I just started playing $1.10 and $2.20 SNGs (13 so far and ITM 53% for a net profit of $4.91). In the past I have been strictly uNL cash games with moderate success.
Anywho, I have noticed I tend to fold on the button when it gets down to 3 players (top two ITM) and the chip leader is in the BB to hopefully encourage the other two to battle it out, but raise light after the chip leader folds when I'm the SB against a smaller stack in the BB. Is this sound strategy? In my cash games, I would think I'm retarded for playing like this. So far it has worked well, but may just be situation? Obviously if the smaller stack starts protecting his blinds more I would have to back off... but at these stakes is that common?
The button is your strongest spot for position which is highly effective in gaining chips when your sticking to a solid range naturally the chips are going to Tilt towards the Button over a long period of time. In which case you need to only folding your weak range of cards.
I wouldn't advise playing for the min cash whilest in Third place,
You should be targetting first place since the pay gap compensates you more if you get knocked out third place once from 3 attempts and you win 2 your going to be much better off than 2 underdog heads up clashes and a loss.
Also Reg's will start to think your an easy target and attack you more on the bubble once they realise your game and if you feel reluctant to risk on the bubble thats bad news for us because we wont have an answer to the exploitive plays.
My Advice is as soon as the blinds are at a healthy level 100/200+ You need to be shoving
hands Like K7o+ on the button two picture cards etc even like Suited Queens (im not saying shove every time you have one of these hands)
because you need to maintain a pattern to you card pushing ratio otherwise your going to get called to often.
Again with the late raiser attacking us frequently when we are big blind It can be very lucurative for us to Fight back and Jam with a strong range of cards..
It's all about keeping a balance and if we aren't having the premium cards we need we have to improvise which means looking for a frequent raiser to exploit with speculative range or a High card, even when called were winning a flip against KQ - AJ etc around 40% with 78s 79s, 86s 56s so with the fold
equity on top of roughly 39-41% Equity it will be profitable for us against a looser player who wont be calling every time.
The only time we should be folding is when we have a monster stack lead and we've had a generous run of cards,
I sometimes fold flip hands such as pocket 9's and below if they risk putting back in a 3 way mix, AQ and under etc if Im a huge chip leader My fear equity will allow easy steals which entail no risk