Success @ $20-$50 SNGs--Reflections

[Indiana]

Dear Colleagues,

I finally figured out how to beat these things in a consistent way. I have tried a number of strategies over a couple of years, most of which require tight/agg play, and have only been a small winner in the past. Now that I have adapted a new style of play, I am a consistent winner and cash out triple digits checks at least once a month. So here goes:

The key to winning SNGs is to understand that NL holdem is a BACKSIDE game. That is, position is the most important element of the game. I was a tight player in the past, but would look down @ KQs in early/middle position and get excited....My advice: toss it. Most hands like KQs or JTs or something similar will just help you get rid of your chips slowely. Think about it, what is the probability of hitting something that you can take a stand with against 2-3 players behind you when you are holding KQs??? Bottom line, in NLHE drawing hands suck unless you are literally on the button with a suited connector at a non-aggressive table. Those hands are better suited for limit holdem, where drawing with a hand like KQs or JTs or 78s or 33 is +EV. Simply put, in No Limit, these hands will just cost you money...and your chips will slowely but surely find there way to your opponents...which leads me to my next point:

Be Cheap! Just paying to see the flop once or twice seems so harmless, especially when you have a hand like KQ/JTs in EP/MP...But these "seeing the flop" exercises will add up and before you know it you will be in fold/all-in mode because of the size of your stack...

Finally, you will likely need to take 1-2 big risks during the game to make the money. This will be something like pushing from the blinds with KQs or worse when limped to later in the tourney. You will need to get away with this in order to survive to the end. Spend the first few rounds figuring out where to best do this and who to do this against.

Conclusion: Most of the hands that appear "pretty" like KQ/JTs are money pits because the odds that they will be strong enough on the flop to stand the BACKSIDE heat that they will inevitably get are just long shots. You need to be a cheapskate to win SNGs consistently, do not let your chips get away from you. Finally, understand that a risk or two will have to be taken in the later rounds in order to pick up some chips that will lead you to survival.

Ok, tear me up with your comments....

Indiana

[lorinda]

Do you really need this pot?
Lorinda 3:16

Lori

[kyro]

I'd venture a guess that 90% of the posters and 75% of all lurkers here already know all this. Folding KQs from UTG isn't exactly a new concept.

[Indiana]

huh?

[Indiana]

kyro,

not just UTG, but MP as well...I think that we may know some of this, but it is not being practiced in general.

Indiana

[Voltron87]

i refuse to respond to anyone who uses some stupid icon when they start their thread. "ooohh!! a spade!"

[kyro]

My point was that your post basically says "play tight early, aggressive late."

Duh?

[AA suited]

I thought Lorinda 3:16 was:

Believe in the cards and you shall river quads. Amen

[Phil Van Sexton]

Why are you giving away the secrets of "BACKSIDE heat"? You could have dominated the WSOP (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tourn&Number=2125981&Forum =,,All_Forums,,&Words=&Searchpage=1&Limit=25&Main= 2125981&Search=true&where=&Name=14835&daterange=&n ewerval=&newertype=&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev= #Post2125981) with this information.

By explaining this concept to Daniel and Doyle, your advantage over them is now smaller (though still significant).

[gumpzilla]

Umm, isn't this a response? But thanks for straying from your rigorous posting principles to fill us in on your stance on this crucial issue. I'd just found myself contemplating the same thing, and then said to myself, "WWVD?" The answer was then clear: post a snide, contentless reply!

[astarck]

[ QUOTE ]
i refuse to respond to anyone who uses some stupid icon when they start their thread. "ooohh!! a spade!"

[/ QUOTE ]

LMAO

What about when replying in a thread?

[zambonidrivr]

vader is cool

[Indiana]

Wow, I must be a real idiot...From your comments...Sorry about the spade too...I really wanted to get some powerful comments about the leakage of $ due to playing hands that are often considered playable under a tight strategy, as well as some game theory comments...Guess I am stupid...

Indiana

[kyro]

I don't think you're an idiot. I just think if you had posted at all in the past few months, you'd know that this wasn't some deep dark secret.

