shoot for 1st settle for 3rd?

[snapfc01]

hey... i know the general idea when you get itm in a sng is to go for 1st and settle for 3rd however what do u do when it's down and three and you have 2k in chips.. another guy has 1k and the chip leader has 11k? do u wait out for a sure 2nd? thanks for any thoughts
Gerard

[curtains]

In some situations it may be prudent to do everything you can to get second place. Most of the time this won't be the case, but sometimes it will be if one player has too many chips.

[snapfc01]

blinds are at 75/150... do i make the other guy make a move before i do?

[curtains]

It depends, if you get too strong a hand youll usually have to do something.

[snapfc01]

i agree... i'm not dropping any pp or ak... but i don't think i should call an all in against the big guy with AJ when i canmake the other guy make a move first. or is this the wrong way to be thinking?

[curtains]

yeah, sometimes this makes sense. It really depends on stack sizes, pay structure and such

[snapfc01]

thanks... just wondering... b/c i'm a newbie and have a small BR for online play i'm i'm stuck at the 5.50 sngs now and u will often get that guy who lucked out and outdrew everyone and is sitting at 9k or so when it's three people and you have the other guy doubled. so far i usually try to get 2nd then fight with the lucky bastard for 1st lol. only 20 more to go then i'm moveing up to 10s (i know still small but a hopefully not as many idiots)

[sofere]

[ QUOTE ]
(i know still small but a hopefully not as many idiots)

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/images/graemlins/confused.gif Idiots are a good thing. And there are the same amount of idiots at the 11s as there are at the 5.50s.

If you have a small bankroll, stay at the 5.50s and build up to at least 300-400 before entering the 11s...no need to walk in there, hit a wall of bad luck (or find out you're not a winning player), and end up losing everything.

[snapfc01]

i hit 400 today... but i promised myself i wouldn't start the 10s until had 100 of the 5s under my belt /images/graemlins/smile.gif. and i don't mind idiots... just don't like all the random allins preflop with shitty cards... i like to be able to see the flop and out play my oppopent not move in preflop and hope the odds hold up (i will do this just would rather use skill to outplay them)

[rachelwxm]

[ QUOTE ]
hey... i know the general idea when you get itm in a sng is to go for 1st and settle for 3rd however what do u do when it's down and three and you have 2k in chips.. another guy has 1k and the chip leader has 11k? do u wait out for a sure 2nd? thanks for any thoughts
Gerard

[/ QUOTE ]

I hate to tell you this, but you have to make your every decision based on situation it presents to you. There is no general rule which one is better.
Sometimes the best strategy is surviving sometimes you have to fight for first.

[KenProspero]

I ran this throught ICM.

If the hand is going to be heads up, you against, small stack.

You start out with about 29.43% expected pot equity. Small stack has about 24.77% expected pot equity. If you win, you go to about 34% equity, if you lose, you swap places with the other small stack, and have the 24.77. Essentially, you play you can play this with a coin flip, and aren't far from being right if you have the weak end of a race (i.e., two over cards vs a small pair).

Heads up against big Stack, You go to .3352 if you win, and down to .2 third place if you lose. You need to be about a 2-1 favorite to make it worth playing.

Three way

If you win, you go to .3677 equity in the pot. If Big Stack wins, you go to .3, and if Small Stack wins, .2. I haven't done the algebra, but the fact that you have a +ev if either you or Big Stack beats Small Stack, and a real shot at winning the whole thing if you win the pot. (you're 5000 chips against 10,000), suggests that you probably jump at this with any 2 cards.

[lorinda]

b/c i'm a newbie and have a small BR for online play

This makes a difference in the short term.

Hold tight .......

The higher $EV is often, although not always to go for first.

However, you also have implied $ by 'guaranteeing' that you keep your bankroll alive.

You should still play pretty much for first, but you can be <font color="red"> slightly </font> more cautious than some plays here recommend as long as you realise that slightly is written in a different color and don't take it too far.

Lori

[snapfc01]

thanks alot for the thoughts all