SNG results and questions

[craig r]

Hi all. Below are my SNG results. I have started off small playing at UB's 5+.50 games. I just wanted to share my results and ask what you guys think. The results are based on 122 tourns played at this level:

1st: 19 (%15.57)
2nd: 13 (%10.65)
3rd: 21 (%17.21)
Total Placed: 53 (%43.44)

My EV on each tourn is about $1.71

I am just curious if you guys think the above is good enough for me to move up a level to the $10. From what I have read on here, there really won't be that much of a different. But, I could be wrong.

Also, I find it strange that I have so many more first place finishes than second. But, more third than second also. The only thing that I can think of is that since I am really patient during the whole thing (that is the good thing about UB, it favors the tighter players, imo) i can squeeze into third alot, but get knocked out really quickly because the blinds are so high and big stacks can easily call my all-ins.

anyways, any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. and thank you all for all the help you have given me in my poker game.

thanks,

craig r.

[Moonsugar]

I think those results are good enough to move to $10 tournies. Just have a decent bankroll so if you have some bad luck you can stick it out and not play scared. I never played in a $5 tourney but I don't think they could be that much easier than a $10 one.

Also, the distribution could just boil down to luck.

[jaydoggie]

try being more aggressive 4 handed, so that when you get into the money youre not relying on a quick double up. usually people are less likely to take chances on the bubble and picking up chips there is what seperates 1st and 3rd 50% of the time.

if you play tight while players drop, by the time its short handed your image is such that they dont want to call a raise of yours.

btw i moved up to 10$ this morning after 100 5$ sngs. and so far its been hell. i havent won a coinflip and ive lost 7 of 10 3-1s. i also flopped a flush, and someone flopped a set, turned a boat. be sure your bankroll is ready to take a hit if bad luck strikes.

[La Brujita]

You look like you are doing well and I think you should move up as well. Someone once (I forgot who) gave a great tip: due to the payout structure (and I am assuming UB and Party are the same) be willing to give up second places to get more first places. Your results seem to indicate you are doing that.

I agree that the sample size is really to small to make any determinations as to why you are getting more firsts than seconds etc.

Good luck!

[triplc]

[ QUOTE ]
Someone once (I forgot who) gave a great tip: due to the payout structure (and I am assuming UB and Party are the same) be willing to give up second places to get more first places.

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe it was Bozeman...and I've really used that tip to my advantage, in that it really got me thinking about how I play once I get to 4th and 3rd place. I still advocate playing tightly on the bubble, but once you get into the money, you really need to try to position yourself to win the thing, and get more aggressive.

I would echo the sentiments that you can jump, provided you have the bankroll (20 - 25 buyins or 220 - 275 bucks) to make the jump. It is not unlikely to have a dry spell of 10-15 tournaments out of the money, even when playing reasonably well. Just make sure you can weather that run.

CCC

[rbenuck4]

I think that as long as your bankroll can afford you to play 20-25 10 + 1 SNGs, you should move up. The competition I've found to be just as weak as the 5 dollar SNGs, so your results shouldn't change that much. I agree however, that once its down to 4 people, everyone is afraid to get busted out on the bubble, so you should be looking for every chance to steal and pick up those little pots so by the time its down to three, you are in contention to win the whole thing. The few times you get busted out in 4th will be more then offset by the times that you finish in first instead of second or third.

[ripdog]

I started keeping track at the beginning of February, but haven't put any figures together yet. I think that if you're at all uncomfortable with moving straight up to the $10 level, then stay at $5 and take an occasional shot at a $10 tourney. I took that route and no longer play the $5 tournies. Like jaydoggie, my results in the $10 tournies were dismal at the start, but I think I have developed a winning strategy. I break the tourney into chunks. Early on I play so tight that only the total retards won't notice. When I do show a hand down, it's usually a quality hand. By the time the blinds get big enough to be worth stealing, my image is so tight that all I have to do is threaten a bet and people drop like flies. I steal a few blinds at the $30/$60 level and ratchet it up at $50/$100. I play this style until people start playing back at me, then revert to hyper-tight mode for a while. Note that while I am playing more hands than I had played earlier, I have by no means become the table maniac. I go for the blinds once every round or two while I wait for a legitimate hand to pad my stack with. At the $50/$100 level on UB we're usually down to 4 or 5 handed play. At this point I play very carefully to ensure a money finish (still trying to steals blinds, though). Once in the money I play very tough--the last thing I want is to have someone double through me on a hand that I shouldn't have played in the first place. Heads up I play even meaner, waiting for the hand that I can do some severe damage with. I don't know what my place percentages are--probably not as good as yours. I tend to focus on getting into the top three and improving once I'm there.