SNGs 1 table or 2 table?

[Bochan]

I was playing 1 table $5 SNGs and felt that the game was very fast. It was hard to tell who's loose/tight/average. One reason is, there's the guy who's going all-in very early and stealing blinds. So those hands are pointless to read anyone but him.

Being a tight player myself, I find that I'm usually in 5th~9th place by the 4th blind levels, short stacked against the top 3 with reads on only a couple of guys, so I don't know if I can gamble a little more if others are looser.

Is it easier to tell how people play on a 2 table SNG because it's a little longer and people "should" play a little more conservative? Or is the same, but with more competition because of blinds going up at the same rate, so a 1 table gives me a better chance of winning anyway?

thanks.

[Meatmaw]

I think before getting concerned with 2-table tourneys, it'd be good to focus on a 1-table one, mostly because you know every player in the tourney is right there in front of you, so it's a simpler situation.

Regarding getting reads on people and feeling like there's not enough time, try reading Aleomagus's guide for new players. (My understanding of) The general gist of his guide is just to take it easy in the first 3 blind levels. Don't butt heads too much, and look to spike a set (3 of a kind with a pocket pair), or get an immensely good hand. When the blinds reach level 4 or things start to whittle down in # of players, you focus on more aggressive betting and sound, disciplined all-in movements based on your stack size and very selective hands.

One basic underlying theme is
1) Do not go in with so-so hands like middle pair or lousy kickers.
2) Do not chase at high cost.
3) make the most out of steal equity, but know when to back off and let it go.

Being short-stacked doesn't simply mean you are weak. It gives you strength in other parts of your play, as I understand. Kind of twisted when I think about it, but it goes along the lines of 'the more you have, the more you can lose' mentality when you start getting comfortable with short stacks and learning how to play it against medium or medium large stacks.

Please correct me, experts, if anything I said was off-base.