But I suck at them..
I do okay at cash games, usually 6 max tables.. but I really prefer tournament poker.
Any tips for me making the switch?
I've played maybe 10 rush $4 SNGs at FT, and made the final table twice.. placing 7th both times.. so I basically broke even there. But that's still 2 of 10 that I've gotten anywhere.
Can't seem to last through the 1-9 table SNGs either. Not sure why. I really want to be decent at tournaments. Can anyone help?
Where do I start? I guess you're looking for some very general but helpfull advice.
#1. Experience
There's nothing more valuable than experience. You just have to play a shit load of tourneys, and by a shitload, I mean hundreds if not thousands. But don't attempt to get your time in by playing 5 tables at once, remember, your objective for now is to get a feel for the game, not to maximize your ROI.
#2. Reading
Although they may seem a bit quaint by todays standards, in my opinion there is still no better way for a new tournament player to start their education than by picking up the three
Harrington On Hold 'em books. They are chalk full of tournament hand examples which cover in detail many of the situations common in tournament play. He covers everything from tournament structure to short stack play and Heads Up. Granted, I've adopted a much more agressive style of play than the one he advocates but it's a great place to start and there are certainly many ways a cat can be skinned.
#3 Bankroll
Bankroll requirements vary widely depending on how agressive or passive you're style. The more aggressive, the higher the variance will be and thus the higher bankroll will be required. I think I read somewhere that Chris Ferguson suggest that even a 100 buy-ins is too low even for an experienced pro to overcome the erratic and often uncooperative fluctuations of variance, but let's be serious, not many new players have $500 sitting in there account at
poker stars. That's ok, just be sure you can afford the $500 over the course of a year just in case. I know I've gone upwards of 40 tournaments without a cash. Which brings me to my final piece of advice...
#4 Never give up! Never surrender!
As I said, it is not uncommon for even the best players to go what might seem like eons without a meaningfull cash (or any cash). It is easy to get discouraged and to get down on onself. There might (will) be times when you're sure you're just not cut out to be a tournament player. When that happens, don't give up. Review your hands, take a break from the game for a while, do what you have to to get your head straight, but don't give up.
'nough said. GL tourney player.