[Indiana]

kyro, no it isnt a deep dark secret...I just wanted to start a discussion around optimal play...When I talk to poker players, many of them are too aggressive in SNGs and attempt to teach this strategy to others. Also, I think that the hour long 1-table tourney is special and that you get to the money via folding moreso than playing...I think that people are much more aggressive in 1-table tourneys than MTT because there is less time to wait for cards...I am just trying to say that the BACKSIDE heat is stronger and one must play tighter than they would in a MTT or possibly even a ring game...You would agree right?

Indiana

[Dr_Jeckyl_00]

I never would have thought to discard good hands in early position, but you bring up great points about the importance of position. I will try playing even tighter in early-mid position and looser in late position. Thanks for the tip.

[kyro]

Given the structure of the Party STT and the level of play at all but the highest limits (I've played every level up to the $109s), yes, optimal play is to wait for your good hands and to play them aggressively. You make it sound, though, that there are people here who advocate reckless play early in order to build a chipstack. I don't see the same thing.

[Raiser]

Indiana,

Most of what you posted is known by most of the readers on this forum.

That said, I feel compelled to point out that limping with 33 from all positions is not a leak in these games. I hope you know the difference between this hand from MP and 78s?

[Big Limpin']

So by mucking KQs in MP, i will be able to
[ QUOTE ]
cash out triple digits checks at least once a month

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh-la-la! (nah man, im just being a dick, good post, i agree with what youve written)
But:
-Its not "revolutionary"
-You can't teach bad players to respect positon. They "know" about it, but dont practice it.

Cheerio /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[citanul]

I have contention with the following:

[ QUOTE ]
Finally, you will likely need to take 1-2 big risks during the game to make the money. This will be something like pushing from the blinds with KQs or worse when limped to later in the tourney. You will need to get away with this in order to survive to the end. Spend the first few rounds figuring out where to best do this and who to do this against.

[/ QUOTE ]

for a variety of reasons. Primarilly that if that sort of thing is the biggest "risk" your taking, and if you're only taking said risks 1 or 2 times a tournament, you're playing badly. Secondarilly that such things as pushing crap with huge folding equity on the bubble, and pushing the likely best hand with huge folding equity when people have limped to you on the bb with lots of dead chips, well, those aren't really very risky spots. There is always the inherent risk that someone is either trapping you or someone behind you wakes up with a monster and you don't suck out, but I mean, come on, you have to play the game and make the series of moves with the highest combined EV as you can. (Sidenote: clearly sometimes not taking one +EV move sets up making a later bigger +EV move, or, in other words, playing a hand non-optimally at one point can set up a hand later to have a better optimal result than it otherwise would have.)

If I could summarize and compact your discussion of risks, it would be "at some point, you will have to play an intelligent, aggressive style of poker." Combining that with "play tight early, looser late," you can hereby beat the 10s through 50s.

citanul

[citanul]

[ QUOTE ]
Given the structure of the Party STT and the level of play at all but the highest limits (I've played every level up to the $109s), yes, optimal play is to wait for your good hands and to play them aggressively. You make it sound, though, that there are people here who advocate reckless play early in order to build a chipstack. I don't see the same thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you are definitely confusing "optimal" play with "winning" play. There are things you can do at all levels that are quite possibly better for your ROI than just playing nut peddling basically. This was somewhat touched on in my post yesterday, though not entirely. Things like getting into more pots with players you feel you have control over with any two cards sort of, work well. Things like playing cheap flops when you have the tall stack to try to hit big, because as Gigabet puts it "those extra chips don't effect my doubling up equity." Things like all that stuff.

There just are better things to do than nut peddle. Nut peddling works though, and is easy. Just please don't confuse it with optimal play.

citanul

PS: I think I'm probably about done talking about this subject for a while, before people get really, really upset with me.

