Strats for 45 player SnG?

[Crotalusatrox]

I read the 2 stickied posts, but they seem to be geared towards 2 table SnG. Can I use the same strats in 45 person SnGs? If not anyone have any good 45 person strat?

[Muxy]

I read the 2 stickied posts, but they seem to be geared towards 2 table SnG. Can I use the same strats in 45 person SnGs? If not anyone have any good 45 person strat?

Well the only 45 man SNG's i have seen are the 1 dollar ones.

For 50 cents more and 5 more cents in tourney rake i would go with the 1.50 + .25 (2 table turbos)

Sorry i have not played many 45 man sngs.

[Crotalusatrox]

Oh I hadn't considered that. I started with 1+.20 45 seat SnGs cause 45 seat SnGs is what I played with using play money to learn. After turning 1k in play money into 15k I decided to try the real money games, and have done *horribly* so far compared to my play money SnGs. Think I will try soem of eth 1/2 table play money SnGs and if I do okay there try those 1.5+.20 turbos. Thanks for the info.

[JeffreyGB]

Oh I hadn't considered that. I started with 1+.20 45 seat SnGs cause 45 seat SnGs is what I played with using play money to learn. After turning 1k in play money into 15k I decided to try the real money games, and have done *horribly* so far compared to my play money SnGs. Think I will try soem of eth 1/2 table play money SnGs and if I do okay there try those 1.5+.20 turbos. Thanks for the info.

No offense, but how you do in play money games has no bearing on how you'll do in real money games, no matter the stakes. They are two completely different games.

[taipan168]

I started out with play money SnGs and they are TOTALLY different to real money. For one, it is very hard to steal blinds (even with a preflop push) as somebody will call you. Be very careful about "practising" too much with these as you can develop bad habits which are hard to break when you make the switch to real money.

Perhaps the closest approximation (and it is still only that) to a real money SnG is the big buy-in (50,000 play chips) one-table SnG, you sometimes get OK players there. Still, it is only play money...

[Crotalusatrox]

I decided go ahead and just jump in. Used Rypptyde's SnG strat in my first 1.50+25 Turbo. Took second place. Am very stoked. Thanks muchly for pointing those turbos out to me!

[rajofpsg]

Hi first post here, so take it with a grain of salt compared to some of the other regular poster's responses you may get, they being more experienced handing out such advice.

I have played alot of the 45 player SNG's at Stars .... both the 6+50 buyins plus the 1+20 buyins. If it is your goal to simply squeeze in to the money, with 7 places paying it is very do-able. Occassionaly I do NOT make it to the final table at the very least, but the majority of the time I am there.

EARLY ON:
10/20, 15/30, 25/50 blind levels
You need to practice enough self-control and patience to hang back a bit and wait for premium cards in the early levels. (AA, KK, QQ, AKs yada yada u get the picture) Steal a few small pots without showdown in early levels too, as players that early on dont care for the small pots. Keep to the mindset of building your stack with small wins or on flops u cannot be beaten on. Do not risk your stack unless under very rare circumstances such as you have AA and the flop came up with A72. your goal is survival.

MID-LEVELS
When the blind get to around 50/100 or 75/150 ... put pressure on the little guys with the mid-size stack you should have by now and dont be shy about confronting those big stacks with your premium starting hands (i'd advise not bluffing the big stacks at this point). Even if you just have 200-300 more chips than you started the tourney with (1500+300 = 1800) you are now way ahead of half the field who pissed thier chips away chasing flushes and straights and making ridiculous calls with cards they shouldn't have played to begin with. This is the stage where a PVS move works good when people try and limp, Stop and Go as well. When the small stacks go allin at this point, respect it and only call when you got something u think can beat them. Keep with the mindset of building your stack and not risking your stack up until the final 2 tables.

LATE STAGE
I define the late-stage of these things as being the combining of the final 2 tables from the original 5 tables the tournament started with. This is where you wanna risk it to win it. There are alot of ways to play the late stages, and they depend on what stack you have at this point. A small stack at this point would need to be putting his chips in the middle to double up or get blinded out as the blinds at this level of the 6+50's are usually at the very least 200/400 and 25 ante. A big stack can either sit back and cruise in to the money, or go on the offensive to get more chips to assure himself of the coming victory. Be aware of who at the table is playing what strategy... is the big stack cruising in to the money? Then raise him and steal his blinds... Is the small stack going allin Under the gun? (meaning next round he big blind and then small blind thus destroying his stack)... then call him he's probably got a marginal hand and doesnt want to gamble on what hand he gets in BigBlind or Small Blind next round. Be agreessive at this point with those premium hands. If you come in to a pot with them, raise dont limp. I consider the final 2 tables to be the bubble... i know it pays 7 places and 8th place is technically the bubble... but the "bubble mentality" sets in at the 2 table stage in these. I find alot of people are concerned with making the final table, and are not concerned with making the money until they are at the final table. Play the way you play at a Single table tourney when on the bubble when you get to the final 2 tables in these.

FINAL TABLE
Ok you made it to the final table. Unless i have a really small stack relative to the blind at this point i usually hold back. With 7 places paying out, 2 more people need to go for you to make money at this point. This where I personally tighten up. Many people will think this weak but ok whatever. At this point in the 6+50 game, being a turbo, the blind are so high that it is the blinds putting pressure on people to make moves. Every hand at this point has a preflop attempt to steal the blinds... and in most cases it is done by someone going allin. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to realize that this level of agressive play on the bubble with 9 people means you dont have to do much to get in the money. Of course this depends on your stack... i would hang back with a mid-level stack... be agressive when the short stack (allin or nothing)... and with a big stack i'd be making those calls by the short stacks simply by means of being able to afford it. It takes only a round or two of blinds before the last guy busts and you are In The Money. Afterwards play your game and climb the money-ladder.

