Teaching SNGs

[PokerPatNEU]

My room mate has seen my recent SnG success, and asked me to teach him how to play online. He understands the basics of NL Hold Em, and he's a smart guy...But i can't teach for the life of me.

He sits and watches me play and i try to explain why i am doing things and why (i think that) it's the best move to make. Explaining the concept of fold equity is difficult for me. I told him to read FTR but he just is overwhelmed by getting really advanced advice so soon as he is just starting. So far i've walked him through a few SnGs and told him what to do and when and he just does it...but i don't feel like he''s learning much.

How do you guys who have tutored real life friends start explaining SnG strategy? I thought it was gonna be way easier than this.

[Trikflow77]

it is WAY easy to teach......Ive taught two people now and they both have 15%+ ROI's over a decent sample size.......i teach tight early push bot late at the lower level ones.....there is really not a whole lot to teach. Give him a basic guideline of hands to play in lv1-3 and then go into push mode at level 4. With party that is the way to go, and ive taught a few medicore cash game players to turn a decent profit in sngs.

[a500lbgorilla]

Folding equity is the money you make by having everyone else fold their hands.

FE is huge on the bubble becuase every is so wrapped up in aces and kings.

-'rilla

[WildBobAA]

You can't just teach someone and expect them to learn instantly. They have to play and learn from their mistakes.

[Staple Gun]

Teach him to stay tight early, and try to keep him kinda tight later.Then let him let him play about 10 of the $1's just to get the idea of the structure and bubble play and whatnot.

After that start explaining how to push any two ater on near the bubble, and how to steal blinds and all sorts of stuff.

[Fortune 500]

Give him a book that will cover the basics, then sit his ass at the computer and throw him into the fire. It's really the only way to learn to start off. You can't really understand the advanced concepts until you've taken the basics to war, I think.

[Trikflow77]

Give him a book that will cover the basics, then sit his ass at the computer and throw him into the fire. It's really the only way to learn to start off. You can't really understand the advanced concepts until you've taken the basics to war, I think.

And which sng book are you going to give him????????? this advice will just make someone lose ther arse...

[nickthefool]

If he's the type of person who learns well from experience, show him the basic starting hand rankings, and get him playing some $1+10c SnGs for experience. VC Poker is one of the few sites i know of with micro SnGs, (as low as 10c, thought i doubt anything below $1 will improve your game at all). Also the deposit bonus can be cleared through playing SnGs (you clear $1 for every $1.25 you pay to the rake). So i would suggest this site for where to start with for a SnG player.

But, i would say that as it's the only site i have played at for real money.

[PokerPatNEU]

If he's the type of person who learns well from experience, show him the basic starting hand rankings, and get him playing some $1+10c SnGs for experience. VC Poker is one of the few sites i know of with micro SnGs, (as low as 10c, thought i doubt anything below $1 will improve your game at all). Also the deposit bonus can be cleared through playing SnGs (you clear $1 for every $1.25 you pay to the rake). So i would suggest this site for where to start with for a SnG player.

But, i would say that as it's the only site i have played at for real money.

They release 1$ from your bonus for every 1.25$ you pay to the rake? Geez, its almost like having no rake.

[Fortune 500]

Give him a book that will cover the basics, then sit his ass at the computer and throw him into the fire. It's really the only way to learn to start off. You can't really understand the advanced concepts until you've taken the basics to war, I think.

And which sng book are you going to give him????????? this advice will just make someone lose ther arse...

Who said anything about a SNG? I'm just saying give him the basics, throw him out there, let him get some experience... THEN teach him some more advanced things and the subtleties of SNG play. Sure, he might lose his ass... but he'll be a lot more willing to listen.

This method won't work for everyone, I'm sure, but I'm one of those people that learns by doing. Some of the things you need for SNG play are a little more advanced, and until you are in there yourself firing away, I just don't think you comprehend it as well. To each his own, I guess.

[vqc]

for 5 bucks ill send him my 7 page SNG book =)

[a500lbgorilla]

for 5 bucks ill send him my 7 page SNG book =)

Phil Helmuth Jr says "I have personally witnessed VQChaung DOMINATE the biggest games around. VQ presents his easy steps to sng domination in a clear and well thought process littered with clear examples. VQ can do what no other poker player can. He can WRITE. This 7 page SNG book is a must have for any rounder's arsenal."

-'rilla

[vqc]

i actually think its pretty sexy.

[Trikflow77]

i actually think its pretty sexy.

I think it sucks unless i get royalties...........

[vqc]

fuck.

i TOLD you, you would have to sue me for royalties!

[taipan168]

I know this probably wasn't a great idea, but I started out by playing $0.01/$0.02 NL ring on Stars and kept at it until I could (relatively) consistently beat that game. I had my arse (yes, that's how we spell it in Australia!) handed to me enough times to figure out broadly what worked and what didn't. It was useful to get a feel for positional play, pre-flop raises, tight vs. loose, passive vs. aggressive, continuation bets, etc etc.

When I switched to SnGs, I started out playing MUCH too passively, leading to me busting out at the bubble or blinding out. Ultimately it was sending a some HHs to a very experienced poker playing friend that woke me up to the need to push good hands hard and how he would have acted very differently. The same friend also played a few SnGs with me so I could see what he meant.

Dwarfman's videos were also very useful - particularly the Normal rather than Turbo one where you can clearly see how he changes gears once the blinds start getting bigger.

[Trikflow77]

fuck.

i TOLD you, you would have to sue me for royalties!

my whole family is full of lawyers......muaahhhhaaa......... im about to get payed...........

[kingnat]

Dwarfman's videos were also very useful - particularly the Normal rather than Turbo one where you can clearly see how he changes gears once the blinds start getting bigger.

"Stars Normal 22-7-05" = Cha-ching. I don't agree with everything he did but it made me think about blind stealing in a whole new way. Very cool.

We must have more!!! And also more from other people, what's the chance that more of you teachers out there doing something like this. It doesn't sound too difficult. Download software, get a mic.. go to town.

[Trikflow77]

We must have more!!! And also more from other people, what's the chance that more of you teachers out there doing something like this. It doesn't sound too difficult. Download software, get a mic.. go to town.

I would but i only speak spanish.......i just type english really well.

[a500lbgorilla]

We let dwarfman do it as a huge mis-information ploy.

-'rilla

[CrunchyNuts]

I would but i only speak spanish.......i just type english really well.

So do it anyways, ta heck with people who can't understand Spanish (or don't have a translator available like I do )

[kingnat]

I would but i only speak spanish.......i just type english really well.

So do it anyways, ta heck with people who can't understand Spanish (or don't have a translator available like I do )

No doubt! I knew marrying a Spanish teacher would come in handy some day....