[GoldenHorde]

I think you have a good general concept but if you are tossing QK or 33 early in a SnG you are missing out on huge opportunities to make large amounts of chips with very little risk against the crazies. They key is to play them well as opposed to not playing them at all. It isn't that rare for a flop of K-7-3 or such to come when you are holding KQ and a great opportunity to get your money in against K8 or K9 to double up or even to take a small pot of 100 chips or so. And if you are tossing PP's for 15 or 30 chips thats just crazy.

It has been my long held belief that one could maintain a positive ROI by not playing a single hand until lvl 4, but I also believe you can double that ROI by playing well during lvl's 1-3.

Avoiding marginal advantages early is good but avoiding large advantages is just missed opportunity.

[AliasMrJones]

[ QUOTE ]
Folding KQs from UTG isn't exactly a new concept.

not just UTG, but MP as well...

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I play quite tight early, but I raise KQs from MP and EP. Am I crazy?

[microbet]

The nutpeddling vs. optimal play divide is very level dependent.

The only control you have over players in a $6 is that you can make them put their chips in the middle. Apparently in a $2000 buyin game you can make them fold trips with the top kicker.

[kyro]

After I posted my response, I said to myself "Citanul will be on here very soon to let me know how wrong I am."

I certainly agree with a lot of what you say, but I took it to mean you need to push your edges very early (if they are there) even if there is the risk of busting out. I'm beginning to think that you might mean playing looser and hoping to hit some huge pots, which I tend to disagree with to a point. Taking from OP's example, I'll play KQs from middle position if it hasn't been raised, but I'll often fold top pair if there is some betting before me. Is this optimal play? Honestly, I do not know. The reason I made the switch to SNGs was because I could make some decent money without needing to be any good at poker. For me, optimal play is finding a decent hand, and blasting it because I know the idiots who basically enjoy lighting their money on fire can't get away from their bottom pair.

OK, that was a bit longwinded. I'm not even sure if I understand everything I said. The way I play in SNGs is far from optimal in regular games. This is evident in the fact that I seem to piss money away anytime I jump into $200NL 6max (note to self: stop doing that dummy) And I agree with you, it is more advantageous for you to take a risk here or there in an attempt to build your stack early. I just don't know if pushing top pair good kicker against a PF raiser is the way to do it.

P.S. I just went through and read that entire thing. Talk about the most jumbled clusterfuck I have ever written. Part of me wants to not submit it but at the very least, maybe somebody will get SOMETHING from it.

P.P.S Citanul, don't ever not talk about something worthwile because you think people are getting tired of hearing you talk.

[Al P]

Who cares if playing KQs in EP or MP labels you tight or loose, does it accumulate chips over the longrun for you?

[Indiana]

Ok, now we are getting somewhere...I often hear this type of talk.."toss low pps in EP, no way, toss 97s on the small blind with 5 limpers, no way." This is what I am saying...You are ignoring the backside nature of the SNGs if you think you should limp in EP with 22-55...Why would you even limp with these??? I would only limp at a tight passive table...You are like 7.5:1 to hit a set and you are likely to have to call a raise and play the hand 3-handed...say u limp for 30 with 30 in EP, and you have to call just 60 more for a total of 90..Then you will need to make like around 600 more chips after the flop if you do hit your set just to get to a small profit from the implied odds....This aint easy...most of the time you will just lose the money that you have invested...Its kind of like buying the penny stocks isnt it??

Indiana

[Raiser]

[ QUOTE ]
...You are ignoring the backside nature of the SNGs if you think you should limp in EP with 22-55

[/ QUOTE ]

What is the practical difference between 22-55 and 66 or 77? There is none, unless you think set over set occurs enough to worry about. Or you think that with 77 you can play it as an overpair enough to make it worth the limp/call. I really can't think of a situation where I would throw out any pocket pair from any position if I can limp in the first 2 levels.

[citanul]

[ QUOTE ]
You are ignoring the backside nature of the SNGs if you think you should limp in EP with 22-55...Why would you even limp with these???

[/ QUOTE ]

you are incorrect. very incorrect even.

i would limp with them because doing so wins me chips.

citanul

[The Yugoslavian]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by 'backside nature'....is it reverse implied odds? Does it have to do with risk/reward??

