Online Poker Forum - How To Play $2 sng or less

TheDominator66 · High Card Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 3

I'am playing here on full tilt for like 7-8 months now, i started with a $50 deposit and my high was on 120-130 a couple of months back, i usually play 1&2 dollar sitngo tables, and bigger tournaments like the daily dollar.

Am floating somewhere between 80-90 dollar now, for the last couple of weeks, i am a very tight player so in the beginning of the sng or other tournaments i play only premium hands (AK, KK, AA,QQ) to get some table respect when i raise, i know that these kind of tournaments are no spot for serious players, because all of those noobs, just do something cause the don't care, or don't know how to play, wich is really frustrating to me cause i try to do my best and try to get better skills, but somehow the last couple of weeks is just when i am on the final table, i have an average stack, i play almost nothing but everytime i get a premium hand and re raise all in i get called by sloppy hands like KQ, 55 stuff like that, and just everytime i loose the hand. (maybe i need to open my game up a bit more, offcourse i steal blinds sometimes to keep an average stack, but i just don't get respect from people when i have a big hand, and that's so annoying.)
Also in the middle stages and final table's i play really tight so that when i shove all in i have the best hand probably 8 out of 10 times, maybe this way of play is to passive, but at the moment i am happy with it, only the results are not showing it yet. ( i always play aggressive in a big pot, i dont like to slowplay my hands cause i don't play so many that i need to win the one's that i play, but when i dont hit with AK, AQ then i just fold (mijn normal raises are mostly 3x the big blind, and re raises 3/4x what the initial raiser put in the pot, also in the beginning i dont play hands like AQ when i am out of position and you dont win loads of chips in the early stages so it's better to keep them for the future when u have a big hand in a decent position)

So, are there any proven win strategies for those low sng's and low buy in tournaments? cause everytime i just get cracked when i have the best hand, so i would like to have some other strategy plans from you guys so that i can win those tables again instead of finish 3/4th Wink

but maybe those low tables are just to random for a solid strategy cause u will face so much donkey's there....

(usually play the 18 or 27 player sng's)

Jaggeha · High Card Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 4

I also play at those stakes alot. played a 1 dollar mtt yesterday where 1024 ppl registerd and i won it.

In the whole tournament we played about 400-450 hands and i enterd 14% of those hands, making me pretty tight aswell.

I play them almost the same way u do, except i loosen up way more from position, if not raised i play any 2 cards above 9 and any ax suited or connectors. if i sense weakness i also raise with all those hands and if i have to limp i do so. after flop it doesnt matter if u hit or not. if everyone checks to you, put in a bet regardless if u hit the flop or not, then u will see whose interested in the pot and whose not. Its also a good way to see 1 extra card since normally the callers will check the turn to the raiser (you) and if u dont wanna invest more money into the pot just yet, check the turn and voila, you got to see the river for "free"

Good luck.

Danduy · Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 1:57 pm Post subject:

It sometimes sucks when you go in with the best hand and get drawn out on. But keep it up. These draw outs are normal when playing and need to be taken with it.

The real challenge is to find the holes in the game so that these beats don't ruin your bankroll or you stay steady and go on a climb.

I'm in the fase where i'm stuck, like you, and playing the same bankroll for a while and it doesn't seem to grow. But this is where the knowledge and experience of the game kicks in i think. This is the turning point to find the leaks in your game to move up.

You say that you are playing the 2$ s&g and there are donks there. Well i mostly play the 5$ s&g's and there are also players who think that they have a monster holding A2. And yeah, they seem to hit their straights always. Or call you down with a gutshot and make them on the river. When 3 or 4 of those guys are sitting at your table, it is hard to stay in but then again, these are the ones you want to take money from. Play with them cautious and don't bluff at these players, they can't be bluffed but will do them self a lot. With a solid hand, let them build the pot for you. And if you get drawn out, remember that if you get drawn out more then draw out youself, that means that you had the best of it, what makes you the better player.

But when your hand is ahead, you take it for granted and winning seems normal and you go on. Losing on the other hand was not expected and plays in your head. It looks like that you can't win a hand when the money goes in, but you surely do.

Good luck.

TheDominator66 · High Card Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 3

Thank to the both of you for your comments! Very Happy

some points of discussion: finding leaks in your game, at the moment i have no clue to how to play better, cause 9/10 times i shove with the best hand, so it's hard to say how to play better, only thing i can think off is dat my blinds play isn't that good, but if i dont hit i usually fold the hand so i dont loose many chips there, almost never all in in a blinds play unless i flop top 2 pair and stuff like that.
I am not a player who likes to bluff so i really don't attempt that at all against really loose players, if i shove the best hand i will get called a lot of times with junk, i know that i need thoose players to double up and pay me off, but a lot of time i get bad beats and suck outs. That's kind of hard sometimes, but i know that i made the good decision to put all my chips in the pot, at the long term it's good but after a bad beat i am just angry cause i dont understand why that donkey called me with his crap hand and wins the pot.
so hopefully it will pay off in the long term!

