The 3 most important SnG tips

If you are asked to help a newbie (me) on how to win a SnG tournament and can only give 3 tips. What would your 3 tips be ?

Stay tight in the early rounds only play premium holdings

Abuse position as the blinds raise and you're approaching the bubble

Play for first not to cash

First 2 are good advice but the 3rd one is bad imo.
In a MTT or SNG MTT, or basicly any structure that is top heavy its good advice but for STTs its bad imo.
A decent article explaning why http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/pro-tip/HowardLederer/168

Play tight early.

Never go all in pre-flop.

Let the other yahoos Knock each other out once you have a decent stack.

i don't completely agree with playing tight early. i would say play a lot of cheap flops with connected hands that can develop into mosters, and are easy to get away from post flop to aggressive bets. as you get to the bubble, abuse the blinds and take advantage of position.

The key phrase there Melasure is newbie.
If u tell a new player to see a bunch of cheap flops it will only result in some seriouse spew since he probably doesnt have the best post flop game...

Watch these two videos I did on one table SNG's. I think they will help you.

TriggaLos' One Table SNG video!!!

TriggaLos' 2nd 1 table SNG video, LIVE!!!

If you have 15 blinds or less, and you're going to play a hand, you should go all in preflop. Play tight.

Congrats, you can now beat up to $5 SnG's.

OK, if you are almost dead and grasping for air to breathe with two broken arms in the middle of the ocean then go all in pre-flop. Usually means that the SnG didn't go your way and you are gonna lose anyway.

A couple of months ago I played a STS&G with this major arrrogant A hole who has since become my hero, unbeknown-st to him. He has no Idea I rail his game on occasion but I truly admire his abilities.

He plays 6 or 11 STS&Gs Monday - Friday in the evenings. He plays 4-8 games at a time. Never less than 4. As far as I can tell he pays nothing but AA or KK and only in position till there are like only 5 left.

And NickerThal32, if your a CC Member, Mad Respect.

My Advise? Rail this guy some time for an hour.

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No it means your playing a good ICM game and that STTs have a fast structure witch means you have to go all-in prf alot to play as close to optimal as possible.
Never going ai prf is pretty horrible advice, late-mid game STTs standard stacks are usualy around 10-20BBs(and lower) and not going all in with thouse effective stacks is bad.

Thanks for all the inputs guys...

Firstly it seems like playing tight for the initial stage of the game is the what most people advise. For me I will access the situation to see if there are any edges I can exploit.

Hi sindri_93, I just read that article. On seeing cheap flops....I tend to do that if I am in position.

Hi TriggaLos, I will check out your vids once I am done typing this.

Hi CAMurray, the way this guy plays seems to make mathematical sense. Kinda confirmed my suspision that the way to play optimal game is through playing more than one table.

Keep them coming guys....only 3 tips.

I tried to post under a new thread but was rejected. Only 2 threads allowed in 24 hrs for under 65 post members. So I thought I will just post here since we are on that subject.

After my first 53 micro SnGs....results are rather bad.

A little background first. I only play one table at a time. I am only experimenting with $10. BRM wise I only buy in for 1% or less of my capital.

Up by about $10.20, now down by around $9.70. Playing 5cent buy in SnGs.

1st place 9 games

2nd place 3 games

3rd place 3 games.

The fustrating part for me is that most of the games lost. I get knocked out at the 5th or 4th place.

Will update and re access after another 50 or so games. Hopefully will be in profit.

1.- PATIENCE the key of texas hold'em
2.- NOT TILT
3.- Play tight and try to survive.

The 3 best advices i can give you.

if you buy into 10 Full Tilt .30 STS&G and allow all of them to blind out you will make it to between 2nd and 5th. I know this because Ive done it. Yea, Yea, Ive had too much time on my hands for a while.

Point being, if your patient & tight and not lured but a KQsuited UTG early on, you will consistently cash.

Hi, I am not familiar with poker lingo...what do mean by "not lured but a KQsuited UTG early on"

Thanks

i do not have as nice stats as NickerThal32 but u can sharkscope me nonetheless. basically Tight is key, let them kill each other, this works for anything lower than $20 SNGs. U play to ITM not to be first. try for first AFTER ITM. its a grind, so u want consistency. and try to identify the regs and avoid them if possible, sharkscope most if not all on your table, and u know who are the winning players and who suck.

TIGHT Early

Loose middle to final table

Tight Tight early on Final table

Tight AGGRESSIVE with 4 to go and HU

I am adjusting my early play as suggested by many here, tighter. In fact as I am typing, I already played 2 games playing tight, both in the money (3rd place). I believe I get bored easily and want to play too many hands, looking into playing 2 tables.


3 TIPS !!! share yours please...so far what I can see here is playing tight on early game.

Play very tight and donnt call anybody's raises untill You hold reason to call. Dont get desire to see the flop it might get into you trouble, third and final tips is that read your opponnents well, reading the opponnents is most important thing inthe sng as you have watch him not like in the MTT.

I think this might help!!

UTG is Under the Gun or first player to act prior to the flop.

By "early", I just mean early in the game.

There is much to learn but you are at the right forum for it.

