SNG Thoughts...Playing big hands early on in EP

[Greeksquared]

I have been playing poker now for about 4 months online. I have read a great deal from researching and reading online sites such as this one and have now decided its my turn to post.... Here are my general thoughts on playing early on in these tourneys and in early position..assuming a 50 dollar sng on party..or even ten or twenty..they all play the same

During the first few levels I like to play hands that can become monsters..I trash AQ and below if im not close to the button and sometimes AK. AK is the riskiest hand early on IMO. For example..If you raise 3x the blinds none of the limpers will fold and then even if an ace or king flops you might not have the best hand and you probably cant let it go. Perhaps you raise more with AK and get one or two callers and an ace doesnt fop...do you bet the pot? Usually this takes it down...but is it worth the risk...

OK now for AA and KK
I always limp in with these hands in EP and hope to get raised and then i reraise to all-in. You will get called alot with garbage like KT and 77 and if you dont get called then you are still alive and pick up a small pot. In early position you might get 4 or 5 callers even if you raise 5 or 6 times the blind...this way it prevents you from losing all your chips to a set. If you dont get raised PF then you will almost always fold if you dont hit a set. This is probably hard to do for most people but is a must. This strategy also simplifies the playing early on...no real thinking here. Just be prepared to lose 20 percent of the time.

Playing sets..I always limp in with all pocket pairs 22-QQ in EP hoping to hit a set and fold if I dont. If I am in EP and hit my set and there are 4 people behind me I will always check hoping for a raise(usually all in). I will always go all-in if I see two cards of the same suit. You will almost always get called by the flush. You have a 68-72 percent chance at doubling up so I dont think this is a bad idea. You could just reraise a nice amount and then go all in when the flush doesnt come on the turn. This might prevent more bad beats as it really hurts when someone calls an all in on a 7 out draw to beat your set.

I also like to limp in with suited connectors and the suited aces...but I usually do this only if im in late position.

This info is probably redundant but I just wanted to chime in and see what everyone thinks about this EP strategy. Note: this is only used during the first two levels when the blinds are 10-15 and 15-30 and not at any other time. So, most games you will never even use this.

[TheDrone]

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I always limp in with these hands in EP and hope to get raised and then i reraise to all-in.

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Playing sets..I always limp in with all pocket pairs 22-QQ in EP hoping to hit a set and fold if I dont.

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Be careful about always doing something, even if you are just referring to the first two levels. That implies you are merely playing your cards and not paying attention your opponents. If there are frequent LP raises preflop for example, I fold low pairs in EP. I also like to open raise in EP with QQ and usually JJ, again depending on my opponents.

[Mackas]

There is nothing controversial here with respect to the general play of small pairs, suited connectors and suited aces before the flop (although I would add that the suited connectors and aces should generally only be played in late position with a number of people already in the pot, barring steals etc). I use the words general and generally as obviously as the other poster stated you have to mix it up a bit. That said the importance of mixing it up in low level sngs is in itself of questionable value given most people won't notice anyway and most certainly won't remeber you from one sng to the next.

I also sympathise with the flavour underpinning the first half of your post, ie be a bit cautious with the play of AK, AQ and big pairs early on in EP but I think you go too far and your recommendations are too weak.

AK is still of course worth playing, you are two to one to hit the flop. I generally raise 4-5 times the BB. If I miss and the board looks dangerous or there has been a plethora of callers preflop I get away without much loss. If there are only one or two people with me, who do not call automatically and the board is non-threatening I weigh up the pros and cons of a steal and usually give it a go. If I do hit the trick is to raise there and then, don't muck around slowplaying (which I have got burnt doing in the past).

If you want to achieve a decent ROI you have to be able to build a stack early on when the opportunity arises and win that way as well as negotiating those tourneys where you're forced to sit tight and begin playing from a standing start behind the rest of the field midway through the tourney. If you're afraid to play AK, AA or KK strongly from EP in these stages you're playing way too tight and or passively. Caution is not a bad thing but I think with respect that what you suggest goes too far.

As for limping with AA and KK, that's reasonable if you are sure or nearly sure you will be raised giving you a chance to reraise. However, finding yourself in a small pot with a large number of callers with these hands in EP in the early stages is a disaster. I generally prefer the same raise as above w AA and KK (and QQ to be honest) in the early stages (4-5 times the BB), unless the game is particularly loose when a bigger raise might be appropriate - essentially as big a raise as you can get away with and still keep one or at most two players in. This should give you the maximum opportunity to exploit those big hands early on.

Finally, I think that there is a big difference between the various levels of sng at Party, not perhaps from one level to the next but to imply a $50 sng plays like a $10 one at Party is, again with respect, ludicrous. The comments above apply to my play of the $20 - $50 sngs, playing 90% of the time in the $30s.

GL

Mackas

[gergery]

>position..assuming a 50 dollar sng on party..or even ten ?>or twenty..they all play the same

I've only played 5, 10, and 20s but they definitely play differently, not big differences but you do need adjustments.


How I play AK, AQ early on depends on the table. If it’s a pretty tight table, I’ll do a small rs like 2-3xbb from EP, which does 3 things: 1) is enough to keep out trashy limpers, 2) tends to keep the pot on the flop small enough that I can bluff at and and let go if played back but big enough to be worth something like T100, 2) gets me 1 or 2 callers which I want if I have a hand this good.

If it’s a pretty loose table, sometimes I’ll limp and if I hit the flop i’ll chk to see what the rest of the table does – usually someone will raise and I’ll play back hard. Sometimes you get busted by a set, but more often you win the pot or called called by draws, 2nd pairs, etc. Other times I’ll raise around 4xbb figuring I get 1-2 callers, if a J,Q,K,A hits I’ll bet the pot size. Bottom line: these hands are too good to not to try to pick up some chips with, but you accept some risk

With AA/KK, with a tight table I’ll limp and some someone gets frisky so I can play back. At a loose table that is death – I’ve limped and seen a flop with 6 people with both AA/KK, which is just asking for someone to bust you. If you raise 4-5x blinds and get 4-5 callers, then you say hallelujah and push in on flop as the pot is ~T400. You may only win 50% of time, but it’s a huge + EV play. Folding AA/KK when you don’t hit a set is crazy. I’m probably playing that to a showdown 80% of the time at Party Poker and tipping my hat to a set – and getting hugely +EV.

Limping with 22-77 is bad in tighter game, like some of the 20s I’ve played in. you’ll just get raised and have to fold. Loose games are fine. If I hit a set, it’s a question of what will get the most money in the pot, as I am the favorite almost every time. I’ll at least do a nibble bet, as many will call this and many interpret it as a bluff. Sometimes I’ll bet moderate size and hope someone has top pair or overpair.

My Wins are 17%, ITM is 35% and ROI is 18% at 20-2s so I’m doing something right but definitely can get better. Maybe I’ll try your ideas out!

--Greg