How often does MLG, Sossman, etc finish in the money?

[PokerSponge]

I am curious if you guys would give an idea of your success rate and the level games you play. It is hard to know what success really is unless compared to people that make really solid money in MTTs.

I know MLG has one the sunday big one a couple times, but how often are you finishing in the decent mony ie 10 plus times your buy or more.

I think it would be very enlightening to put it all into perspective for us all. After all you guys do get knocked out before the money from time to time don't you?

I hope I am not prying too much and sorry if I am. I want to set some reasonable goals and I need a reference point of the gurus?

Thank you

[dogmeat]

Unfortunately, getting any type usable information from your question is almost impossible.

Why? Because of the high payouts that make the bulk of the income for MTT players. If we narrow down the scope of this question to online MTT'ers that play only $100 and higher buy-in tournaments, it becomes obvious that while players (myself included) cash about 30% of the time, it only takes a single good finish to do well in any month. A player that only made the money once out of 20 tournaments could make the same/more/less than a player that made the money six times (30%) simply by winning or taking a final slot while the 6x player kept missing the final table. Again, a percentage of finishing with a payout of 10X the buy-in is meanningless as a way of measuring success.

However, if you are simply asking hhow often you might expect to make 10X your buy-in, well, I guess you need Sossman or MLG to answer.

FWIW, my own win percentage for tournaments in 2005 where I have won 10X my buy-in is about 13% (8 of 60), but this is a tiny sample - the variance is huge. So huge in fact, that for me, only a year's worth of tournaments is a reasonable sample size - and to be honest, it only takes on good win to make or break you.................

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[PokerSponge]

thanks for the effort. I know if you won the Poker Stars 250k or 350k you would only need that one to be a very succesful player.

I was I guess looking for how often the top players get blown out of tournaments as well as finishing in the money. As it seems that most times they are not finishing in the money, but when they do it is big money, or winning WSOP seats and the like.

[CardSharpCook]

I don't claim to be a top player (though I certainly imply it from time to time). I stopped keeping stats on myself long long ago. For the most part, I grind out MTTs like I grind out limit tables - play the 100-200 entry $100 buy-ins where one first place finish does not "make" you. I don't keep stats on myself, but it sure feels like I finish OTM at least 80% of the time. I've gone out on the fifth hand of an MTT once. One sunday I was out of both majors in under a half hour. I bust out early plenty of times. The key is, IMHO, to convert good finishes into great finishes. Know how to play a final table. Don't try to inch your way up the ladder, set your sights on #1. That doesn't mean flip coins, it is just a state of mind that some players have that says, "what can I do to finish first?" Never asking the question, "should I wait for this player to bust out...."

CSC

[MLG]

agreed with a minor quibble. There are times to lay back a bit at the final table and pass marginal situations if there are some short stacks around.

[Mad Genius1]

Do you really money 80% of the time? I'm not doubting your skills or anything, but that seems impossible given the structure of the tournies that we play.

[billyjex]

I think by OTM he meant out of the money.

[DireWolf]

Im pretty sure he was saying he finishes in the money 20% of the time

[CardSharpCook]

[ QUOTE ]
Im pretty sure he was saying he finishes in the money 20% of the time

[/ QUOTE ]

and it was AT LEAST 80%, I probably finish OTM more than that.

CSC

[wjmooner]

I think it very easy to believe that a player who is twice as good as the average player would money twice as often. The money is generally around 10%, it shouldn't shock that better players get in the money around 20%.

Stop making posts that continue to refer to MTT as "lotto poker." Of course there is higher variance with higher blinds, that doesn't mean they are still not skill-based games that a winning player will find very profitable.

WJ

[Chaos81]

[ QUOTE ]
I think it very easy to believe that a player who is twice as good as the average player would money twice as often. The money is generally around 10%, it shouldn't shock that better players get in the money around 20%.

[/ QUOTE ]
You misread his post as he misread CSC's post. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif He was saying CSC finished OTM 20% of the time and ITM 80% of the time.

[Mad Genius1]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Im pretty sure he was saying he finishes in the money 20% of the time

[/ QUOTE ]

and it was AT LEAST 80%, I probably finish OTM more than that.

CSC

[/ QUOTE ]

Oops. Misread OTM as ITM. I feel dumb. /images/graemlins/blush.gif