Is this the right way to play $3.40 turbo at PS

[bonaparte]

I have been playing the $3.40 game at PS for a little while now. My balance has gone from $30 to $74 to, now, $52.

So I've just read up on SNG strategy here and other places and downloaded SNGWIZ. This is when my cash went from $74 to $52.

Here is what is happening: I play very tight for the first several levels, until the BB gets to about $100. This will usually put me in a postition where I have have to go into Push/Flop mode (because the tight play, mixed with unplayable hands leaves me cash short). Is this normal? It just seems like I'm always the short stacked guy as we approach the bubble, and very often at the bubble I am the short stacked guy, which puts everybody playing against me. Many times I'm the 4th place finisher, it just seems that when I push I'm always called by a better hand.

Then again maybe it is variance? SNGWIZ shows I'm making the right calls almost always, and when I don't the odds are usually really close.

[philly and the phanatics]

well if you keep making the right calls it would have to be variance, often folding til the blinds are about 75/150 is not a bad thing, sometimes your hands are just unplayable, and maybe it does force you right into push/fold mode but you have to figure to double up at least once if you are going to make the money, so yea its pretty standard....i read on here that turbos have much more variance on here, and that 10-15 oom streaks are not too uncommon, so dont worry im sure youll do fine, and if you cant stand the variance just switch back to the regulars

[taipan168]

Hi and welcome to FTR, it's good to have you here!

Although your general strategy seems correct, it's hard to generalise since so much of poker is situation dependent. Probably the best way to get advice is to post hands or whole trimmed tourneys, we can then take a look and see how your play is.

[mcdonough22]

I play 3.40 turbos and went through exactly what you did several months ago. I did exactly what Tai said and posted several HHs so others could find my leaks. Also take a good look at hands others post at buyins below $10 and see if you're making those kinds of plays. I'm betting you are not. Just by using this forum, I've improved to where I'm actually making a profit and don't have OTM streaks of more than 3-4 games. Good luck...

[bonaparte]

Ok here goes. Since I don't know where my leaks are I've posted my last tourny in full.

The (v1.1.4w) was developed by JeffreyGB at

---Tournament Summary---
$3.30 Turbo SNG: Finished 7/10 for $0
Data for 32 hands.
You played 5 hands (15.63%)
You raised 2 times preflop (6.25%)

K 3 BB (M = 50.00; f+r+f+f+f+f+f+f+p+F)
3 Q SB (M = 49.33; r+f+f+f+f+f+f+f+F)
A 8 BU (M = 49.00; f+f+f+c+f+r+f+F)
3 5 CO (M = 49.00; r+f+f+f+f+c+F)
J 6 CO-1 (M = 49.00; c+f+r+f+p+F)
T 2 MP2 (M = 49.00; f+f+c+F)
8 7 MP1 (M = 32.67; r+f+F)
3 5 UTG+1 (M = 32.67; f+F)
T A UTG (M = 32.67; F)
J Q BB (M = 32.67; r+f+f+f+f+f+f+c+F)

-----Hand 1-----
Hero's M = 32.00
PokerStars Game #13783492681: Tournament #69957552, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2007/12/10 - 22:25:11 (ET)
Condensed history provided by the Tournament Trimmer (v1.1.4w) from FlopTurnRiver
Table '69957552 1' 10-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: $GYPCWISDOM$ (2065 in chips)
Seat 3: mjcongleton (1440 in chips)
Seat 4: billcausby (840 in chips)
Seat 5: iceguyvn (955 in chips)
Seat 6: lukeduke10 (1785 in chips)
Seat 7: war7272 (3130 in chips)
Seat 8: pattib1972 (1325 in chips)
Seat 9: SmokinPietro (1645 in chips)
Seat 10: bruisermon (1815 in chips)
mjcongleton: posts small blind 15
billcausby: posts big blind 30
Preflop: mjcongleton dealt 6 6
iceguyvn: folds
lukeduke10: folds
war7272: folds
pattib1972: calls 30
SmokinPietro: calls 30
bruisermon: folds
$GYPCWISDOM$: folds
mjcongleton: calls 15
billcausby: checks
Flop: 6 2 4
mjcongleton: bets 90

billcausby: folds
pattib1972: folds
SmokinPietro: folds
mjcongleton collected 120 from pot
mjcongleton: doesn't show hand