Anyway, I will play very few hands early on at lower buyins...but oddly enough, I *will* play KQ from MP, /images/graemlins/smile.gif, so I think it's a bad example.

The other key to playing hands is being v good post flop...in fact, at buyins 55+ (and to some degree 33), you *need* to be able to extract chips during the lower levels to be a significant winner.

Anyway, if what you're saying is 'play tight early on' I'd have to agree with you....but I'm not sure that is all you're really trying to say.

Yugoslav

[citanul]

by backside nature he means the commonly used:

you win this game at the end, not the beginning, with proper late game play, not early game play, so being alive late with some chips is the most important thing.

he, and others, are missing out on the fact that the "with some chips" is a really important part of that line.

citanul

[gumpzilla]

Quoting from the original post:

[ QUOTE ]

The key to winning SNGs is to understand that NL holdem is a BACKSIDE game. That is, position is the most important element of the game.

[/ QUOTE ]

This makes sense in conjunction with his complaint about limping 22-55 in EP in particular.

[citanul]

wow, yeah, my bad. i think i even remembered that, but that it made so little sense i was trying to make backside game mean something.

you'd think that if what he wanted to do was say that something was a positional game, he would use "positional" instead of using "backside" and then defining backside as positional.

sorry about that.

citanul

[gumpzilla]

[ QUOTE ]

you'd think that if what he wanted to do was say that something was a positional game, he would use "positional" instead of using "backside" and then defining backside as positional.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this. However, on the positive side, were it not for that creative choice of lingo, we doubtless would not have been treated to Herr van Sexton's fine post on the topic earlier in the thread. Seeing the phrase "BACKSIDE heat" out of context makes me giggle.

[sng-sam]

[ QUOTE ]
ou are like 7.5:1 to hit a set and you are likely to have to call a raise and play the hand 3-handed...say u limp for 30 with 30 in EP, and you have to call just 60 more for a total of 90..Then you will need to make like around 600 more chips after the flop if you do hit your set just to get to a small profit from the implied odds....This aint easy

[/ QUOTE ]

you're kidding right? can't make 600 chips when I hit a set? trust me $5-$50 SNG's that is the least I expect to make.

[gumpzilla]

[ QUOTE ]

you're kidding right? can't make 600 chips when I hit a set? trust me $5-$50 SNG's that is the least I expect to make.

[/ QUOTE ]

You limp with 55. The board comes 952 rainbow. You really expect that you're going to stack somebody every time on this board? With a board like this I'll occasionally manage to do it, but frequently I can't really get too much action here. I'm not saying that I disagree with limping with small pairs, but I think it's also a little unrealistic to assume you're going to stack somebody every time you hit. Or maybe I should start playing at Party after all.

[citanul]

[ QUOTE ]
I should start playing at Party after all.

[/ QUOTE ]

yep.

...

you have to remember that the 600 figure is just what needs to be an average. sometimes you're going to win a small pot unimproved, sometimes lose a big pot with set v draw, and sometimes win 3k pots with set v tp v tp or some junk like that. the point is that if you're not winning chips with small pairs in the early levels you're doing something wrong.

you're clearly not going to stack someoen every time you hit a set (unless we're talking about the 5s or 10s maybe) but yeah, contending that you aren't going to average enough in winnings to make the 600 chip figure or whatever it's supposed to be is the same as saying that you DO think it's wrong to play small pairs on the cheap early.

clearly there are spots where you should just fold them. duh. <- not necessarilly aimed at you.

citanul

[The Yugoslavian]

[ QUOTE ]
wow, yeah, my bad. i think i even remembered that, but that it made so little sense i was trying to make backside game mean something.

you'd think that if what he wanted to do was say that something was a positional game, he would use "positional" instead of using "backside" and then defining backside as positional.

sorry about that.

citanul

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, this is why I have no idea what he means by 'backside'...unless he means 'the key to STT games is to stick it in her pooper'....

