$10+1: Shorthand SNG's at Pacific

[eniven]

Hi,
I've been playing shorthanded SNG's at Pacific lately... The structure is as follows:

-$10+1
-5 man
-Top 3 payout (50%, 30%, 20% - so, 3rd place loses $1)
-800 chips to start
-blinds up every 15 hands

Personally, I'm averaging an ROI of 10%. However, I'm winning 30% of the time (i.e. more than my fair share if everything were equal) and cashing 67% of the time (still slightly more than my fair share). Of course, in this case you can cash and still lose...

My questions are as follows:
-Which do you guys prefer to play, shorthand SNG's or longhand SNG's and why?
-Should one expect the same ROI in a shorthand SNG versus a full table SNG?

One other thing I would add is that I find it difficult to play the tight is right strategy early on, as is generally recommended in the first few levels. The blinds come around much quicker obviously and I feel compelled to loosen up a little bit. Any comments on starting hands in the early stages of shorthanded SNG's?

Thanks very much for any help,
Eric

I have done very well at the $10 level, so I think I am qualified to respond. At these low levels people are not very good. They play hands like A2 all in a lot of the time. I just sit back and wait for good hands (like AK or QQ etc). If they get lucky, I sometimes get angry, but at least I played the better hand. Glad I could help.

[tigerite]

I hope citanul gets bored of this troll account soon.

huh? I am giving strategy advice like he asked. What have I done wrong? Do you disagree with playing very tight early in a $10 game?

[tigerite]

You've played a whole 100. And yet you think this makes you 'qualified'. Give us all a break.

Yes I have played a lot of the $10 games (took me a month) so am qualified to speak at this level. I am hoping to achieve the same results at the $20 level so I can post knowledgeably there too. I plan to be at the $200 level by the new year (I want to be able to beat all the levels first, I am cautious).

[ QUOTE ]
One other thing I would add is that I find it difficult to play the tight is right strategy early on, as is generally recommended in the first few levels. The blinds come around much quicker obviously and I feel compelled to loosen up a little bit. Any comments on starting hands in the early stages of shorthanded SNG's?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi. In early stages of 5 handed SNG's, I believe the following should normally be playable hands, even out of position:

AA KK QQ JJ TT 99 88 77 66 55 44 33 22

Suited and unsuited:
AK AQ AJ AT A9 A8 A7 A6 A5 A4 A3 A2
KQ KJ KT
QJ QT
JT

If you are very confident in your post flop play, then there are more. Of course, these are not all hands to call early all-in bets with, some of them should not be used to call large preflop raises, and most need to be played very carefully after the flop.

I personally prefer 9 or 10 handed SNG's, but still occasionally play a short handed game or two, now and then.

Have a nice night!