Re: Which SNG is better for me?
 

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So am I right in thinking that the $140 is actually like $115+25? That's about 20% rake, which sucks obviously but I don't think it's unbeatable. Also, I think the structure is wicked! Give everyone the same stack and crank the blinds to 200/400 in 15 minutes? Booyah grandma! Pushbot heaven!

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How many 2+2ers do you think have a 15%+ ROI at the 30s+. And those that do probaly couldn't in a structure that goes up this fast, and those that can would they really want to be playing 1 table for a 5% ROI on $250? These games are huge -EV.

Re: Which SNG is better for me?
 

1) Choose the 140dolla.
2) Read the new Paul Auster book for 15 minutes.
3) "push bot heaven".

Re: Which SNG is better for me?
 

I live in the same area as you and avoid the live casinos mainly because of the high rake. Florida law is also awful in that you can't lose more than $32 in a single hand of poker, so some of these screwball poker rooms structure the higher buyin tournaments with limit betting levels and no allin for a certain number of hands in order to squeak past the laws. I hate the live structures locally for STTs.

MTT structures here are only slightly better, but the rake is still outrageous everywhere I've played here in South Florida and is one of the main factors that keeps me from plaing in B&M games more frequently. Another factor that you pointed out in your post is the starting chips and blind structure. You truly need the deck on your side to expect a high winrate in these as there is a lot more luck involved the way these games are structured. As an example, Wednesday I played a live $100 MTT at a local B&M. 25% of the entry fee was rake. $75 from each player went in the prize pool. With 100 entrants first prize was $3000 (40%) and they paid the final table (top 10%). Not entirely horrible, but still not great and with the rake you have a much higher ITM requirement to make the break even point. Starting stacks were T2000 and blind levels were 25/25 LIMIT (3 raise max) with no all-in the first 2 hands. Remainder of the first blind level was 25/25 no limit and then moved up to 50/100 with 15 minute levels from that point forward. This structure is just plain awful in my honest opinion. Sure, it leaves a little bit of room to play some poker and build a stack in the first level but it's just ridiculous if you ask me. At least it's an improvement over their other tournaments that start you with T1500 and 50/100 blinds or their "advanced" tournament that doulbes the starting stack AND starting blinds (how is this considered Advanced I often wonder...).

Sadly, South Florida is not a good place for B&M poker.

Re: Which SNG is better for me?
 

the 500 and 1050 levels are not that bad for rake.

$500 buyin= 465+35.
1050 buyin= 1000+50.

I think the 1050 level actually has blinds that don't go up too fast in relation to the stack sizes, but they are definitely speedier than even party. Definitely beatable, but definitely expensive.