Sit n' go strategies

[sykotik489]

I play mostly 10/1 sngs at PP and was wondering which you guys think is a better strategy lots of aggressiveness or playing tight til you get in the money. I've found that waiting around at a loose table is the best strategy myself but if its a tight table you usually need to double up before the final three to make it.

This isn't a simple question at all, with me certainly it could be both depending on texture of the table and other factors.

Let's say if the table is filled with retarded loose fish, I'd probably sit tight and play my monsters, but if the table is really weak/tight, I'll try to be the aggressor a lot of the time.

Also, I normally play pretty tight towards to start, then open out on the bubble, but again this isn't always as it depends.

So, in conclusion, my answer is both.

[bigred]

You need to play passive tight in the early rounds of your SNG. As things progress and you're down to 5 or 6 people you can begin to assess how you want to play. As Dwarfman said: If everyone is loose you need to tighten up and trap them. If the table it tight, you can bluff and steal them. Poker is a game of dynamics, you need to adjust to the other players.

Also, SNG posts should be made in the tournament tactics forum.

[wwonka]

that early in a sng I play loose for cheap, If I can limp in I do and try to hit a hand But don't overplay them.

When you get down to 4-5 Then I start to get more aggressive and try to make others make decisions.

JMHO
Peace
wwonka
Patriots 2005 world champs

[r8ed]

I steal blinds and make position plays at all times - even when the blinds are low. Every $ counts and if you do get called, you are playing with their money. It also pisses people off and they aim to take you down instead of playing their hand correctly. Then when you have a real hand, and bet they think you are bluffing and they go bye-bye.

This has worked for me.

[aleksandr]

At the early levels of an SNG I'd have to say the blinds aren't worth stealing and are much harder to steal because the play is much looser. You can sit out until 3 are eliminated and lose 100-400 chips 100% of the time, or risk going shortstacked and later being knocked out 10% of the time for relatively small profit. Of course play your monsters here, and I like to limp PPs as well.

After a few people are knocked out and around when level 4 hits, start taking risks and stealing blinds, establish yourself as an aggressive player, and then grab a monster and cut someone's stack in half, then you can play big stack lean into the money.

[SteveO]

Every game is different. I've played at every level from $5 to $100 and sometimes you lose 4 people at first level and other times you still have a full table at level 5.

Just play poker and adapt to the table. Take the cheap flops if you can and be very aggressive with your big hands early on when blinds are low.

I like to be tight throughout the game unless you are making plays with position. In SNG's especially on party you only have 1000 chips to start. Any one hand can make or break you so when you decide to play a pot you better be agresive about it. Don't go passive route b/c you bleed off precious chips.

Be inclined to be passive with the monsters like AA and KK from up front to trap with the old limp re-raise trick.

I don't care how good you play, you have to catch some cards and hit some flops in the end game when blinds are through the roof to make money. So there is a larger "luck" factor in SNG's IMO. I've won 1st in 3 sng's in a row and I've run out of the money on 6 in a row. Didn't play any different just didn't catch any cards.

[NewJack33]

I've found that if I play really tight and only jump in with only the very best cards in SNG's my chances of making it into the money depends alot on how lucky I am on the cards I'm dealt that tournament. It's quite possible that you don't get the best cards often enough during any one tournament making that style of play a crapshoot. I think it's best to take a chance once in a while with decent suited cards and decide whether to do so when you get a feel for the table and look at how many are in the pot. Seems to work better for me that way in non-tourney games, so I may begin doing that in tourneys as well.

So there is a larger "luck" factor in SNG's IMO. I've won 1st in 3 sng's in a row and I've run out of the money on 6 in a row. Didn't play any different just didn't catch any cards.

[Corey]

didnt vote because there is no aggressive, tight choice.

With this i bet you can do well in most sngs...

[gregor]

Play the opposite of the table dynamic....

i find in MTT's if i can hang around til near money, i tend to use the last 20-30 spots before the money to get aggressive.... usually the first 10-20 in the money will make a whopping $5 or so (not real $$$) but i used their greed of patting themselves on the back for not losing money as a way to improve my stack going into the final table or two....

this theory works at any table....real tight, play loose, real loose, tighten up.....

[FlyingSaucy]

The best winning strategy in single table SnG's is to flop straights on every hand. If you keep flopping flushes or boats, it becomes too obvious. Any idiot can see that there are 3 to a suit or a pair on the flop. But who would ever expect you to flop a straight when the board is 375? If you stick to this strategy I can pretty much guarantee you will be ITM at least 95%. Just remember to never fold 46o preflop and muck all pocket pairs because they will never flop you a straight.

[elipsesjeff]

First, this goes in Tournament Strategy section:


Secondly....

The best winning strategy in single table SnG's is to flop straights on every hand. If you keep flopping flushes or boats, it becomes too obvious. Any idiot can see that there are 3 to a suit or a pair on the flop. But who would ever expect you to flop a straight when the board is 375? If you stick to this strategy I can pretty much guarantee you will be ITM at least 95%. Just remember to never fold 46o preflop and muck all pocket pairs because they will never flop you a straight.

Seriously man, definately uncalled for.

[whileone]

The best winning strategy in single table SnG's is to flop straights on every hand. If you keep flopping flushes or boats, it becomes too obvious. Any idiot can see that there are 3 to a suit or a pair on the flop. But who would ever expect you to flop a straight when the board is 375? If you stick to this strategy I can pretty much guarantee you will be ITM at least 95%. Just remember to never fold 46o preflop and muck all pocket pairs because they will never flop you a straight.

Hmm. I’ve tried this with my last 50 SNG's and I only made it into the money once. I’m not sure I understand the nuance of this technique. What's your itm rate with this?

Or is this some angry post that doesn’t help the new guy at all?

It’s ok to be funny but you must include the requisite '' as per the manual on page four. (also see below)

[NewJack33]

The best winning strategy in single table SnG's is to flop straights on every hand. If you keep flopping flushes or boats, it becomes too obvious. Any idiot can see that there are 3 to a suit or a pair on the flop. But who would ever expect you to flop a straight when the board is 375? If you stick to this strategy I can pretty much guarantee you will be ITM at least 95%. Just remember to never fold 46o preflop and muck all pocket pairs because they will never flop you a straight.

interesting strategy...

[FlyingSaucy]

Jeez guys I was just trying to make a joke. Because I think there have already been some good answers, in this thread and beyond.

So, to appease everyone, here's what I think, seriously.

First couple of orbits pick out the weak players and don't be afraid to tangle with them early on. You can often build your stack early from them. If you are up against someone you are not sure about, don't assume they are weak. Play it carefully.

Early in the SnG play extremely tight, and slightly passive. As more and more people drop out and as you gain more and more chips, you should loosen up proportionally. Similarly, as the blinds go up, your agression should increase.

That is the most basic strategy, boiled down in my mind. I see agression as a function primarily of the blind size. I see tightness as a function primarily of the number and types of players you are against.

At some point I'd like to post a mini essay on it, but there's so much already on here that I'd feel pretty lame just repeating a lot of what some of the wizards on this site already have been saying all along.

Again, sorry to offend anyone. I hope this post contributed. I still think flopping straights is one of the best ways to go.

[Hubris1]

didnt vote because there is no aggressive, tight choice.

With this i bet you can do well in most sngs...

Absolutely. You never wanna play tight passive or loose passive regardless of table texture. You want to be loose aggressive or tight aggressive. Confusing tight and passive is pretty ridiculous.