SNG's

[poskid_1982]

Okay here's a good question for the SNG players out there. When do you feel is the best time/situation to loosen up on a table. I have found that some players loosen much later in the game than I do. Just wanted to find a concensus. I'll post mine a little later.

[LionsFan20]

For what it's worth, I normally start to loosen up when the blinds hit me at 25/50. It's not a switch where I go from tight to maniac, but I'll take a look with some hands that I'd normally toss. I get pretty agressive once the blinds hit 50/100. It seems that those bets in the hundred really hit home to some and they're more prone to fold decent hands when you come over top of them.

I might also add that tend to play a little more loosely then some through the first few blind levels. I'll probabaly only play a max of say 5 hands or so, but i'm not waiting on AA or KK, or play only from the blinds. I see nothing wrong with playing something like KQ or AT from mid-late to late position if it's only going to cost me 15 or 30. If I hit, great, it gives me a little more cushion even if it's just a small pot. If i don't flop anything, i escape... this early isn't the time to start bluffing.

[UG]

I actually go the opposite direction. I tend to be a little more loose early on when the blinds are cheap and many players are playing. I'll usually limp in with something decent (PP's, suited connectors, two face cards), and hope that something big hits. If it doesn't I'm out of the hand.

When the blinds start getting higher I tighten up a little bit, but I am a LOT more aggressive with my bets. If nothing hits and I raised big preflop I will throw out another good bet to see if I can take the pot down after the flop.

[FlyingSaucy]

There are many factors. Stack size, blind size, number of players, etc.

Speaking in generalities here: Typically I won't loosen up much until it's down to 3 players or if I am short stacked. I start out extremely tight, slightly passive. When the blinds progress and players start dropping, I will increase aggression somewhat and move into TAggy territory. When it gets down to 4-5 players is where I'm the most extreme TAggy. When it gets down to 3 players I'll loosen way up and play a solid loose aggressive game, raising most pots preflop and attacking weakness regardless of my hole cards.

Speaking about some specific situations:
If I manage to double up early on from a dumb ass, I will have a little more chip leverage and be willing to play a little more aggressively post flop even if the blinds are still really low and there are a lot of players. So I will move into aggressive territory more quickly if the "my chipspponent chips" ratio is high regardless of blinds.

If it is one of those games where 4 or 5 players drop out in the first couple of blind levels (halelujia), I might consider waiting even longer before loosening up in order to make it ITM. A lot of people will get crazy loose aggressive when it gets short handed, even if the blinds are still low. This is easy to take advantage of if you stick to tight aggression and build a solid table image with the 5 or 6 remaining players.

[DrumzCT]

i go along the same lines as george.

Early in a sng is a great way to see cheap flops. You have the potential to pick up a monster and hopefully someone will pick up a smaller monster and you can double early and if you don't hit anything you havent lost that much and you can jsut get out.

I do this and usually can double or increase my stack by 50% maybe two or three out of ten sng's.

But when the blinds hit 50/100 is when the blinds are worth really getting involved in a hand and stealing becomes profitable

[FlyingSaucy]

I actually go the opposite direction. I tend to be a little more loose early on when the blinds are cheap and many players are playing. I'll usually limp in with something decent (PP's, suited connectors, two face cards), and hope that something big hits. If it doesn't I'm out of the hand.

When the blinds start getting higher I tighten up a little bit, but I am a LOT more aggressive with my bets. If nothing hits and I raised big preflop I will throw out another good bet to see if I can take the pot down after the flop.

George also has a good strat although pretty different from mine. He'll probably find himself taking more 1st place finishes than me, but my guess (and this is not intended to offend) is that my strat would have a higher ITM %.
One thing especially useful about his strat is if you take notes, you can be less afraid to tangle with the fishy players early on.

[ngericl]

Generally, I'm tight until there's 4-5 people left. By then, I've got a read on who's left. I've projected a tight image, so I can use that to play non-premuim hands as if they were. As long as I'm in position, however.

[poskid_1982]

Well here's my theory on SNG's.

I play nothing but PP's early. PERIOD. To much garbage not too. AXo and whatnot. I do this till I get a handle on the 2 or 3 players who I think are weak or too loose (usually takes one orbit). I then isolate them by raising or re-raising to get them into a pot when the tight players have folded. If I get re-raised I know to throw it away. If not, I can play my read and be aggressive after the flop.

J3s rules. 8-)