6 Q BU (M = 20.40; f+f+c+f+f+f+F)
7 9 CO (M = 20.40; c+f+f+f+f+F)

-----Hand 2-----
Hero's M = 20.40
PokerStars Game #13783552124: Tournament #69957552, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2007/12/10 - 22:28:18 (ET)
Table '69957552 1' 10-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: $GYPCWISDOM$ (2065 in chips)
Seat 3: mjcongleton (1530 in chips)
Seat 4: billcausby (760 in chips)
Seat 5: iceguyvn (805 in chips)
Seat 6: lukeduke10 (1735 in chips)
Seat 7: war7272 (3280 in chips)
Seat 8: pattib1972 (1395 in chips)
Seat 9: SmokinPietro (1615 in chips)
Seat 10: bruisermon (1815 in chips)
lukeduke10: posts small blind 25
war7272: posts big blind 50
Preflop: mjcongleton dealt A Q
pattib1972: folds
SmokinPietro: folds
bruisermon: folds
$GYPCWISDOM$: folds
mjcongleton: calls 50
billcausby: folds
iceguyvn: raises 100 to 150

lukeduke10: folds
war7272: calls 100
mjcongleton: calls 100
Flop: 5 J 9
war7272: checks
mjcongleton: checks
iceguyvn: checks
Turn: 3
war7272: checks
mjcongleton: checks
iceguyvn: checks
River: 6
war7272: bets 100

mjcongleton: calls 100
iceguyvn: folds
Showdown:
war7272: shows A 2 (high card Ace)
mjcongleton: shows A Q (high card Ace - Queen kicker)
mjcongleton collected 675 from pot


A 5 MP2 (M = 26.07; f+f+c+F)
A 9 MP1 (M = 13.03; c+f+F)
5 4 UTG+1 (M = 13.03; c+F)
Q 3 UTG (M = 13.03; F)
9 J BB (M = 13.03; f+f+f+f+f+r+r+F)

-----Hand 3-----
Hero's M = 12.37
PokerStars Game #13783665806: Tournament #69957552, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2007/12/10 - 22:34:07 (ET)
Table '69957552 1' 10-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: $GYPCWISDOM$ (1690 in chips)
Seat 3: mjcongleton (1855 in chips)
Seat 5: iceguyvn (555 in chips)
Seat 6: lukeduke10 (1710 in chips)
Seat 7: war7272 (3665 in chips)
Seat 8: pattib1972 (1295 in chips)
Seat 9: SmokinPietro (1615 in chips)
Seat 10: bruisermon (2615 in chips)
mjcongleton: posts small blind 50
iceguyvn: posts big blind 100
Preflop: mjcongleton dealt J J
lukeduke10: raises 200 to 300

war7272: folds
pattib1972: folds
SmokinPietro: folds
bruisermon: folds
$GYPCWISDOM$: folds
mjcongleton: raises 200 to 500

iceguyvn: calls 400
lukeduke10: raises 1210 to 1710 and is all-in

mjcongleton: folds
iceguyvn: calls 55 and is all-in

Flop: 6 A 2
Turn: 9
River: 4
Showdown:
iceguyvn: shows 8 K (high card Ace)
lukeduke10: shows A K (a pair of Aces)
lukeduke10 collected 1610 from pot


8 Q BU (M = 9.03; c+f+f+f+F)
T J CO (M = 6.02; f+f+c+F)
6 9 MP1 (M = 6.02; f+f+F)
K 3 UTG+1 (M = 6.02; f+F)
6 J UTG (M = 6.02; F)
2 T BB (M = 6.02; f+f+f+f+f+r+F)

