SnG question: higher buy-in == higher quality players?

sj_pi

sj_pi

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In an online SnG format, there are many buy-in amount options like $1.10, $2.20, $5.50 etc.

Currently am playing at $1.10 and $2.20.

If I increase and start playing $5.50, will the quality of players increase or is it filled with players who got more cash lying around who play higher stakes.

higher buy-in == higher quality players?
 
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turtlethoughts

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In my limited experience, it depends on the buy-in and time of day. Playing on pokerstars at 10am CET on a weekday, there will be regs multitabling at $3.50/$7.00 hyper turbos, so you can see a solid game. Evenings/weekends there can even be random gamblers at $60 in the same format.

I was more comfortable at the beginning playing good players at higher stakes tables with a LAG strategy and learning the game; often the lowest stakes can be like play money and not a useful learning tool.

If you have the time or cash, playing higher stakes can be useful to experience games where people follow the rules and if you then drop back to $3.50/$7.00 tables, these are much easier to beat as suddenly the fishies shine from a mile off.

I am far from an expert, this is just my experience of sngs - I still had a 33% ITM on 6-seater $1.50 games before I moved up.
 
sam1chips

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In all honesty, watch a couple of the higher-leveled games. See how they play etc etc.

Also, when going up stakes, I'd recommend "easing into it". Instead of playing all $2.20 games, sprinkle a couple $5.50 games in there. Once you get used to them, you can start playing $5.50 games regularly.
 
jazzaxe

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You are right. The higher the buyin the better the players. It is true of every game.
 
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WiZZiM

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In all honesty, watch a couple of the higher-leveled games. See how they play etc etc.

Also, when going up stakes, I'd recommend "easing into it". Instead of playing all $2.20 games, sprinkle a couple $5.50 games in there. Once you get used to them, you can start playing $5.50 games regularly.

this, great advice. Also, expect the play at the $5 games to be far loosen than that of the $3 games.

and yes, competition gets tougher as you move up. The higher stakes are all about accumulating rakeback and bonuses, so you are aiming to play a breakeven game, so NASH ranges are pretty important.
 
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RamdeeBen

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They do in general get tougher the higher you go, in the sense of micros to low limits or high limits etc.

I don't think you will notice much of a difference between the $2.20 and $5 games though especially if you're playing at pokerstars. Pokerstars has regs even at the micros from time to time I play on other sites the micros even low stakes really are just as bad as each other but just not many games go off.
 
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WiZZiM

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i think the games differ hugely at stars ram. The $3's play super tight. whereas the $5-$7 games play ridic loose and aggressive, then it starts getting into the tighter/good ICM based play from the $15s upwards.

You have to make quite a few adjustments going from the 3's to the 7's, that's all i'm gonna say. other sites may differ however.
 
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gianni

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I never play lower SnG cose there are many bad players I would say bingo players.
 
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tomnovember

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In an online SnG format, there are many buy-in amount options like $1.10, $2.20, $5.50 etc.

Currently am playing at $1.10 and $2.20.

If I increase and start playing $5.50, will the quality of players increase or is it filled with players who got more cash lying around who play higher stakes.

higher buy-in == higher quality players?

That's definitely true. And you may try to upgrade once you have enough bankroll so that you can really feel that.
 
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hffjd2000

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There are many sharks swimming at high stakes.

With limited BR, many tough decisions on many hands since there are many bets/raises/reraises going on.
 
goaldriversv

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you should automatically assume that the higher the buy-in, the less # of fish. you might see more average players and the # of sharks might be the same, but the # of fish will decline.
 
Rain92

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In higher buy-ins you will see less preflop all-ins with broadway cards early in stages but later on its about the same.
 
Kimpel17

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I started on Carbon playing $1.10s, but am now on $11 regulars SNG. The play is different; extracting value is not as easy and (this may just be me), but I tend to see more "fancy" plays than at micro; things like check raises, floating, etc. are more common. Instead of ABC poker you see BCD poker lol
 
JPoling

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Well of course the players are gonna be better and see better players. These same people had the money or grinded there way to play these stakes comfortably. You will still see fish. Just depends what kind of fish we are talking about. There are still fishes in every stakes, just different variety. Because yes, some fishes learn and actually do try to get better at poker. Higher stakes though, you probably won't see as many all-ins pre-flop I assure you that. Diffrent mind set too these people arent just playing ABC poker anymore.
 
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leandr0s

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i have friends that dont know a think about poker and get into 50$ sngs every now and then to bust their account. but generally higher stakes have also many people who managed to beat the lower stakes and won their way to higher levels.. basically theres going to be some difference for sure..
 
defleopard

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I remember the situation as with the QQ Russian became raises and despite the fact that an ace on the flop , and 2 peaks , he put everything and won . It's just nonsense . The tournament was a one on one and part cost $ 500. Well I just watched )
 
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Vertifight

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yeap, the higher limits, higher level of players
 
fearfizz

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so far as i know when the buy in is higher,the level of the game jump too.
and you need to be more cautious also.
 
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Eraser9567

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I do not know if there are higher quality players for higher buyins, from my experience there are good players even on low buy-ins so it depends
 
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Sosa VII

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Almost 95% of the time, but that 5% is always the 'weaker side' your always gonna have idiots in the field.
 
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