Table image in SNG tournaments..........

[Tom23]

I had this situation this morning, I played a 5$ SNG tourny on Party. The first hand dealt the whole table calls to me on the button and I'm holding cowboys (KK). I thought about it for a minute and pushed "all in". It's not ussually my style that early in a tourny but those small stakes SNG's you usually find fish willing to call with some shaby hands. I had just seen a 2 4o push "all in" in an earlier tourny. Everybody folded, but the table went nuts in the chat box. I think I was called every name in the book. Of course I didn't show it to them, I wanted them to think about me and not their cards. I really had to laugh. After that all settled the table seemed to be gunning for me. Every hand I got involved in was raised, I'm sure just because of the tilt factor that I brought on. Unfortunately I was getting dealt some marginal cards that couldn't call a 4 or 5BB raise. So I decided "tight is right" and went into defense mode only playing quality hands that would hold up in a showdown. "By the way if anyone who was in that game is reading this "I doubt" I would highly recomend worrying about yourself". You all play pretty badly. Anyway, I went on to win but my question is did I hurt myself by tilting the table like that? It really took away my blind steeling opportunities that I had a few times. Also it seems like every tournament I play now I have to make some serious adjustments to my stategy depending on the situation. Do you guys have to adjust your style that much from tournament to tournament? Does it happen a lot during a tournament? I find some multi table tournaments hit a point "mid level" where the become water tight, ussually when your getting close to the money. That's where I start to play. Any comments are welcome.

[iSHACKABUKU]

In regards to table image, i think its a big part of a tourny. I like others to fear me. Sometimes ill show a bluff just to upset others......and play tight there after or vice a versa ill play tight, people think im a rock. Call a huge bet and usually take the pot then and there with my 2 - 7. IMO having KK is a great starting hand, but as we all know if a ACE hits the flop especially if u bet large preflop and got called, odds are someone is holding that ace and ur getting burned.

[Humphrind]

This was talked about earlier. If you have AA / KK on the first hand of a SnG, I would go all in. Let them think I am some fish and hopefully get a call. If I don't, oh well. And I don't care what the table thinks about it.

One of the best tools that a poker room offers is "Chat off" If you were playing any attention to what these guys were saying, I'd tell you to turn chat off.

[drmcboy]

but as we all know if a ACE hits the flop especially if u bet large preflop and got called, odds are someone is holding that ace and ur getting burned.

This is exactly why you made the right play. With all those limpers you know at least two have Aces... your only hope is that four do. In this situation I think you have to get your money in pre flop - say you raise half your stack, some guy who wanted to limp with AQo or AJ thinks you're trying to pick off all the limps - if the flop is rags you're worried about a set, suited or three to a str8 is panic time - too many bad things can happen.

Frankly I think if you're pissing off the 5 dollar crowd at party, you're playing exactly right.

[drmcboy]

but as we all know if a ACE hits the flop especially if u bet large preflop and got called, odds are someone is holding that ace and ur getting burned.

This is exactly why you made the right play. With all those limpers you know at least two have Aces... your only hope is that four do. In this situation I think you have to get your money in pre flop - say you raise half your stack, some guy who wanted to limp with AQo or AJ thinks you're trying to pick off all the limps - if the flop is rags you're worried about a set, suited or three to a str8 is panic time - too many bad things can happen.

Frankly I think if you're pissing off the 5 dollar crowd at party, you're playing just right.

[elanto]

This was talked about earlier. If you have AA / KK on the first hand of a SnG, I would go all in. Let them think I am some fish and hopefully get a call. If I don't, oh well. And I don't care what the table thinks about it.

One of the best tools that a poker room offers is "Chat off" If you were playing any attention to what these guys were saying, I'd tell you to turn chat off.

I totally agree with humphrid, a lot of the times you will in fact get one caller with a game thats worst than your, and more times than not youll win a huge pot and be in great shape for the rest of the tourney :P. If you dont get called people will start to see you as a fish, and IMO thats not a bad thing, theyll call you down thinking your bluffing and make bad calls (because they dont want a "fish" taking all of their chips)


-anto

[RD Olivaw]

IMO, the best thing that can happen to a solid tight player is to get an image of being a maniac. You are setting the table up to pay you off big time.