Remember "Position is King" and the button is "Doggie style"

For example, in the screen shot below, if you Tinad01 and had KQ suited and are UTG as he is & make a standard raise, your waking into a wasps nest but you have no Idea.


But if your Flyingscotsmi22 with the same cards but with position, by the time it gets to you, you'll have had the benefit of seeing my actions before deciding if you want to play your hand.

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1) Play tight.
2) If you enter a pot, raise, re-raise or fold.
3) During bubble play steal and steal often.

Top 3 tips for SNG newbies:

1. Play within your bankroll.
You can go 5, 10, 20 in a row without cashing, you need to be able to handle those swings, financially and emotionally. Good BRM does this.

2. Make notes on every player.
What hands they play, from what position, do they raise alot, limp, weak, tight, aggressive. It all helps later.

3. Find the game that is right for you and stick to it.
Some people love razz, other NLHE, 6, man, 9 man, 18man, 45man, turbos, non turbos. The choices are mind boggling, stick to the ones you make money at.

This is not legal some/(all?) of the bigger sites, if you have pokerstars and sharkscope open at the same time it can be detected and you can get caught.

I use Poker Copilot 2 on my MAC as you see in the screen shot above and Ive never had an issue with FTP or Stars. They are also the only 2 sites it is designed to work with. It only provides tracking for individuals in the current game, but I'm only interested in how they are playing today anyway.

If anybody is interested in this HUD,keep in mind it only works on a MAC.

I must say your first point is THE most important...my BRM is rather conservative. No fancy poker theories, just good old risk management. If I were to invest money in any of the player's 3 tips, I invest in yours.

I agree with his first two but 3 should be controlled aggression with an understanding of your position at the table

Usually for most newer players.... most important tip.. PLAY LESS HANDS!!!
Watch the players on your tables and take note of the guys who are folding, folding, folding and when they raise don't get involved unless you have a big hand. These are often the guys who are playing mult-tables and are winning players.

Don't bluff very often. Alot of newer players bluff way too often in micro limits. If you do attempt a bluff,...pick your spots wisely (this will come intuitively in time) and make sure your bets fit the story you're trying to represent (often you'll see a newbie who will shove the river in early levels or put out a ridiculously big bet on the turn.. and you know if they really had good there's no way they wouldnt' be trying to get some value from it).

READ LOTS of SNG Strategy info.!!! Buy Collin Moshmann's book and get your material from one of the best sources out there. There are also some excellent sng articles out there on the internet.

Oh yah... why do we have to restrict this reply to just 3 tips? That feels like putting it in a box to me.

Most of the tips above are all good advise.

Hi,

Firstly I restrict this reply to 3 tips is mainly to prevent paralysis from analysis.

My copy of Moshmann's book is on it's way. I also found an old post of yours that you recommend a free ebook comedy of errors and have finsihed reading too.

I have since adjusted my game, playing real tight in early rounds. At first I experienced some success, cashing in more games, however, just not too long ago I ran into a series of really tight games with 7 players left while BBs are 100. I panicked when the cards did not come my way, and stealing attempts are often folded by being re-raised or simply just called down. Now I gave back what I won after adjusting my game. One immediate problem I recongnize is I play out of position too many times with premium hands. I play 2 tables max, may add more when I get better at it. Any advice ? All games I played are micro SnGs, after about 70 games, down to $9.70 from $10.

1. Fold or raise. Very rarely limp in.
2. Tight early, aggressive later.
3. Never be afraid to lose.

Hi philthy!

Ah...I like this 3 !! Will keep them in mind.



Anyway...this is for more experienced players...what kind of win lose ratio should I aim for ?

1. tight is right in the beginning
2. watch players see who limp/folds(you'll be shoving on them later) see who calls big raises with junk(you'll bet you good hands vs them)
3. under 12BBs it's all in or fold time.

1. super tight in early levels, play mostly premium stuff, even folding AQ, limp in with small pairs and try to set mine.
2. middle stages try and conserve your stack or build on it slightly.
3. Abuse the weaker players and look for good spots to pick up blinds, try and work out whos likely to call and whos likely to fold, calling ranges etc, then once in money play to win


watch the blind to stack ratios, once antes kick in you could be playing a whole new blind structure..
EXAMPLE- 5 ppl left blinds are 150 300 with 25 ante, so the blinds are essentially around 200 400 due to the ante increase

if for example your in sb and the bb has less than 10 bb, its a push with anytwo cards, unexploitable play and +ev in the long run

then just practice a heap and learn each time, its hard to play perfect sng poker, review your HH and work out where you can improove

i would disagree strongly with this, in small limit sng it will be extremely positive ev to shove AA KK QQ AK suited preflop, as your likely to get calls from smaller pairs or ace rags, king 10 type hands. putting you as 3 to 1 favourite...

say you have a raise from middle position and one caller, you pick up KK, you only have like 50 bb in early levels, if you reraise and the dreaded ace falls on the flop you may have to fold and possible be bluffed off your hand. i would say, small stake sng its a push with KK your likely to get really loose calls from bad players higher stakes obv not, but i think were talking micro to small SNG here...