Double or nothing tournaments? Best Method?

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thefwa

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So, I've realized double or nothings are probably my biggest vice, as they have the worst ROI for me out of any other SnG.
However, since odds are I will continue to do them until I finally realize I shouldn't, how do you play them best??

Assuming the tables start with ten players, with a starting chip stack of 1500 , I try to get a decent stack (2500+) and sit out, there's no reason to keep playing when im not in danger of blinding away by the end.. that has worked best for me.

But sometimes I'm not able to do that, and I end up raising short stack all in on blinds at the wrong time, crippling my stack.

Have you ever been able to win, sitting out the whole game?
Is there a method of playing it best for most cases?
While I'd like to get a big stack early and relax for the rest of it, I am still not sure of how to ensure that?
 
stevenright

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dont ever sit out... you get paid by chips in this... and if you just get in the 5 who cash,... you get just a few cents if you barely get up in chips... you could even LOSE money if you finish in cash!

Just play your game without fear.. wait and play the big hands or good hands in position and you'll be profiting very often
 
BluffMeAllIn

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dont ever sit out... you get paid by chips in this... and if you just get in the 5 who cash,... you get just a few cents if you barely get up in chips... you could even LOSE money if you finish in cash!

Just play your game without fear.. wait and play the big hands or good hands in position and you'll be profiting very often

Nope, you are thinking the Fifty50 on stars which are not DON's, with DON's you get double the tourney entry (minus the fee) for placing in the top half of the field (so top 3 or 5 depending).

But yes I certainly wouldn't be sitting out once I get chips to keep me safe, you can certainly go super tight if you wish but if your at a table where people have even a remote clue and your sat out then you can count on them looking to blind you out over time.
 
stevenright

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Nope, you are thinking the Fifty50 on stars which are not DON's, with DON's you get double the tourney entry (minus the fee) for placing in the top half of the field (so top 3 or 5 depending).

But yes I certainly wouldn't be sitting out once I get chips to keep me safe, you can certainly go super tight if you wish but if your at a table where people have even a remote clue and your sat out then you can count on them looking to blind you out over time.

Oh yes,... i wasn't quite understanding it,.. sorry

Yeah... feels like a flawed strategy since probably most scared buy-in people would try to use and just got rolled over by the regs
 
TeUnit

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think the time to usually sit on your hands or knit a sweater is usually around 4k chips

and if you get 4k chips you dont owe it to anybody to call light
 
JPoling

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think the time to usually sit on your hands or knit a sweater is usually around 4k chips

and if you get 4k chips you dont owe it to anybody to call light

+1. And never sit out. People pick up on that and exploit it. I know I do. The blinds will eat your stack alive.
 
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avjul66

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I like to play DoN´s but I don´t sit out after getting a you call it " a decente stack" but I will play more by the safe way super tight with no crazy moves but still try to increase the stack the most secure way
 
zarzar78

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When you get more than 2500 chips on DON , it's a decent stack , but you have to be super tight and avoid investing blinds, you will be 99% of the times in the top 5, sitting out is not a goos situation cause players can indirectly cheat and took the blinds, so you will be busted probably in the 6 or 7 place.
 
Propane Goat

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I think you really have to pay attention to the table dynamics in these, especially during the first few levels because that will tell you what approach you need to take.

If you notice that multiple people are building big pots with marginal hands early on, this will be one of those games where you can usually play premiums only and you will be able to cash because people are going to be knocking each other out early.

The other end of the spectrum is when everyone is playing super tight and basically just shuffling blinds around, on these kinds of tables you have to open up and raise more often in position and BvB. When everybody is being super nitty, the game is going to take a lot longer to finish and you will be eaten alive by the blinds unless you do something to stay ahead of them.

One mistake I see people make repeatedly in these is calling all-in's light from the BB on the bubble when losing those chips would cripple them (and they usually do get crippled), another mistake is waiting too long to shove and having no fold equity.

Do not ever sit out in these on the bubble unless you have a massive stack, players with any experience at all will understand that all they have to do is keep the button moving and cut you out in 6th.
 
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joe777

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In pokerstar 50/50(almost similar to DON),after 35 minutes in the games and if there were still 8 to 9 average stacks, it would be anybody games and it will be close to donkfest.You can expect to be blinded if you you are so tight.Any 77+AJo+KQ is a good asset during the time.
 
Antonio22777

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New to DON

I am just getting back into the online poker community.I have been back for about three months now,i thought it was all over and never play online again when The United States Justice shut down poker stars/Full Tilt /Etc. for USA players.
Ive read up on the Double or Nothing Threads here and found a lot of useful info for playing a DON.Thanks for the useful info.
 
JPoling

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I also wanna suggest, dont play like a complete NIT. Too often I see people doing this and just get wrecked. E.G.

78922234-35 - Double or Nothing - $2.20 (78921928-1)
Holdem Tournament No Limit Holdem Tournament
Sunday 14 Sep 2014 6:31:15 PM
1: MEDDICATED (1330)
2: shmanny
3: ZacSwan (Dealer)
4: JPoling89
5: Misconduct555 (1648)
6: PAWNSTAR2
7: MeestaMan
8: flyinj24
9: CallGirl2
10: JAYGEORGE
*** BLINDS ***
JPoling89 Posts Small Blind 75
Misconduct555 Posts Big Blind 150
*** PREFLOP ***
JPoling89 Hole Cards: Ad,6h
PAWNSTAR2 Folds
MeestaMan Folds
flyinj24 Folds
CallGirl2 Folds
JAYGEORGE Folds
MEDDICATED Calls 150
shmanny Folds
ZacSwan went All In 310
JPoling89 Folds
Misconduct555 Folds
MEDDICATED Folds
*** END OF FOLDED GAME ***
ZacSwan won 525 from Pot 1
ZacSwan had 160 returned from uncalled Pot 2

How does a limper for 150 fold that? Also, how does BB fold that there? I only folded that cause had 2 people after me to act, and since that one guy limped, why wouldnt he call down the rest? Literally, they just doubled him up, without even calling his all-in. That limper should of just never came in if he did not plan on calling that. My guess is that is why me and BB folded. You would expect the limper to call that.
 
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enanos5

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double or nothing is not very good because the players play with fear and the tournament is long
 
TeUnit

TeUnit

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i think the simple answer is to run your hands through icmizer or sng wizard

dons are not really poker they are more like a math/icm test
 
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Lekoo

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If you double up early play tight and let the other "kill" each other out. Avoid limping. When u play, raise. When u hit the flop, raise. When you have hit a monster, slowplay cause others might want to steal. When in bubble play tight if you are in the money, and if you are the shortstack raise from BU,CO and SB when there is opportunity to steal with any decent cards.
 
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revskip

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I like to check raise more in DoNs than I usually would since catching calls is harder than inducing bluffs in most of these particularly in the early part of the tournament.
 
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