Until a definite ruling, I'm going with that meaning.

Yugoslav

[gumpzilla]

[ QUOTE ]

Yeah, this is why I have no idea what he means by 'backside'...unless he means 'the key to STT games is to stick it in her pooper'....

[/ QUOTE ]

OOT has a "rule" about not having poker content. I think the poker forums should have similar guidelines about avoiding OOT content.

And as far as a definitive ruling, I think a quote from the OP explicitly stating what he means by backside is pretty good.

[The Yugoslavian]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Yeah, this is why I have no idea what he means by 'backside'...unless he means 'the key to STT games is to stick it in her pooper'....

[/ QUOTE ]

OOT has a "rule" about not having poker content. I think the poker forums should have similar guidelines about avoiding OOT content.

And as far as a definitive ruling, I think a quote from the OP explicitly stating what he means by backside is pretty good.

[/ QUOTE ]

If by 'backside' he really just means position....then I don't understand how it relates to the rest of his post...

He seems to want to talk about the importance of playing tight early....rather than the importance of position....but he makes a big deal out of 'backside' and I'm wondering if there isn't more to what he's trying to say.

Does he mean that you can play any two from LP but need to fold almost everything from EP-MP?? Does he just mean one should play very few hands early on or *only* if they can see the flop cheaply? Frankly, early on in an STT I'd say position isn't very important at all....it plays a role but being able to extract chips post flop is much more important (and you don't need position to do this effectively in the lower buyins)...

Anyway, I'm just confused is all.....

Yugoslav
Who thinks OOTisms in the STT forum is fine in moderation...

[FatBoyPete]

[ QUOTE ]
I am a consistent winner and cash out triple digits checks at least once a month.

[/ QUOTE ]

so you mean, over ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS?!

[Indiana]

quadruple, sorry

[citanul]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I am a consistent winner and cash out triple digits checks at least once a month.

[/ QUOTE ]

so you mean, over ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS?!

[/ QUOTE ]

nice first post. welcome to the forum.

citanul

[Indiana]

Jeez, can't we help each other out and stop harassing? I don't think I am god or D. Sklansky or anything like that..Just trying to learn the game so I can buy that Condo in the Caymans:) If you think I am wrong about something, just tell me....For example, if you believe that you can get the 7-8:1 you need on 33 in EP, why not post your last 30-50 hands where you did that and let's see if the data support your statements...

We are a family here, no need for sarcasm,

Indiana

[gumpzilla]

[ QUOTE ]

If by 'backside' he really just means position....then I don't understand how it relates to the rest of his post...

[/ QUOTE ]

It doesn't really have much to do with the rest of his original post. He does talk about playing suited connectors from the button, but that's about it.

He does bring it up again later in the thread when talking about not limping with 22-55 from EP.

[gumpzilla]

You are taking somewhat more crap than you really deserve. I think a fair portion of this is because you are making a very authoritarian post that doesn't really offer any insight above and beyond what is commonly discussed in this forum (do you read the SNG forum in particular very often? I'm guessing you don't.) Furthermore, some of your revelations, as citanul points out, are understatements at best. If you view KQs as a marginal hand four-handed that you're really getting frisky with by pushing, you probably play too tight late.

When you make statements that are either accepted as obvious or wrong and people around here don't know you, you can thoroughly expect to get ragged on hard.

[citanul]

[ QUOTE ]
Jeez, can't we help each other out and stop harassing? I don't think I am god or D. Sklansky or anything like that..Just trying to learn the game so I can buy that Condo in the Caymans:) If you think I am wrong about something, just tell me....For example, if you believe that you can get the 7-8:1 you need on 33 in EP, why not post your last 30-50 hands where you did that and let's see if the data support your statements...

