out most of my winnings. I'm building it back up again through micro LHE which is the game I feel most comfortable but if I was new I'd be playing the .25.

Congratulations on doing well on the HU.

Wether it's the sng's or the cash games, it's a grind. Just play what you're most comfortable with. And HU sng's are great btw . It's how I built my br up.

I would never consider how well I did on "PLAY MONEY" to decide where to play next.....throw those thoughts out....now ....become a member of the FREEROLL CLUB first....if you can play with me and the others ...consistently....then try your hand at a SNG or MTT! If not, they will gobble up your real money in a heart beat! Just a thought.....

that a good plan from above

I don't think they are a good bankroll builder. You can't mult table. Takes ages to get any sort of bankroll. Only good thing is less rake for husng. I've played a good 150 of em. Sooooooooooooo boring lol

THere are actually some players online who are up HUGE in HeadsUp sngs.... but not in the micros, obv.
I have a winrate of 52% in HU Sng but I'm down in money in them. Get the picture. (I actually only mostly play them vs. friends, ... try to reg. at the exact same time, and then have a game online... kinda fun).

My sharkscope graph for the last ~350 games seems to disagree with you tomh, HU sng's are great for building a br. I'd say it takes ages to get anywhere the more players there are. Games take way longer, the marginal ROI increase doesn't make up for the time you need to put in.

Seriously HU sng's are the bomb, lots of fish playing them.

I think you should continue to do both. With the sit n go games if you want to play for about an hour you can. The biggest question I have is where are you making your most money? I would imagine it's in the cash games. If I am correct then you should use the sit n go as games to kill time with.

Best plan (imo... for starting out) >> stick to one variation of the game (if you're hoping to build a bankroll).... learn it... study it... research it... study some more... & more... & more... etc.