Bubble Trouble - First Post

[marmot]

Hi, i'm new here, but great forum!

I've been playing SNG's for last three months now. Started on PP at first then moved to Will Hill. Reckon i've played about 80 - 100 total and am down about £15 overall.

I play in the £1 +.20 or £3 +.30 buy in's as i'm trying to learn some skills before I even attempt playing for any real money. Trouble is I seem to have a huge number of 4th place finishes.

My strategy generally has been to play tight in the first 3 rounds (nothing but AA,KK,QQ, AK) then slightly looser from then on (pairs, Ax) depending on how many still left in. This seems to be the general line of advice in threads but I just find I end up 4th or 5th totally short stacked as the blinds go up and end up having to go all in with about 500 chips by which time seeing this is peanuts for any of the top 3 and I bubble out.

Any advice? I find I hardly play any hands until later on but by then you only have about 15 hands to hit something good, which just often doesn't happen.

I'm prob ITM 30% with about 3rd split each 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Cheers

[Xanadu]

I think you are too tight to get as many firsts as you should. With the hands you are playing, you will only play a hand in the first 3 orbits about 60% of the time. More tournaments than not, you will have folded all the way to level 4. Even if you do get a hand or 2 to play, you have to be fortunate enough to get some chips from someone. One way or another you have to accumulate some chips early. And if you fold for 2 orbits then suddenly get aggressive on a hand, anyone paying attention is going to avoid you.

[biondino]

While blinds are low and stacks are even, you can often play almost like in a cash game - seeing flops with drawing hands, using position wisely, that kind of thing. At the micro-leves you do need to watch out for the three or four inevitable terrible players who'll play too recklessly, and by and large avoid them without a great hand, but otherwise there's no reason not to play an aggressive game at this stage.

[marmot]

Thanks Xanadu / biondino. This is the problem though, all the advice on these sort of sites is play tight early on etc, but are you advocating the opposite? I find when I do change tack and play early on I inevitably end up against some maniac who will go all in (post-flop) with nothing at all. If you've only got top 2 pair or 3 of a kind at this stage its just too risky to call that so drains chips.

[bode]

Thanks Xanadu / biondino. This is the problem though, all the advice on these sort of sites is play tight early on etc, but are you advocating the opposite? I find when I do change tack and play early on I inevitably end up against some maniac who will go all in (post-flop) with nothing at all. If you've only got top 2 pair or 3 of a kind at this stage its just too risky to call that so drains chips.

if you have a set against a maniac thats pushing all in, then call it and let the cards sort it out. 8/10 times he will have a pair/draw/air.

Get some stones and start playing back. dont be bullied by these people, if you get knocked out on some draw or he actually does have a hand, gg, and fire up another table.

[Xanadu]

yeah sounds like you are being ultra weak/tight. You need to be tight, but you should still be seeing a couple flops per orbit on average. And don't be afraid to bust out on 2pair or trips once in a while. If you are routinely folding such strong hands to all-ins, people are bluffing you off your hands.

[taipan168]

My strategy generally has been to play tight in the first 3 rounds (nothing but AA,KK,QQ, AK) then slightly looser from then on (pairs, Ax) depending on how many still left in.

I agree with the posters above, it does sound like you are being far too weak/tight. Whilst playing tight in the early rounds is generally sound you need to change your starting hand requirements depending on position, eg. if there are a bunch of limpers in front you can play hands like KQs for a raise and suited connectors for a limp from the button.

Also, at the low levels you find a relatively low preflop raise % so you can profitably limp even in EP with low-medium pocket pairs because you are getting implied odds to hit a set.

If you are folding hands like JJ and TT from EP where there hasn't been a raise in front then you are far too tight IMO. Plus, postflop I will almost never fold hands like 2 pair/set/trips - the donkeys at the low levels bluff far too much and get married to pocket pairs even when the board comes all overcards, often making it profitable to call even with hands like TPTK.

[jdubs]

While blinds are low and stacks are even, you can often play almost like in a cash game - seeing flops with drawing hands, using position wisely, that kind of thing. At the micro-leves you do need to watch out for the three or four inevitable terrible players who'll play too recklessly, and by and large avoid them without a great hand, but otherwise there's no reason not to play an aggressive game at this stage.

well said. Also read HOH1 and 2.