Danduy · Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:46 pm Post subject:

Shoving with the best hand is a good thing to do. And we all know that the best hand doen't always win.

Today i was experimenting with very aggressive bubble play. Like checkraising all-in with middle pair, making plays with nothing while my opponent has hit a little and stuff like that. Naturally on the boards that allow such plays.

I must say that it works well and sometimes you even draw out on the best hand. Today i had many players calling me an idiot, dumbass, fish, etc after i drawn out on them. But i saw that some of these paid off. Especcially when the best hand was folded to me. Off course you need a good read on the opponents in play. But when it's bubble time you should have a nice clue on how they play and use the fear off busting out in 4th place. You will run into some big hands, but there are players who rather fold there top pair, bad kicker or middle pair then to see that you are telling the truth.

I almost get a player folding his A9 on a board: A-6-8 rag. He was thinking a long time before he called my check-raise all in. I just had 56 in the big blind. The chatbox filled up with, sucker, fish, idiot, moron and stuff. I like to experiment plays like this. And if it doesn't work out, then at least i have tried something else and take some other plays in considiration.

For example: People at the table know that you only play, like you posted before, bet or raise your BB when you have a decent hand and otherwise fold. This makes it very easy for them. They call you blind, you check flop comes and they bet after you checked and you fold. When you bet or raise their bet, they will fold without a hand to take you on. And you hit your hand 1/3 aproxx so stealing like this is EV+ for them.

If you notice this behavior, raise your blind when they only call. Reraise when a button tries to steal again. If he comes over the top, OK, nice try. Move on. If he folds, chips added to your stack. You will notice that they rather fold their hands then to try and take your blind again. Wich means that you well get a walk more when in the BB. Make them afraid for trying to take your blind. And when they do, you will know they have something there to use it against you. Don't overdo it. Because else you will become a victim to a slowplay from BIG hands like AA-KK-...

These are the leaks you need to seal to become a better player. You posted a little leak from the blind play and maybe this can help. Don't be afraid to make mistakes a take a lesson from them.

If everybody where good players, there where no low stakes tables to play on. And if someone calles you an idiot or moron, don't let them get into your head. And DON'T justify why you did that play and that you are not a moron. Don't make them smarter.

Have fun!!

TheDominator66 · High Card Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 3

Some real good advice pieces in your last post thank you! Very Happy

I just played an 18 people sng for $1 buy in, and finished first, i played really different then the last couple of weeks, instead of playing 10-16% of my hands, now i played almost double that percentage, my strategy was to open up a bit in late position, more re raise after button raise and more like that, i didnt play loose cause i really got great hands to play with 7x aq, and 3x aa was really nice offcourse! only on the button and somethimes the cut off for the button i raised with weak ace, king high, suited connectors, it really payed off some chips cause when there was a showdown i had the best hand so people were a bit affraid and with 5 people left i really became the table bully to increase my stack, cause at heads up i had 4:1 chiplead and he pushed first hand, i had kj, so automatic call and i won, he had qj so was really dominated Cool

offcourse 1 win doesnt mean that this strategy is the way to go, but i will definitly test it a bit more the upcoming week and see how it goes! Cool

Omega Operative · Two Pair Joined: 09 Sep 2009 Posts: 55

Hey Dom, reading your first post was like reading a page out of my play book. I've been playing the 1-.25 SnGs, and pretty much playing just like you. Super tight in the beginning, and usually surviving to the last table (barely) but by then my chip stack is low, so it's hard to be aggressive. In the last 13 games I've played, I've gotten paid 5 times, 3 of those being 2nd place. Not great, but the wins make up for the losses. And like you said, I usually play my premium hands strong but get people going all in with 89suited, or A4 offsuit, and getting sucked out. Frustrating. I've heard alot of other people say to avoid the low limit SnGs because of all the donks, suckouts, etc...

I might try moving up to the 2 or 3 dollar games. Especially now that I got my TAKE 2 bonus. See if that makes any difference.

Right now I really wanna work on loosing up. Cuz even though there are alot of donks going all in all the time, they are the ones that seem to have the biggest chip stacks and making it past the bubble. I'll go all in like once or twice a game. But these guys go all in like 20 times a game! It's unreal. But they must be doing something right, cuz they usually make it past the bubble.

My new strategy is to try to play really aggressive in the beginning in the hopes of doubling up my chip stack( usually when the dinks are going in with K5 offsuit), then tightening up till the final table.

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