Can't find my weakness

[webguy]

Ok, I am not a big poster but have been reading the threads here for quite some time. I have been playing the 11 SNG's for about a year and cannot seem to find the "pivot" changes in my game to increase my ROI. I used to play extremely tight, but would usually end up finishing 3rd, with the occassional 1st or 2nd.

So I started pressing harder stealing blinds on bubble play but this did not really increase my average, in fact I went out 4th more.

So I spent more time reading, and watching the better 11-22 SNG players using prophecy (win ratios 46-50% with over 150+ games). What I noticed was that these players were placing more, but were calling 1-2 all-in's with questionable hands like 10/10 JJ and winning the hands most of the time... without covergage.

I know plays like this will not hold up in the long haul, but from their stats, it looks like it must. I have tried alot of changes in my game, but being a rock and waiting for premium hands seems to be the only way to keep my ROI.

am I missing something here?

[pergesu]

POST HANDS

[45suited]

I do not profess to be an expert, there are many FAR better players than me on this forum, but up to this point, I have played exclusively on the 11s and 22s. My ITM is 44% on the 11s (close to 1000 tourneys), the 22s is around 42% with a smaller number of games. If you want to PM me some HHs, I would be happy to check them out and give you my 2 cents...

[lastchance]

L1: Tight
L3-L4: Tight to Maniac (not fully maniac, but you're going to have to fight)
L4-ITM: Push a lot, fold a lot to raises.
ITM: GAMBOOOL!

That's pretty much it. If you have less than 5x BB, and there are no really short stacks, JJ and TT are very good hands. The SNG Quiz I posted where one can and will fold QQ is a very, very rare situation. I call all-in's with AQ a lot of the time when I need to gamble. Being the short stack really loosens your calling range.

[flyingmoose]

Before I found 2+2 I was an extremely successful 11 and 22 SNG player (built my roll doing so), then I moved to cash games.

After finding 2+2 and reading these forums, I decided to try SNGs out again, and I did much, much worse. In fact, I lost for a while. I got too caught up in trying to follow the system I was reading about here, and I stopped playing poker.

There is a stigma on these forums. Pushing is cool and calling is lame. I think too many players get caught up with that.

Calling with a good hand sometimes gives you a better chance of cashing than pushing with a marginal one. Especially against the 11 and 22 players, most of whom have inferiority complexes and are prone to spite calls.

[webguy]

[ QUOTE ]
I do not profess to be an expert, there are many FAR better players than me on this forum, but up to this point, I have played exclusively on the 11s and 22s. My ITM is 44% on the 11s (close to 1000 tourneys), the 22s is around 42% with a smaller number of games. If you want to PM me some HHs, I would be happy to check them out and give you my 2 cents...

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[webguy]

[ QUOTE ]
L1: Tight

[/ QUOTE ]

That's me in level 1

[ QUOTE ]
L3-L4: Tight to Maniac (not fully maniac, but you're going to have to fight)

[/ QUOTE ]

Do that as well. Try to time 1 or 2 blind steals (if no cards are coming) to keep the stack up. I feel like I fight within reason, but at this point its all or nothing on a re-raise.

[ QUOTE ]
L4-ITM: Push a lot, fold a lot to raises
ITM: GAMBOOOL!.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do this too. What I have found as that some of the SNG stratgies here have improved my game in areas, but have also opened up new holes in my puckered tight game.

[ QUOTE ]

That's pretty much it. If you have less than 5x BB, and there are no really short stacks, JJ and TT are very good hands. The SNG Quiz I posted where one can and will fold QQ is a very, very rare situation. I call all-in's with AQ a lot of the time when I need to gamble. Being the short stack really loosens your calling range.


[/ QUOTE ]

I will call with AQ as well, no problem. Especially short stacked. I guess what seems to be the problem as that these strategies work to a point. I will place twice, and go out on the bubble (or worse) 3-4 times.

[pergesu]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess what seems to be the problem as that these strategies work to a point. I will place twice, and go out on the bubble (or worse) 3-4 times.

[/ QUOTE ]
Um, that's not a problem. You won't cash every time. Lots of people here go 15+ games without cashing - raptor loves to tell everyone he has 15-game dry spells a couple times a day. So going 3-4 games OTM isn't anything to worry about.

The best thing you can do is post hands. If you get in situations where you're not sure what the correct play is, post it here and get feedback.

[webguy]

[ QUOTE ]
There is a stigma on these forums. Pushing is cool and calling is lame. I think too many players get caught up with that.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree.

[ QUOTE ]
Calling with a good hand sometimes gives you a better chance of cashing than pushing with a marginal one. Especially against the 11 and 22 players, most of whom have inferiority complexes and are prone to spite calls.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is my style as well. My thought is that if I play good hands instead of trying to get cute, my cards will win the pot when johnny ego is pushing showdowns.

[pergesu]

[ QUOTE ]
This is my style as well. My thought is that if I play good hands instead of trying to get cute, my cards will win the pot when johnny ego is pushing showdowns.

[/ QUOTE ]
I find that when the bubble and money play lasts 15-30 hands, I don't have time to wait around for good cards that'll win for me. Maybe you just run better than me. *shrug*

[webguy]

[ QUOTE ]
I find that when the bubble and money play lasts 15-30 hands, I don't have time to wait around for good cards that'll win for me. Maybe you just run better than me. *shrug*

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course if your at level 4+ with a lot of players left and your not getting cards, you have to have a wider calling range. If I am UTG at this point, I push or fold. What hand ranges would you push here yourself?