Making the transition from $5 to $10

[mikeneron]

I have been playing four $5.50 SNGs now for a little while and the bankroll is getting close to the magic number, so I decided to swap in one $10 game. I could really tell at the end which one was the $10 game as the 4 players that were left were all pretty tight. I found it easier to steal blinds during the bubble, but I didn't overdo it either.

I ended up getting 3rd, so will keep doing this unless I go on a bad run. Hopefully things continue upwards and I can add a couple $10s in there and make my way up to all four tables being $10. Should have probably done this awhile ago

[taipan168]

Good luck man! Or should I say, good skill

[bjsaust]

Yeah good luck.

I found the $10s fairly soft, but then I came from $6.50s not $5.50s. I didnt find the bubble too bad, generally speaking most players dont understand it, which gives you an edge.

Switching to the $22s though...man, people stop throwing themselves out in those things. You really need to work the bubble with them.

Anyway, stick to your ABC SnG poker game, look for steals, identify the passives and pound on them. Just remember when they wake up, its because they have a big hand, better to fold than think 'he's just playing back at me'.

[GatorJH]

good luck and it sounds like you have a solid plan to get used to the different playing styles between the two games.

Also to reiterate what BJ said, really focus on your bubble play and your push/fold play because as you get higher in stakes the players will last longer. It is not uncommon in a $22 SNG for their to be 5-7 players left when the blinds hit 200/400

[mikeneron]

Also to reiterate what BJ said, really focus on your bubble play and your push/fold play because as you get higher in stakes the players will last longer. It is not uncommon in a $22 SNG for their to be 5-7 players left when the blinds hit 200/400

So far I have the tables setup randomly so that I can't tell which ones are the $5 and which is the $10, but it becomes pretty obvious as you go along. The $5 ones have a lot more all ins and players getting knocked out early. I don't think I will have to adjust my game too much though Thanks for all the insights. This forum has really helped my game immensely.

[bjsaust]

Its less about adjusting your game, and just making sure you're playing your proper game 100%. Theres less room to tune out and make mistakes.

[mikeneron]

Things are going fairly well as of late and am hoping that continues I have actually been doing better at the $10s than $5s...go figure. But I got to thinking that when do I add a second $10 game into the mix.

I think I am playing pretty conservatively when it comes to number of buyins and think my magic number is something like around 65.

Based on that logic, I think the math would be as follows:
-Go to 3x$5.50 + 1x$11 when bankroll is at $447 (CURRENT)
-Go to 2x$5.50 + 2x$11 when bankroll is at $536
-Go to 1x$5.50 + 3x$11 when bankroll is at $626
-Go to 0x$5.50 + 4x$11 when bankroll is at $715

(MY MATH: Take average cost of each table open and multiply by your magic buyin number. So 3x$5.50 + 1x$11 works out to an average of $6.88 per table times 65 which equals $447)

I am thinking that I should just add the 2nd $11 game into the mix and then if things go bad and my bankroll drops below the $536 then go back to 3x$5.50 + 1x$11 until I can get back up and just keep adjusting like this until I can hopefully work my way up to playing all $11 games.

BTW, what the hell am I doing up still at 7AM

[bjsaust]

At $660 I started on the $22s. Now I'm somewhat aggressive in my BR management, but yours seems really conservative. I think you're affecting your ability to make money with that system.

[taipan168]

Yes, you can definitely move up to the $11s right now, forget about staging it. There's no need for 65 buyins at the $11s! There isn't much difference in the standard of play and if you run bad, just drop down again.

[mikeneron]

I took your advice and fired up five $10 games and proceeded to finish out of the money in all 5. I then took a bit of a break and fired up 4 more. Let's just say I will be dropping back to the $5 and trying to work my way up again. Nobody said this was going to be easy

How do you play this hand? There are 2 short stacks here so obviously you don't want to get involved with the big stack, but you would also like to win chips when the situation looks good.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (4 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Hero (t3165)
Button (t1340)
SB (t1435)
BB (t7560)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with J, J.
Hero raises to t600, 2 folds, BB calls t400.

Flop: (t1300) 7, 2, 8 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t650, BB raises to t1300, Hero ???

[taipan168]

On your JJ hand, I think I shove over and cross my fingers. There are a lot of hands that opp could have that you beat that would play like this (think A8, 99-TT, missed overcards, T9 etc.)

[mikeneron]

It seems that I play two $5s and two $10s and do well so then I give four $10s a shot and finish out of the money in all 4. Tonite I decided to stagger my 4 games by about 25 mins so I wouldn't be at the 50/100 blind level on all 4 tables at once thinking that perhaps that is affecting my game. Not sure what else to do but post the last 4 tourneys and see if you guys can see anything.

What I get from SNGWIZ is that I am pushing too soon when I am really short stacked and perhaps pushing too aggressively when I am just over the 10BB mark. Other than that I just can't figure it out. In 2 of these matches I had AA a bunch of times, but it still didn't really seem to help. Any advice would be greatly appreciated....thanks in advance.

#1: http://www.flopturnriver.com/Online-...ment-2863.html
#2: http://www.flopturnriver.com/Online-...ment-2864.html
#3: http://www.flopturnriver.com/Online-...ment-2865.html
#4: http://www.flopturnriver.com/Online-...ment-2866.html

[fjuanl]

wow u get aces a lot...im jealous. your game is solid though, you should move up to the 22s as soon as your bankroll allows it. imo you weren't pushing too wide at all. Only problems I saw were being a little too passive postflop

Sng #1 ----

Hand 6 - limping is questionable but I dont have too much of a problem with it. Raise flop, you have a monster and want to build a nice pot. You could have extracted A LOT more value. Even without the flushdraw I would raise the flop

Hand 12 - I'd probably just fold preflop. If you were the bigstack and there were shortstacks in the blinds I'm fine with raising this on the bubble

Hand 16 - pretty standard push


SnG #2 ----

Hand 4 - A little too early position for me, Id fold preflop. As played Id probably bet the turn, theres a lot of non-flushdraw hands that call the flop bet

Hand 7 - gotta have a pretty good read to do this

Hand 12 - SNGWiz might say fold but it doesnt take into account that your BB next hand and wont have any fold equity if you push


Sng #3 ----

Hand 2 - Raise to at least 160...want to maximize value and at the same time make sure there arent a bunch of people seeing the flop. Not sure if I like checking the turn...but betting doesnt seem great either

Hand 7 - meh I guess you could do whatever you want since you pretty much flopped the nuts

Hand 8 - Bet 200 on the flop...you want people to pay for flushdraws and build a pot if villian has Qx

Hand 14 - ugh..just shove preflop. theres pretty much no way villian is folding. oh and did i mention you get aces a lot?

Hand 16 - Bet around 500, that bet is just asking to get raised

Hand 18 - really tough spot, not sure if I like the call. A lot of times this is a Ax with a higher kicker or Jx

Hand 22 - nothing you can do there


Sng #4 ----

Hand 5 - I'd bet the flop against the 2 blinds

Hand 6 - I'd bet the turn, no reason to think your behind

Hand 14 - Pretty standard

Hand 17 - nice.