I hope this is of some help to you and others, and if you guys see any flaws here let me know I am not by any means a pro, but have played alot of these and won quite a few and placed a whole lot more, more than i've busted. But am always open to advice to help my own game improve.

[Staresy]

Hi Rajofpsg. Welcome to the boards. I generally agree with what is written here (in fact, it's a damn good first post - hope all are going to be like this!!). The only bit I would tend to disagree with is this ...

FINAL TABLE
Ok you made it to the final table. Unless i have a really small stack relative to the blind at this point i usually hold back. With 7 places paying out, 2 more people need to go for you to make money at this point. This where I personally tighten up.

It is dependant on your stack, but I would be looking as this as an opportunity to attack. You have said yourself that, when you are this close to the money, you tighten up. Other people are thinking this too, so are much more inclined to be folding the more marginal hands. This provides excellent opportunities to raise in late position and put pressure on people. The time to tighten up is when the bubble has burst and you are actually into the money. People relax more and you are likely to see an explosion in action and people dropping quickly. Here is where you should tighten up because (a) you have earned yourself some "free" chips from all your raises on the bubble and (b) tightening up here will increase your chances of an increased payout because of the quickfire action that follows the relief of most of landing ITM.

Still, this is more of a stylistic thing.

[rajofpsg]

Thnxs for the welcome!

How u play in these is indeed very much dependant on your stack, not entirely, but very much so yes. What you say about the action being very fast after the bubble has burst is true too, many times have i climbed the money-ladder by doing absolutely nothing. Alot of players will just be satisfied with getting in the money in these things they will loosen up after doing so.

I think for myself being a bit more agressive as per steals on the bubble in the final table is probably the way in which i can turn some of the 4th and 5th place showings into 2nd and 3rd.... even wins. It's something i need to psychologically work on in myself... its too easy to be lazy for most of us players and cruise in the the money by letting others do the dirty work for us.

[gabe]

I read the 2 stickied posts, but they seem to be geared towards 2 table SnG. Can I use the same strats in 45 person SnGs? If not anyone have any good 45 person strat?

in general, play tight at first, gamble when your stack is getting small, and right outside making the money get really aggressive.

[a500lbgorilla]

As you get closer to the money, everyone is going to tighten up, so proper strategy is to loosen up.

-'rilla

[Staple Gun]

There is also $6 45-person sng's isnt there?

Anyways, If your goal is to win then open up and tear everyone apart who is sitting back hoping for there gaurenteed $3 payday. Just make sure you know who isnt afraid of bubbling and dont play without good hands vs. them.

[TLR]

JefferyGB wrote

No offense, but how you do in play money games has no bearing on how you'll do in real money games, no matter the stakes. They are two completely different games.

I dont completly agree with this comment.

I think play money is pretty much the lowest level of online poker. If you cant beat play money you are not good enough to play on real money.
If you are consistently winning in play money it does not guarentee you anything in rela money.

However at least from my pokerstars play money experience the highest level of play money Sngsis not that bad and can give you a good indicatin about your ability in low level Sngs

[TLR]

rajofpsg - good guide, great first post

My comments:
Early on: I have some problem with the way it is presented. This stage is 15 minutes, which amount to 15-20 hands. Stealing a 'few small pots' is risky. I agree that you want to play your premium hands , and try to win a small pot or two when you can limp for chip.
I also think that you can risk your whole stack on good hands in order to build a stack. In your example I would go AI with AA on a K72 flop if there are 2-3 players in the hand (including me).

Mid-Levels: I agree that you have to play more agressive at this stage, this is where the blinds start to hurt and you need to constantly increase your stack.

Late Stage: At this point since the blinds are high the table dynamics change a lot, small stack becomes big stack and vice versa, you need to adjust your play are constantly reevaluate your position. And I agree that you have to play agressively at this stage.

Final Table: At the final table blinds are usually 600/1200 or 1000/2000, with the average stack at 7500. This makes it pretty much a preflop push or fold game. As you said most people want to get in the money, so I think you should be agressive and build a stack. The only exception for me is when I am really short stacked and trying to weasel my way into the money.
At this stage the dynamics of the table change every hand, since pretty much every hand people go from short stack to big stack and vice versa.
One more thing is that most pots are headsup, so you want to play hands that play well headsup, and avoid hands that are good for multiway pots.

[rajofpsg]

Greetings TLR!

"One more thing is that most pots are headsup, so you want to play hands that play well headsup, and avoid hands that are good for multiway pots."

Good observation... will keep this in mind for sure...

LOL... I knew something good would come from posting.

I have viewed hands like low suited connectors as good multi-way hands... would you include hands such as QJ, TJ, suited or not as good multiway hands...

[TLR]

rajofpsg wrote

I have viewed hands like low suited connectors as good multi-way hands... would you include hands such as QJ, TJ, suited or not as good multiway hands...

QJs TJs play much better in multiway pot since you play them for flush and str8 and not for top pair. Heads up those hands are easily dominated, espceially on a full table

[Alibi]

Push push push all day long