Small ball poker

SydTheCat

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Playing in a SNG today I got some chips in the beginning to give me the early chip lead. A few hands later I called half my chips away with 88 v AK and lost the flip, and never recovered.
Afterward I'm thinking I probably shouldn't have got involved with big pots PF this early.
Daniel Negraneau preaches small ball poker in tournaments until last resort.

So my question is do you play small ball poker in tournaments or do you gamble to get a big stack?
 
Kenzie 96

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SNG's are different than tournaments, I find small ball very effective in SNG's. Of course I tend to small ball in tourneys as well so take what I say with a grain or three of salt.
 
frnandoh

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Mind it

Small ball it s not for all situations, but when you have opportunity, for freerolls and micro stackes, forget it! He probably uses it in fields that actually take care with their chips, because he thinks his edge will benefit him after many hands, without risk, if your field is crazy, it doesn't works:cool:.
 
Kenzie 96

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Thing is even in crazy free rolls one may as well try to work on ones game, look for hands & opportunities to exploit weak & silly plays, take notes on opponents & such. Big thing is not to be results orientated. Things don't go well, work on your short stack play, amazing sometimes what patience can bring you at the tables.
 
okeedokalee

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How you play SNGs, is opponent tendency dependent. Stack sizes also mean you have to vary raises.
88 all-in early is reckless unless you are BTN or CO
My advice is don't limp .
Raise your big hands and draws the same amount.
Early in SNGs raise 2.5 BBs as blinds get larger raise 2 BBs.
With 15 BBs left use a push/fold strategy.
 
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Amanda A

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SNG's may be different, but I would say it depends on the structure of the tournament. If it is low buy with multi rebuys with lots of shoving you are just going to have to win some coin flips. To try and play small ball when no one else is is suicidal in my opinion.
 
dominiq

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If it is not a turbo or re-buy or freeroll or other type of bingo-tournament then small ball is a good approach in my opinion.
 
MattRyder

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SNG's may be different, but I would say it depends on the structure of the tournament. If it is low buy with multi rebuys with lots of shoving you are just going to have to win some coin flips. To try and play small ball when no one else is is suicidal in my opinion.
I've never enjoyed rebuy tournaments. They should actually post the buy-in as a variable figure (say $1 to $15), since most of the 'regular' bingo players are going to keep playing crazy till they get up to around ten to fifteen buy-ins.
 
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I prefer to play small ball poker, especially preflop. I tend to lay down some pretty big starting hands preflop, especially earlier in tourneys. If it's real late, I may loosen up. I don't enjoy coinflips at all. I also don't value AK too much preflop. After all, at the beginning it is only ace high. So unless I feel strongly that my opponent also has an ace, to give me the major advantage, I don't look at AK as any better than pocket dueces.
 
dominiq

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I also don't value AK too much preflop. After all, at the beginning it is only ace high. So unless I feel strongly that my opponent also has an ace, to give me the major advantage, I don't look at AK as any better than pocket dueces.
I know that pocket deuces are a little favorite against AKo, but generally pocket dueces in the better case have about 50% against other hands. And with AK you are favorite with so many possbile hands. Therefore I think that AK is a little bit better. ;)
 
SydTheCat

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I opened with a 2.5 bb raise with my 8-8, and button pushed all in. Then I called. You're right , I think it was reckless to call that early.
 
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Small ball is a good way to go with most tournaments SNG and MTTs. Turbo games change the tune even in higher stake games. Everyone seems to be small ball in the early stages but shifts for higher gear as the blinds and stakes move up.
 
DougPkrMonsta

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Without stack sizes it is hard to gauge, but without this info I would say against some players this is too loose and against others this is a very easy call. Basically if they have lower pairs in their range you shouldn't be folding very often.

Good luck to you! :D
 
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Negraneau is talking about long tournaments that last 12+ hours or days. You're playing a SNG. Totally different game and strategy. SNG are fast paced and are designed to end within a few hours or less. You're going to have to "gamble" to get ITM. 88 vs. AK is perfectly normal and acceptable coin flip. Unfortunately in any type game, one is going to have to win coin flips at some point.
 
Amanda A

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Totally agree with this. They are different animals and have to be played differently. I'm realizing more and more that in each tournament strategy needs to be tweaked for it's particular structure.
 
tilan501

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I think you should bet it, because playing poker to get only on Bubble is not a good way of making money, usually you will loose.
When you play for winning tournaments, you loose a lot, but once you win pay it all.
 
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Playing in a SNG today I got some chips in the beginning to give me the early chip lead. A few hands later I called half my chips away with 88 v AK and lost the flip, and never recovered.
Afterward I'm thinking I probably shouldn't have got involved with big pots PF this early.
Daniel Negraneau preaches small ball poker in tournaments until last resort.

So my question is do you play small ball poker in tournaments or do you gamble to get a big stack?

I would like to play more of a small ball style of poker the problem with that strategy is too many players re raise and go all in making the situation being forced to call or fold. I find myself ending having to shove a big stack because I am low on chips.
 
D3STR0Y3RaJ

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You should never stop getting a chip leader stack should always be pressed on the OP, but you need to do this wisely following the dynamics of the table and your image.If you sit and wait for hands like AK / AA / KK / QQ, then you can sit like that until you have 10-20 blinds, but again you have to do it wisely.
 
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It's a wide question.
Small ball is good !BUT! it's an advance tech. that you should understand how to utilise. Most preach TAG for simple reason - it's hard to bust with it as you are trying to get value from STRONG hands PRF and than most likely fit-fold (ex. AA 3bet(AI if possible) if F is good you Cbet/reriase, F if bad - check/fold, maybe peel T).
When you play LAG you will often get value froms 2nd pairs but this will mean you will also often lose to TP or stronger so you will have MUCH MORE desicions to make PF.
 
Serjo600

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I play with such a stack out but a lot depends on the format of the tournament: turbo and knockout tournaments suggest to increase your stack very quickly otherwise it just melts. And in tournaments with a regular structure can play more conservatively and keep a stack at the level of working up until the later stages.
 
Giancarlos

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It´s depend of the site, I also don't value AK to much preflop
 
Poker Orifice

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I opened with a 2.5 bb raise with my 8-8, and button pushed all in. Then I called. You're right , I think it was reckless to call that early.

Without more information I would fold. As you said, it is early levels. So what are you guys at this point.... 50bb's deep?

Before making a decision like this you need to consider risk vs. reward... also stuff like villain's range in this spot,... structure of game,.... ability of other players & how we are vs. them. (ie. if were all sitting ~50bb's deep on a table with Tom Marchese, Shaun Deeb, etc. & we were in this spot (& we're ruling out big pp's JJ+) then we should strongly consider calling.).

Before putting in your initial raise you should be running through different scenarios in your mind & KNOW prior to that raise what your 'plan' will be if one of the villain's 3bet or shove (& other stuff depending upon stack depth... ie. like situations where stack depth is ideal for villain to be pulling a stop'n go... or to be making a crai from BB on most flops, etc. etc. etc.).
 
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