ITM vs ROI (long post)

[The Incarnate]

Hey guys, just wanted some honest opinions on a frequent topic. I only play SNG tournies and my question is....I use SNG Tracker to track my stats. I got the program from a 2+2 link. After 81 SNG tournies my ROI remains at 27% and ITM at 48%. These are $5 tournies also. I know this is a small sample size, however, this is since I recently began to track these results. I have played these SNG`s for about 8 months, but only recently decided to track results. ( I know not keeping stats was stupid, but in the beginning it was just for fun....). I feel that had I been tracking stats all the while, my results would have been the same as I remember the up and down variance. Since I only play $5 tournies, I dont plan on going pro anytime soon. My bankroll is not very impressive for this amount of time spent playing the game. Can you consider yourself a winning player with 48% ITM average? This sounds good to me. I dont really care about making a ton of money playing SNG`s as I really dont have the time to devote to it. I just want to know if my ITM is good? My cumulative profit is $148. My cumulative ROI is %36.9. Are these numbers good? Or decent? Everytime I move up to the $10, I immediately go on a losing streak and have to come down again. Is this sound strategy? OK..OK...my bankroll stands at $253.76. It just stays the same..some days up and some days down. Overall it has grown as I started with $100. I want to make a little more money, but am more concerned with being a good player. Any advice guys?

[Scuba Chuck]

There is no way to know if you are playing well, or correct without someone who knows how to play is able to observe your games (or read your hand histories). I've read articles about pros (the assumption is that a pro knows what he is doing) running cold for months at a time. We're talkin friggin months. How's that for the old morale?

Alternatively, that means that people could also be running hot, for months!

Anyhow, your stats seem fine.

I think a long term winning player needs to expect an ITM of around 38% or better. From conversations I've had with people, people with a 42% ITM aren't necessarily higher ROI-ers than people with a 38% ITM. It has a lot to do with their money distribution.

Anyhow, back to you. Don't worry about your results so much at this stage, other than you're not losing money. Worry more about playing correct. It's tough to break bad habits.

[ProZachNation]

As long as you make money from your $5 SnGs just pick a spot when your bankroll hits and when it hits that spot move up to the 10 dollar SnGs, and pick a psot where if you lose this much money at the 10 SnG you move down. A safe way to see if you are ready for the 10s.


after 21 .60+.1 SnGs(gotta start somewhere and I know 21 SnGs show nothing) but so far I am 66% ITM and 32%ROI.

So that translates to a ton of 3rds. I think I need to take more risks pre bubble so I dont enter ITM being the super low stack so much.

But I am happy to be making money in my rookie month of poker

Ok I edited it because now I am only single tabling. 1st, 2nd and 3rd when I was singling.