-----Hand 4-----
Hero's M = 5.36
PokerStars Game #13783776466: Tournament #69957552, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2007/12/10 - 22:39:42 (ET)

Table '69957552 1' 10-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: $GYPCWISDOM$ (1090 in chips)
Seat 3: mjcongleton (1205 in chips)
Seat 6: lukeduke10 (3090 in chips)
Seat 7: war7272 (3340 in chips)
Seat 8: pattib1972 (2570 in chips)
Seat 9: SmokinPietro (1315 in chips)
Seat 10: bruisermon (2390 in chips)
mjcongleton: posts small blind 75
lukeduke10: posts big blind 150
Preflop: mjcongleton dealt Q A
war7272: folds
pattib1972: folds
SmokinPietro: folds
bruisermon: folds
$GYPCWISDOM$: raises 450 to 600

mjcongleton: raises 605 to 1205 and is all-in

lukeduke10: folds
$GYPCWISDOM$: calls 490 and is all-in

Flop: J 6 T
Turn: 2
River: 3
Showdown:
mjcongleton: shows Q A (high card Ace)
$GYPCWISDOM$: shows Q T (a pair of Tens)
$GYPCWISDOM$ collected 2330 from pot


2 9 BU (M = 0.00; f+f+r+f+F)
8 3 CO (M = 0.00; r+f+f+F)
4 2 MP1 (M = 0.00; f+r+F)
Q 6 UTG+1 (M = 0.00; r+F)

-----Hand 5-----
Hero's M = ???
PokerStars Game #13783861348: Tournament #69957552, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2007/12/10 - 22:43:55 (ET)

Table '69957552 1' 10-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: $GYPCWISDOM$ (2230 in chips)
Seat 3: mjcongleton (115 in chips)
Seat 6: lukeduke10 (2840 in chips)
Seat 7: war7272 (3040 in chips)
Seat 8: pattib1972 (2970 in chips)
Seat 9: SmokinPietro (1315 in chips)
Seat 10: bruisermon (2490 in chips)
bruisermon: posts small blind 100
$GYPCWISDOM$: posts big blind 200
Preflop: mjcongleton dealt T K
mjcongleton: calls 115 and is all-in

lukeduke10: folds
war7272: folds
pattib1972: calls 200
SmokinPietro: folds
bruisermon: calls 100
$GYPCWISDOM$: raises 600 to 800

pattib1972: folds
bruisermon: folds
Flop: 4 J 4
Turn: 2
River: 6
Showdown:
$GYPCWISDOM$: shows Q A (a pair of Fours)
$GYPCWISDOM$ collected 255 from side pot
mjcongleton: shows T K (a pair of Fours - lower kicker)
$GYPCWISDOM$ collected 460 from main pot



The Tournament Trimmer was developed by JeffreyGB at FlopTurnRiver

[mcdonough22]

Hand 2: A Q
You've got to raise this 3xBB. You lost value here. As played, fold or raise river.
Hand 3: J J
Good fold. I'd have probably called the raise, hoping to see an Ace-free flop before continuing, but once 2nd villain jumps in, I'm leaving.
Hand 4: Q A
Standard. I hope to play that opp someday. Raise/call w QTo. Beautiful. This is what you hope for, just didn't work out this time. Take solace that you'll win this roughly 3 out of 4 times. This is the fourth.
Hand 5: T K
Not much you could do. I don't think I'd have pushed any of the previous hands either.
To sum up, you took a bad beat against a similar size stack, crippling you. Happens.

[drmcboy]

JJ hand is a call, you have to put him on better than QQ+, AK to fold and that's crazy

[mcdonough22]

Even when 2nd villain jumps in?

[drmcboy]

usually the second guy will have a lower PP or split at least one over with opp 1, he's a good thing, not a bad thing - his stack is too small to give him credit for a hand.