The Sklansky System

[Admania]

Recently purchased the Sklansky book on Tournament play which is a very good read. Within the book he describes a system he has developed in playing no limit holdem in tournaments. I was wondering, out of interest, if anyone had ever tried it and what were their results.

On another note I finally got past the bubble this weekend and feel I am progressing. Finishes 15th out of 339 at limit $3 holdem at stars, and then 7th in a satelite out of 113 at Bugsy's.

Cheers
Adam

[hutz]

I used it today, but in a (I think) modified form. I was in a 200+ person no-limit hold'em tournament, was card dead during the initial small blinds portion of the tournament, and had a below-average stack once the blinds started increasing. From that point forward, I followed the System all the way to the final table. I was second behind a HUGE stack and about 2:1 over the third stack. Unfortunately, my all-in raises with 22 and A9o got called by a slightly smaller stack with KK and a slightly larger stack (after the 22 v. KK beating) with JJ (which busted me) and I finished fifth.

I have to admit, it's a bit disconcerting to raise K2o UTG against six other players, but the System calls for that at the appropriate times. The problem with it is that you're eventually going to run into opponents with big pairs that are going to smack you around. If you can steal enough blinds to get into the money most of the time, though, it seems like the System has some merit.

I am getting ready to post a question about adjusting the System once one reaches the final table of a tournament. Hopefully, Mr. Sklansky will get a minute of free time to respond once I make that post.

[Magician]

I tried it before but it didn't work for me.

Problem is that when you move in with small suited connectors or A-rag suited that you can get called by a middle pair like 88 or 99 easily. If there is a big stack or two to act after you the likelihood of being called increases (likewise for a short, dire stack who might decide to make a stand right there).

The lower the buy-in the more likely you are to be victimized by a call.

I prefer to wait until I am down to 5 orbits worth of chips or less and even then I wait for any pair or AK or at worst AQ. Even then I think of position, if I am in EP I might not move in even with a small pair if I have 5 orbits of chips left, but with 3 orbits left, sure. Conversely if I have 6 or 7 orbits of chips left, I am more likely to move in from EP with TT to QQ.

For stealing blinds and antes I prefer to use traditional blind stealing techniques.

What I try to focus on now is get all my money in pre-flop in situations where I think I'm likely to have the best of it.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Please bear in mind one thing about Sklansky's system: It was designed to be used by someone who knows *nothing* about playing poker.

[Rickfish]

What is the Sklansky system, or is it too complicated to explain here?

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Basically, if I remember right, the system is to only go all-in preflop or fold. In the middle to late stages, the basic system says if you're first in, go all-in with any pair, any suited Ace or any suited connector (except 43 or 32). It may have a few more rules, but that's the gist of it. The idea is to put pressure on better players preflop, because you (the system user) can't outplay anybody post-flop.

He designed the system for a casino owner who had bought his daughter, who had never played before, and entry into the WSOP final.

[Rickfish]

That's funny.

I remember someone telling me once that he went to a tournament in Ireland with a pro friend. He hadn't played a Holdem Tournament before and the pro told him to only play pairs of jacks, queens, kings, or aces and to go all-in with them. It worked - he came 5th. The pro came 3rd.

[hutz]

This is only part of the story. The System has since been modified to account for the amount of the blinds and one's position relative to the remaining players in the hand. I just decided to play according to the System on a whim over half-way through a tournament yesterday and can see how powerful it could be. It's really tough for someone to call an all-in bet with anything but the best hands. The potential for stealing one's way up the ladder once the blinds increase considerably is very good. My main regret is that I should have stopped using it once I reached the final table. I could have finished in the top two or three, most likely, had I played my regular game at the end.

If you don't have Mr. Sklansky's tournament book, I believe you can find his essay on the modified System in a recent Card Player issue.

[Magician]

Could anyone please post the modified System (if it's not an infringement of copyright, etc.) or at least the gist of the modified System?

[hutz]

http://www.cardplayer.com/?sec=afeat...p;art_id=13194

Enjoy! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]