$10 NL HE STT: Adjusting to bounty tournaments

[fundiver199]

Game

Hold'em

Game Format

No Limit

Table Format

STT

Buy-in

10

Game Options

1. Bounty
2. Turbo

Currency

$

This one is not so much for feedback but more to share my analysis of the hand in ICMizer. The game is a $10 turbo KO 9-man SnG on Stars, where all 9 players are still left. 25% of the price pool goes to the bounty, so its very similar to the early phase of a standard online PKO MTT, where 50% goes to the bounty, but you are only rewarded half the bounty, when you knock someone out. The hand itself is also very simpel. I open ATo from HJ, get jammed on by SB, and fold.

This might seem very standard, and if this was a regular 9-man SnG, it would either be ok or only a small mistake. In a regular 9-man ATo would be the bottom of my calling range and only win me 0,21% of the price pool. Which makes it ok to fold, if the opponent is slightly on the tight side and/or if the table is soft, so that I can "find a better spot" later. However in a KO SnG, folding here is a major mistake, which lost me 1,8% of the price pool. Even A8o would be a call at equilibrium, and this is of course due to the fact, that I can win his bounty. Which essentially mean, that there is an extra 375 chips in pot from my perspective. And because I can profitably call a rejam wider, then my opening range is also 35% of hands rather than 25%.

If I switch the stacks around, so that the opponent cover me, one might assume, that my calling range would be similar to that in a regular 9-man SnG. And it is indeed somewhat closer, since A8o is now essentially breakeven and a fold. But calling with ATo would still win me 1,36% of the price pool. And the reason for that is, that now SB can jam wider, because when he get action, there is an extra 375 chips in the pot from his perspective.

These results are from a KO 9-man SnG, which is a format, which pretty much only excist on pokerstars, as far as I know. However the results will be very similar in turbo PKO MTTs, where stacks sizes like these are also very common after the first 4-6 blind levels. I think, this is worth noting for anyone, who play MTTs and play games both with or without bounties. To do so successfully we need to learn how to make the nessesary adjustments. And if you want to achieve the best possible results, there is certainly a case to be made for either specialising in PKOs or avoiding them.

Another point is, that the importance of getting really good at preflop push/fold ranges is often neglected. Its a pretty common perception, that "how hard can it be, its just preflop". But the simple fact of the matter is, that a 1,8% of the price pool mistake per game is more than enough to turn a solidly winning SnG player into a losing one. So there is simply not room for making mistakes this big on a regular basis in todays games.

PokerStars, $9.22 + $0.78 - Hold'em No Limit - 40/80 (10 ante) - 9 players
Hand delivered by CardsChat - https://www.cardschat.com/hand-converter.php

UTG: 1,743 (22 bb)
UTG+1: 1,318 (16 bb)
MP: 562 (7 bb)
MP+1: 2,862 (36 bb)
LP (Hero): 2,172 (27 bb)
CO: 836 (10 bb)
BU: 1,230 (15 bb)
SB: 1,366 (17 bb)
BB: 1,411 (18 bb)

Pre-Flop: (210) Hero is LP with A♣ T♠
4 players fold, Hero raises to 200, 2 players fold, SB 3-bets to 1,356 (all-in), 1 fold, LP (Hero) folds

Total pot: 570
SB wins 570

 

[Andyreas]

Great analysis, as always 🤩

I'd probably also have folded the ATo but interesting fact indeed that it's a call ICM wise.

Assuming SB plays according to GTO of course.

 

[fundiver199]

Assuming SB plays according to GTO of course.

True but even if SB is somewhat to tight, ATo is still a profitable call. Just not as profitable. But of course there is a point, where it becomes unprofitable. Like if SB is only rejamming a super tight range like JJ+, AK. But this is definitely not something, we can assume, without a very strong read.

 

[eetenor]

True but even if SB is somewhat to tight, ATo is still a profitable call. Just not as profitable. But of course there is a point, where it becomes unprofitable. Like if SB is only rejamming a super tight range like JJ+, AK. But this is definitely not something, we can assume, without a very strong read.

Thanks for sharing your points were all very strong
When doing analysis in these spots there is another factor that comes into play----The skill of the rest of the field---If the majority of the field is making large equity mistakes we would then have to consider that in making our decisions as well----
Based on the situation with the above stack sizes and if SB has a tighter range and if the other 2 larger stacks are being ICM skill weak that would have me lean to fold.

If instead they were both stronger players than raw equity is a good guide.

Not saying that was the case in this hand only that it could be in some scenarios

The solver outputs are never node locked--it is too time consuming- so it does not consider 2 or more of the players making 2% of prize pool or greater errors. Each time the larger stacks make equity errors vs anyone on the table we benefit in equity even when we are not in the hand.

That is of course a complex in game read and without it knowing the ICM ranges are our best estimate for these decisions

Thanks again for sharing your work with us.

 

[fundiver199]

When doing analysis in these spots there is another factor that comes into play----The skill of the rest of the field---If the majority of the field is making large equity mistakes we would then have to consider that in making our decisions as well----

This is absolutely true. If the other players are going to make major mistakes and either bust each other for no reason, or even better donate their stack to us, then surviving obviously has a lot of value in itself. And if I call here and lose, I will be left with a crippled stack and a very low chance to cash. However in bounty tournaments there is also another factor, which the software dont take into account, and that is the ability to contend for future bounties. To win bounties we need to have other players covered. Which gives a further incentive to gamble and try to build and maintain a big stack.

My main point with this post was to illustrate, how much different we need to play in bounty tournaments. In a regular 9-man this fold would be totally fine and maybe even the best decision, if SB is jamming just slightly tighter than equilibrium. Which is not an unreasonable assumption based on population tendencies and the fact, he was not a LAG or maniac. I did not go into HUD-data in my post, because they did not play any real role in my decision making. But in general $10 SnGs on Stars has a lot of fairly good regs, since it is the highest limit, where its possible to get significant volume. There are also $25 and $50 games, but they run much more infrequently.