We are a family here, no need for sarcasm,

Indiana

[/ QUOTE ]

a) was i harassing? i simply said hello to a new poster who happened to have also just made fun of another poster's post.

b) i see absolutely no reason to go and supply the world with 30-50 of my hand histories to prove any sort of point. i will tell you that my pokertracker stats have me ahead on pairs, small and large, for the first 3 blind levels, at tournaments of all levels, 10s - 200s.

c) i suggest perhaps one way of looking at this is to look at your own hands, instead of making really truly ridiculous demands of a stranger who clearly isn't in the mood to be that helpful.

citanul

[The Yugoslavian]

[ QUOTE ]
Jeez, can't we help each other out and stop harassing? I don't think I am god or D. Sklansky or anything like that..Just trying to learn the game so I can buy that Condo in the Caymans:) If you think I am wrong about something, just tell me....For example, if you believe that you can get the 7-8:1 you need on 33 in EP, why not post your last 30-50 hands where you did that and let's see if the data support your statements...

We are a family here, no need for sarcasm,

Indiana

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm interested in your OP...I just don't understand what you're trying to say (or the fundamental concept you're trying to get at).

Help me understand please!!

Yugoslav
Who thinks citanul was actually being fairly nice.../images/graemlins/confused.gif....I think you'll know when he's being 'mean'...it gets pretty clear pretty quickly

[bearly]

citanul spoke w/ clarity, courtesy and authority---------on 2+2 it gets no better---yugo's avatar is just too hot to look at----i have to avoid reading his posts........throat starts to tighten up...........this thread, great reading.............bear.

[Voltron87]

show me an sng player who can still do well after going into level 4 with <700 chips 95% of the time and I will not believe it.

[zipppy]

[ QUOTE ]

We are a family here, no need for sarcasm,


[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I hate sarcasm.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
You are taking somewhat more crap than you really deserve. I think a fair portion of this is because you are making a very authoritarian post that doesn't really offer any insight above and beyond what is commonly discussed in this forum (do you read the SNG forum in particular very often? I'm guessing you don't.) Furthermore, some of your revelations, as citanul points out, are understatements at best. If you view KQs as a marginal hand four-handed that you're really getting frisky with by pushing, you probably play too tight late.

When you make statements that are either accepted as obvious or wrong and people around here don't know you, you can thoroughly expect to get ragged on hard.

[/ QUOTE ]

You got jumped on a little, but you kind of brought it on by not reading the forum much. These ideas are apparent in Aleomagus's famous How to beat the 10+1's post, and basically universally known here.

Your post wasn't a bad one, but seems to be one that would be properly directed at people who were on this forum for the first time today or something. What you advocate is probably the default "2+2 style", especially at the low and mid levels.

So it looks like it left some people scratching their heads and saying, "WTF?"

Don't be discouraged from posting more; it was a good post. It just seemed very redundant.

[Freudian]

[ QUOTE ]
by backside nature he means the commonly used:

you win this game at the end, not the beginning, with proper late game play, not early game play, so being alive late with some chips is the most important thing.

he, and others, are missing out on the fact that the "with some chips" is a really important part of that line.

citanul

[/ QUOTE ]

Level 1 is one of my most profitable levels. While you shouldn't take wild swings, playing it too tight will hurt your ROI significantly imo.

[TheNoodleMan]

[ QUOTE ]
let's see if the data support your statements...

Indiana

[/ QUOTE ]

Here are my last 7 hands of 22 at level 1 on the 33s:

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

UTG+1 (t800)
UTG+2 (t800)
MP1 (t785)
MP2 (t825)
MP3 (t800)
Hero (t790)
Button (t585)
SB (t1045)
BB (t800)
UTG (t770)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
UTG calls t15, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+2 raises to t100</font>, MP1 calls [t785] , <font color="#666666">6 folds</font>, UTG folds, UTG+2 folds.

Final Pot: t137.50

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
No showdown. </font>

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

BB (t790)
UTG (t1010)
UTG+1 (t775)
MP1 (t800)
Hero (t925)
MP3 (t797)
CO (t1335)
Button (t798)
SB (t770)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t45</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, CO calls t45, Button calls t45, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>.

Flop: (t157.50) 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t60</font>, CO calls t60, Button calls t60.

Turn: (t337.50) 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t175</font>, CO folds, Button folds.

