[Gomez22]

Through my last 200 $10 SNGs, I've tightened up ALOT in the first 1-3 levels, and am showing a 32% ROI so far (in that small span, which I DO accredit a bit to my tightening). That being said.....

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I like using position and I have what I think is a solid reason. When your all in you are all in... Sure this may be the best way to double up, but it is also the fastest way to lose.

Isn't survival the key #1 thing in a low level SnG?


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I completely agree with this statement. Every independant hand in poker is completely situational (of course), but with AK, my initital tendency in early levels facing a raise in front of me is to just call along and use my position as best as is possible. Many players tend to think of AK as the "holy grail" of hands, so it seems, and overplay it alot. I've found that by not getting retarded with it, my results with it have improved dramatically. I'm not saying that I WON'T re-raise or push with it, it's just that those 2 options are not "standard" for me at levels 1-3 of small buy-in SNGs.

Also, if I'm in either blind and 3+ limpers or a min-raiser and a couple of callers are in, I prefer to call with AK again (once again, early on in a SNG.... perhaps not in mid-game or late stages) due to the fact that the only thing that is going to basically get me the pot is a push or large raise, which I personally don't like to do with AK unless I'm short-stacked or have good reads on the players already involved.

You can't win a SNG in the first 1-3 levels, but you sure as hell can lose it. I just prefer to not get overly aggressive until I feel that I'm in a position to take control of the table or I'm in dire straights.