SNG's vs cash games - advice sought (long)

[45suited]

I've been playing SNG's for about a year with good success. I'm about to move up to the 22s exclusively, but recently I've gotten kind of burned out / bored with the grind of the SNGs. So I started playing NL25. These games are so soft that my $ / hr (over a small sample size) has actually been higher than my SNG $ / hr. Again, the NL25 sample size is small so I'm not putting much stock into the actual rate. Here is my question, keeping in mind that I just started playing poker 1 year ago. I want to keep improving as an all-around poker player, but I also don't want this to hurt my $ /hr too drastically.

Given the vastly different considerations between SNGs and cash games, can I (as a non-genius but a player killing the lower levels) effectively play both SNGs and cash games OR will playing the cash games hurt my SNG play by getting me out of that mindset?

Will playing cash games help my SNG play in any way (post flop play perhaps) or will it hurt it? Has anybody run into problems by trying to play alot of both?

(I bring this up because there was just a thread in the other forum where a guy had QQ and faced a mini re-raise pre-flop. An ace flopped, queen came on the turn, and most of the guys on that forum didn't want to raise the river. I was like, "I play SNG's! Push it! Don't worry about set over set!" but I was in the minority.)

It got me to thinking that trying to get good at both games might just hurt me in the short run.

Comments / flames would be appreciated.

[gildwulf]

I find that if you really want to get better at poker and want to play cash games, you should try 6-max (as long as you stomach the swings). Your pre-flop game from playing SNGs should be very advanced and your post-flop game would probably be weaker than someone who has been playing cash games for a year...so it would be a good place to start and get your ass kicked and learn a few things.

That being said, NL25 is snugglebear soft and is always good for money...but I doubt you will learn much from that.

So it depends...if you want to learn more and improve your cash game and SNG game, play 6-max (reads are vital whereas you can get away with just playing your cards in a 10-max NL25)...I guarantee you this will improve your SNG game. If you juts want the cash, I guess NL25 or 50 would be good...

[Irieguy]

[ QUOTE ]
I find that if you really want to get better at poker and want to play cash games, you should try 6-max (as long as you stomach the swings). Your pre-flop game from playing SNGs should be very advanced and your post-flop game would probably be weaker than someone who has been playing cash games for a year...so it would be a good place to start and get your ass kicked and learn a few things.

That being said, NL25 is snugglebear soft and is always good for money...but I doubt you will learn much from that.

So it depends...if you want to learn more and improve your cash game and SNG game, play 6-max (reads are vital whereas you can get away with just playing your cards in a 10-max NL25)...I guarantee you this will improve your SNG game. If you juts want the cash, I guess NL25 or 50 would be good...

[/ QUOTE ]

This is really good advice, in my opinion. I concur.

Irieguy

[45suited]

Thanks for the advice. So you would recommend 6 max? Is the 25NL too fishy (won't learn anything)? B/R isn't really a consideration (up like 7k since starting SNGs) so I should probably just start on 6 max NL50?

[lacky]

so, if you are up 7k in the $11's, why so slow moving up? This is in no way critisism, I'm playing 109's on a vastly inflated bankroll myself. Yes, you will learn alot playing other games, but you will also learn alot moving up in sng's. The 55's will be almost as much an education as 25nl.

Steve

[45suited]

[ QUOTE ]
so, if you are up 7k in the $11's, why so slow moving up? This is in no way critisism, I'm playing 109's on a vastly inflated bankroll myself. Yes, you will learn alot playing other games, but you will also learn alot moving up in sng's. The 55's will be almost as much an education as 25nl.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I've built my roll playing the 11s and some 22s (after starting on the 5s). I've been slow moving up because I just haven't been in a hurry to. I played my first hand of poker a year ago and figured that I'd learn as much as I could (as cheaply as possible at the beginning) and that making money (initially) would be a bonus.

I have no problem gambling during the game, but I'm just more conservative when it comes to my bankroll.

Obviously at this point, I need to move up but it's nice to know that I always have the comfort zone of the 11s and 22s to re-build my b/r if I run into problems.

Also, I think that I'd like to play cash games because it will make me a more well rounded player. Definitely it should help my post flop play, which will come in handy if I decide to ever take MTTs seriously as well.

But I do get that question about why I took so long moving up frequently and I don't take offense to it. I'd rather move up too slowly than too quickly...

[zaphod]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I find that if you really want to get better at poker and want to play cash games, you should try 6-max (as long as you stomach the swings). Your pre-flop game from playing SNGs should be very advanced and your post-flop game would probably be weaker than someone who has been playing cash games for a year...so it would be a good place to start and get your ass kicked and learn a few things.

That being said, NL25 is snugglebear soft and is always good for money...but I doubt you will learn much from that.

So it depends...if you want to learn more and improve your cash game and SNG game, play 6-max (reads are vital whereas you can get away with just playing your cards in a 10-max NL25)...I guarantee you this will improve your SNG game. If you juts want the cash, I guess NL25 or 50 would be good...

[/ QUOTE ]

This is really good advice, in my opinion. I concur.

Irieguy

[/ QUOTE ]

I have been playing a decent amount of NL ring game, 6 max lately. It is great fun, and i belive i learn quite a bit of this postflop thing, that i has been neglecting when playning SNG's. My impression so far is that it should be as beatable as the SNG's. I play very loose, and it is quite refreshing to mix it up from the uberthight style on the early levels in SNG's.

I don't have a clue how loose you can play optimally. But luckily my opponents seems to have even less clue, so it has worked out ok so far. I would say you should give it a try.

A good mix for me is too play one 6max table, and 2-3 SNG's. That way i can focus on the 6 max table in the early levels of the SNG's. The good thing about this it that it helps me from beeing bored at the early levels of the SNG's.
I think playing 6max NL will make you a better pokerplayer.

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I find that if you really want to get better at poker and want to play cash games, you should try 6-max (as long as you stomach the swings). Your pre-flop game from playing SNGs should be very advanced and your post-flop game would probably be weaker than someone who has been playing cash games for a year...so it would be a good place to start and get your ass kicked and learn a few things.

That being said, NL25 is snugglebear soft and is always good for money...but I doubt you will learn much from that.

So it depends...if you want to learn more and improve your cash game and SNG game, play 6-max (reads are vital whereas you can get away with just playing your cards in a 10-max NL25)...I guarantee you this will improve your SNG game. If you juts want the cash, I guess NL25 or 50 would be good...

[/ QUOTE ]

This is really good advice, in my opinion. I concur.

Irieguy

[/ QUOTE ]

Irie:

In my first reading of gildwulf's post, I assumed he was talking about 6-max NL. Later in the thread he clarifies that he means 6-max limit. Does your comment above also endorse limit, or do you think that 6-max NL would be a better form for improving SnG skills?

Thanks.

[11t]

the 25 6-max is full of drunks late at night too [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[gildwulf]

hehe...I prefer limit six-max just because I'm not 100% with my reads yet and if I'm going to check-call someone down with a pair of 3s or ace-high I'd rather not do it for all my chips.