Getting 1st or 2nd?

[clavio]

I feel like I get in the money quite regularly when I play sngs. I have a disproportionate amount of 3rd place finishes. Is there any guides how I can improve? Thanks.

[baudib]

hi, I think you need to be a bit more specific than "I feel like I get in the money quite regularly." How big a sample, what is your win rate/ROI, and how often are you finishing 3rd?

Making the money/playing the bubble are the most crucial parts of SnG play. You could be playing fine and just running bad or making a few key mistakes in crucial spots, you could be playing poorly and just running well. Post some hand histories and tournament trimmers and the experts here can help you.

[Username]

how about you play to win instead of playing to outlast people
omg hard

[taipan168]

You could be playing fine and just running bad or making a few key mistakes in crucial spots, you could be playing poorly and just running well. Post some hand histories and tournament trimmers and the experts here can help you.

This. Welcome to the forums BTW.

[TillyB]

I want to addon...maybe you need to improve your shorthanded play.
Maybe you are to passive and don't get a stack to win instead of getting 3rd...

[taipan168]

how about you play to win instead of playing to outlast people

You need to make those decisions that are most +$ EV in the long run, not go by mantras like "play to win" or "play for 3rd". Sometimes the most +$EV decision is to play for the money, sometimes it's play for 1st.

[TLR]

As been said, post some hands and bubble portions of tournies

If it is indeed a trend and not a short term thing you need to do some more in depth analysis - are you getting ITM as short stack or do you get there usually with a decent stack and bleeding chips at the ITM stage ?

[clavio]

Honestly it may be that I'm dealing with a small sample size at this point. And I can't post hands until I have ten posts.

[taipan168]

Honestly it may be that I'm dealing with a small sample size at this point.

Probably, human memory can be very selective and you'd be surprised how many hands/tourneys are required to have a sample size that is not small.

And I can't post hands until I have ten posts.

Feel free to post them unconverted in the meantime!

[Alpine021]

I might be wrong but it sounds like you're most likely just trying to secure 3rd and by doing this you will probably have too small a stack to compete when it gets to 3 handed and end up busting out soon after.

As mentioned above you have might have missed a few spots that might have made all the difference. A few spots especially 4 handed where you can take the pot down pre-flop without showdown when blinds are big can put you right back in contention.

Then if you have a playable stack for 3 handed you have a chance for 1st or second.