Final Pot: t512.50

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
No showdown. Hero wins t512.50. </font>

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP1 (t670)
MP2 (t900)
MP3 (t650)
CO (t820)
Button (t1045)
SB (t785)
BB (t670)
UTG (t800)
UTG+1 (t870)
Hero (t790)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+2 with 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls t15, Hero calls t15, <font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t57.50) 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (t57.50) 3/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.

River: (t57.50) 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: t57.50

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
SB has Ks Qs (high card, king).
BB has Qh 8c (high card, queen).
UTG+1 has Kc Jc (high card, king).
Hero has 2s 2d (one pair, twos).
Outcome: Hero wins t57.50. </font>

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

BB (t700)
UTG (t785)
UTG+1 (t800)
UTG+2 (t700)
MP1 (t800)
MP2 (t800)
MP3 (t800)
CO (t800)
Button (t1030)
Hero (t785)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls t15, <font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, Button calls t15, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t57.50) 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, Button checks.

Turn: (t57.50) K/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t40</font>, BB calls t40, UTG+1 calls t40, Button folds.

River: (t177.50) 3/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t75</font>, BB folds, UTG+1 folds.

Final Pot: t252.50

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
Hero has 2c 2d (three of a kind, twos).
Outcome: Hero wins t252.50. </font>

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP3 (t815)
CO (t765)
Button (t775)
SB (t770)
BB (t805)
UTG (t690)
UTG+1 (t785)
MP1 (t1820)
Hero (t775)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, Hero calls t15, MP3 calls t15, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Button calls t15, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t72.50) 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 3/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">BB bets t75</font>, Hero calls t75, MP3 calls t75, Button folds, SB folds.

Turn: (t297.50) 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">BB bets t200</font>, Hero calls t200, MP3 folds.

River: (t697.50) 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
BB calls [t530] , Hero calls [t485] .

Final Pot: t697.50

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
BB has Ah Jc (high card, ace).
Hero has 2h 2c (three of a kind, twos).
Outcome: Hero wins t697.50. </font>

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP2 (t760)
MP3 (t895)
CO (t800)
Button (t735)
SB (t685)
BB (t920)
UTG (t795)
UTG+1 (t1485)
Hero (t925)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, Hero calls t15, <font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t42.50) 6/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 2/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets t45</font>, SB calls [t680] , BB folds, Hero calls t625.

Turn: (t712.50) 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

River: (t712.50) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

Final Pot: t712.50

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
SB has 6c Kd (one pair, sixes).
Hero has 2d 2s (three of a kind, twos).
Outcome: Hero wins t712.50. </font>

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t15 (9 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

MP1 (t555)
MP2 (t990)
MP3 (t775)
CO (t760)
Button (t1350)
SB (t1300)
BB (t705)
UTG (t790)
Hero (t775)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, 2/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
<font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, Hero calls t15, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 calls t15, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, Button calls t15, SB checks.

Flop: (t75) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/club.gif, T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks, MP2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets t35</font>, SB calls t35, Hero folds, MP2 calls t35.

Turn: (t180) 4/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
SB checks, MP2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets t165</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to t330</font>, MP2 folds, Button folds.

Final Pot: t675

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
No showdown. SB wins t675. </font>

[citanul]

hahah, you flopped a set 3 out of 7 times. good sample sizes. i love this stuff. you also flopped a full house on one where you didn't flop a set, and had like 1 scary board (defining scary board as a scary board for 22 for a moment) out of those 7.

citanul

[TheNoodleMan]

all true, I didn't really feel like digging through PT for too long so I took the fist thing I came accoss. The sample size is small enough to make it completely pointless, but it does give a nice little snapshot of the opposition. My personal favorite is the one where I limp and win unimproved.
The flopped boat without a set is pretty funny too. I can't really justify my play on that one.
The hand that best serves as an example of why these low pairs are profitable is the one where someone moves in with second pair. At the early levels of these SNGs there are people like that who are just itching to throw away their chips.