Does anyone here play Limit single table tournaments?

[aces_dad]

It's not ROI which is less for limit vs NL, the thing that makes it less profitable is that NL SNG's usually finish within 45min while limit SNG's can last 75min, so it's your $/hour which is reduced, not your ROI.

[shant]

I 4 tabled the 50+5's for a while and I think .5/1 is harder to beat than the players at those levels. As an added bonus, you usually get 2 players who think they joined an NL tournament and openly admit they have no idea what they're doing.

[DownUnder]

I've only dabbled at the SnGs, but am inclined to play a few more. Over 48 10+1 tourneys, I currently have an ITM of 44% and an ROI of 31%. As I said in my earlier post, that's a pitifully small sample size - the NL SnG guys will tell you that 500 tourneys is a reasonable sample. My numbers are undoubtedly a result of running hot, and are going to be unsustainable - to be honest, they're about as meaningful as winning 3 BB/100 over 3,000 hands in ring games.

That said, ITM in the high 30s and an ROI of 20% is probably attainable over longer term. 4 tourneys per hour is manageable for experienced multi-tablers, so at the 10+1s call your earn rate $44*0.2 = $8.80 per hour.

Someone with a win rate of 1.75 BB/100 who 4-tables the 1/2 and sees say 250 hands per hour, will have an hourly earn of $8.75.

Conclusion - 1.75 BB/100 at the 1/2 = 20% ROI at the 10+1s.

I can't offer you any substantive evidence beyond my own very limited experience, but intuitively it feels right.

DU

As you said, too small a sample size to be meaningful. I have played 7 limit STT's, and have an ITM of 16%, and a ROI of -75%. But this means nothing. (In 3 of the 7, I didn't win a single hand. In 2, I won only one hand each. You don't end up in the money with that sort of luck)

I was hoping there would be someone who actually had played large numbers of STT's and could provide statistically meaningful ROI and ITM numbers, but perhaps there are no such people who read these forums.

Question: what is the best thing to do when one reaches level 4 or so and is shortstacked?

In a no limit game, generally you'd pick a hand and go all in before the flop, hoping to steal the blinds and initial bets, or double up, or get knocked out of the tournament. But you can't do this in limit, you can't raise enough to get people to fold.

It seems to me that since you can't get people to fold this early in the tournament, the best strategy would be to pick a hand, limp in if possible preflop to preserve chips, and then fold if you missed the flop and try again on another hand. And just keep doing this until you hit a flop or end up all-in in one of the blinds.

This would be a terrible strategy in no limit, but it seems the best one in limit to me, since you have no leverage over anyone this early in the tournament without the ability to bet all-in, and multiple people will see the flop with you regardless of what you try to do preflop.

[Webster]

I ONLY play Limit SnG. They are WAY more profitable then NL. No luck is invloved (at least less luck).

Limit SnGs only take 45 minutes at Party and are basically NL once it gets to 5 people.

You won't find yourself out of a game with AA because some bozo had 52s. It's less a pissing match and more like REAL poker. I've played ABOUT 400 Limit SnGs with an ITM of 48% and an ROI of about 32%.

Just play tight until it gets short handed and NORMALLY the final 5 only has 1 or 2 other good players. The rest are the loose players with all the chips that don't know when to play tight.

I played a lot of NL but I got so frustrated. Lose one big hand and you done. Limit you can survive losing a hand or two and the others will blow themselves up sooner or later.

[ QUOTE ]
It seems to me that since you can't get people to fold this early in the tournament, the best strategy would be to pick a hand, limp in if possible preflop to preserve chips, and then fold if you missed the flop and try again on another hand. And just keep doing this until you hit a flop or end up all-in in one of the blinds.

[/ QUOTE ]

EXACTLY!!!!!!