At what point do you generally lower your standards?

Recently I have been doing alot of work to improve my game. I have come to realize that I am losing the most EV from my games on the transition from the super-tight first few levels to the point where you lower your starting requirements due to less players. I have had a tough time trying to find this point.

Since this is a very debatable question, I will ask it in general terms. Some players like to get into pots early, some prefer to play super tight.

Assume a player that only plays AK, AQ suited, and pairs prefelop in a 10 man SNG in the early game. At what point would you generally start playing hands such as AJo in middle position? What about KJo and 10Qo?

I guess what I am asking is when do you usually start playing such hands, and what do you usually do with them?

[Daliman]

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At what point do you generally lower your standards?

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after 6 drinks.

6???
Mine lower wayyyy before the 6th.

[Daliman]

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6???
Mine lower wayyyy before the 6th.

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I'm irish. I have a high tolerance.

[Hendricks433]

Can we get back on topic. This getting off topic crap is ridiculous. I open up when I start to feel endangered a little. 25/50 a little and 50/110 is where I really open up.

[Hendricks433]

Ok before anyone gets pissed. It was a Joke about getting off topic. Dont get your panties in a bunch.

[Matt R.]

I think this question may be a bit too general for you to get any worthwhile answers.... That being said, I'm one that plays a lot of pots early. If I think it's +cEV to make a play early on, I'll make it if it doesn't put a significant portion of my stack at risk.

One thing to keep in mind regarding your question is that 'middle position' is relative to how many people are left. i.e. UTG is an equally good position in a 6-handed game as MP2 is in a 10-man game if it's folded to you. (not sure if you think in these terms based on your question, but if you don't this is pretty useful for thinking of relative hand values in <10 handed tables). That would be the first adjustment you need to make. The other would be to consider the 'value' the chips in the pot have. So, the bigger the blinds are the greater the value obviously, and also the shorter your stack gets relative to the blinds and the rest of the table the greater the value. Figuring this out all comes with experience and knowledge of ICM... a really good model to start with.

As far as specifics go, assuming your ultra-tight early on player, I think he should start playing AJo from any position when it's 6 handed or less (and play it more often/more aggressively when the blinds get higher... this is highly dependent on your stack and everyone else's stack though). I would also play KJo from something like the CO or later when the blinds get to 25/50+. QTo is really stack dependent. All the stack dependency issues are what ICM deals with.

Sorry I couldn't be more specific, but the more I thought about your question the more difficult it was to answer. There are no set rules, and the first step is to really figure out when the blinds are high enough relative to your stack to where you need to start making moves (with hands like QTo).

[psyduck]

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Can we get back on topic. This getting off topic crap is ridiculous. I open up when I start to feel endangered a little. 25/50 a little and 50/110 is where I really open up.

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Jesus christ what an uptight little ass.

[psyduck]

O ok didn't see your second post, makes it all better now. /images/graemlins/mad.gif --> /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[bones]

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What about KJo and 10Qo? I guess what I am asking is when do you usually start playing such hands, and what do you usually do with them?

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When I need to pick up the blinds. I push 'em.

[ZeroPointMachine]

Level 3-4 I start opening pots more or less as I would in a MTT unless a 3BB raise involves more than 20% of my stack. I'm still really tight as far as calling a reraise. I also avoid doing this if the blinds are really short and therefore likely to feel they must call.

[MegaBet]

Wow! This is a very basic SNG question. Are you new to playing these? If you don't know basic strategy, you're going to get pwned. What level do you play at? Because that would determine your answer.

I play $20 games, and I do realize this may appear to be a basic question. I have my own answer (obviously, since if I didn't open up I would get killed), but am interested in hearing about the others. I feel as though my transition is flawed when changing gears, that is all.