Learning poker vs. learning SnGs

[ilya]

Hi guys,

The 1TT forum is my home and SnGs are almost exclusively my game. However, I have a friend/poker mentor who's a successful cross-game player, whose opinion I respect a lot, and who's telling me that I need to play more NL hold'em ring games if I really want to improve at poker, including games other than hold 'em. What do y'all think? What would ring games teach me that SnGs just can't?

[MarkL444]

i think learning a different game will help your main game, yeah. who knows maybe youll find something you are better at.

[Allinlife]

deep stack poker.

[Triumph36]

I think knowing what to do on the river in no-limit ring game poker is the most difficult decision in poker, especially as the stacks get deep. SnGs have their own style, but I don't think there's much skillful river play because the stacks only start out at 100BB and they can't be refilled.

What becomes essential is knowing your opponent's hand; knowing when to check behind with two pair since your opponent is waiting to check-raise a flush, or when to only call with the underfull. Having to face these decisions constantly will make you better at reading hands, and consequently, a better poker player.

[kurto]

They say there are a lot of great ring game players who suck at tournaments and vice versa. So clearly there are different skills.

I play both and know there are a few differences strategy-wise.

For starters, your strategy changes with a ring game because:
(1) the blinds never change size
(2) Expected value is more important then survival
(3) you can afford to play different kinds of hands because you never have to worry about going out... you can always reload.
(4) since blinds aren't changing and people aren't busting out, there is less emphasis on stealing blinds.
(5) Each hand can be played in context of its own value. ie... you don't have to consider the implications of playing a hand you SHOULD play but don't want to because you're on the bubble. This leads to other changes like... if a short stack goes all in on the bubble in a tourny and 2-3 people call his bet, you would be foolish to try to bet someone out of the hand unless you were sure you had it because you want ANYONE except the shortstack to win it. So you don't want to chase out people who might river a better hand then you. You would NEVER worry about such things in a ring game.

[NYCNative]

In ring games, you can wait for cards. In tournaments - even SNGs - you do not have that luxury. In ring ames, if you bust out, you rebuy and you can win it all back and then some. In tourneys (barring rebuy events) you're done.

I like playing multi-table tournaments and SNGs but if you want to make money online, you have to play ring games.

[grimel]

I used to play SNG's and MTT's only. Then I found ring games. Now, I rarely play tourneys (too -EV), but, when I play a Party SNG, I can run circles around the table. Learn to play 6 MAX and short handed play (near money time) will improve. Just playing where the blinds aren't constantly rising makes you learn to put people on hands better. How hard is it to decide to push/call when the blinds are 200/400 and you have 700 with AKo and 5 players?

If nothing else, playing ring games will have 2 or 3 SNG buy-ins at risk every hand.