Re: O8 SNG?
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Is there general strategy for o8 STT/SNG?
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Most O8 sngs are limit, and should be played in the early rounds about the same as a low limit ring game, maybe a little tighter. Play only premium starting hands, don't play middle cards, and don't play past the flop without a draw to the nuts. Aces: don't leave home without them.
At a typical 10/1 sng at Party, for the first few levels there will usually be 5-6 players seeing the flop. It is almost always going to take the nuts to win until the table starts to thin out. For the first 2-3 levels, the loose players are generally trading chips back and forth. All you need to do here is pick up a couple of good pots, and you will be in good shape later. Don't be afraid to jam with the nuts, especially with the high hand, and especially from late position, even in a multiway pot. Most of the opponents are still on draws, usually to a low, or to 2 pair. If you push with the nut low and someone comes back at you, back off, because you are probably goning to get quartered. It is rare that anyone gets knocked out before level 3 or 4.
Once a few players are out, the other short stacks tend to play a little tighter. Continue playing tightly until it gets down to 4-5 players. This is when you can loosen up, as it no longer takes the nuts to win, or even to scoop. Second or even third nut low is often good, and top 2 pair or low trips is a pretty good high. You can loosen up on your starting requirements quite a bit once it gets down to 3-4 players. A good coordinated hand is playable, even if it doesn't have A2 or AA DS. You can even play middle cards at this stage. A hand like 7899DS is trash in a ring game, but it's playable here. Something like 3456DS is a powerhouse. A big pair with 2 wheel cards is very strong.
Also, once a few players are gone and you see the rest tighten up, you can bluff or semi-bluff, something that is pointless in a low limit ring game or at the early stages of a sng. With a decent high starting hand, if 2 high cards come on the flop, a bet/raise will usually drive out the trashy low draws, giving you a better chance to scoop. If you have a backdoor low draw, all the better.
One principle for all sng's that many people forget: it is not your job to knock people out. If you can, fine. But don't play a hand any differently just because you are heads-up against an opponent who can lose all his chips in this pot. There isn't any bounty money in this game.
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