Usually Low Stack

[StarlightCoast]

Ok everyone I will take any and all opinions/advice. In the SNG's I play even the ones I win and finish in the money in I always seem to be the low stack when it gets down to 5 or 6 people left. I play 10 person NL SNG's $5/$1 and $10/$1.

I play tight but perhaps I am doing something wrong. AK-A10 but if I don't hit the flop I fold to any bet assuming someone has paired

KQ same as above

KJ K10 in late position only if can see flop cheap

QJ same as KJ k10
pocket pairs if can get in cheap don't set don't bet unless I have the overpair

Ax suited of course but if the kicker is low I will not go far with it

It seems to me that many people I play catch their cards on the turn or river but everything I've read says don't chase the exception being straight and flush draws if the pot odds are right. Basically if I have A10o and the flop is 379 rainbow what should I be doing? Usually will fold to any bet but should I hang in there when I have 2 overcards? How about just one? I always heard no but am wondering. Another example is I have 88 see the flop cheap I see so many people with pocket pairs like this hanging on to the river and HITTING them it makes me wonder do I have it wrong?

Flop is AK9 I have KQ Here I have flopped the second high pair. This is one area I wonder about. Should I always assume a bettor has the ace and fold it or in a case like this do you stay put and try to nail the trips or the second pair. This is one area I really am unsure on. Usually I fold it if someone bets. If the board pairs and someone has the ace I'm dead and if not I only have 5 outs to catch my trips or 2 pair and thats assuming someone with that possible ace does not hit 2 pair also.

So tell me am I on the right track and should continue chalking it up to bad luck of late or do I need to drastically change my attack plan.

Is the preflop raise really important in a SNG? i mean will it send people packing in these low limits? I have read on the forums that AA KK AK AQ deserve a 5x big blind raise but so often you don't hit the flop and when that happens it seems to me you wasted money, money that could have been used another time. I can't tell you how many times I have had AK and the board is A39J5 In this case obviously I come out betting andsd some fool beats me with 33 99 Grrrrrrrrr Early it's no big deal but when the mininum bets are 150 then 300 300 for turn and river that can hurt.

Finally when you hit the trips on the flop should I slow play or all in? Does it make a difference if I have the pocket pair or if the board has paired up? And when the blinds are say 100/200 and I get dealt AKo people say raise 5x the big blind well that raise is 1000 TC Even if I have 3000 or 4000 TC that's a big chunk of change to raise on an unseen flop or when the blinds are that high is a mininum raise sufficient?

All replies are welcome and eagerly anticipated.

Last 5 SNG's have resulted in one third one second and 3 out of the money finishes. Can't make much doing that.

[parappa]

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Ok everyone I will take any and all opinions/advice. In the SNG's I play even the ones I win and finish in the money in I always seem to be the low stack when it gets down to 5 or 6 people left.

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IMO this is going to happen because you are playing tighter than your opponents.


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AK-A10 but if I don't hit the flop I fold to any bet assuming someone has paired
KQ same as above
KJ K10 in late position only if can see flop cheap
QJ same as KJ k10
pocket pairs if can get in cheap don't set don't bet unless I have the overpair
Ax suited of course but if the kicker is low I will not go far with it

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In the early levels, it certainly doesn't make sense to play any looser than this. I personally routinely play only AK and the pairs from that list in the early levels. I'll play the others if they're suited from late position cheaply, but I don't play unsuited paint until much later.

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It seems to me that many people I play catch their cards on the turn or river but everything I've read says don't chase the exception being straight and flush draws if the pot odds are right. Basically if I have A10o and the flop is 379 rainbow what should I be doing?

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7-10 handed (let's say), this is a routine check/fold for me. Even if I hit my Ace or 10 on the turn/river, it could make someone 2 pair. I might call a tiny bet (like 15 into a 120 pot or something), but likely not as the minibet is as likely to mean that they have something (and who knows what?) as nothing.

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Another example is I have 88 see the flop cheap I see so many people with pocket pairs like this hanging on to the river and HITTING them it makes me wonder do I have it wrong?

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No, you don't have it wrong. The fact that these players are playing worse than you is why you can beat them in the first place. If you start playing that way, you're no longer a better player, if you see what I mean.

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Flop is AK9 I have KQ Here I have flopped the second high pair. This is one area I wonder about. Should I always assume a bettor has the ace and fold it or in a case like this do you stay put and try to nail the trips or the second pair. This is one area I really am unsure on. Usually I fold it if someone bets.

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Me too.

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Is the preflop raise really important in a SNG? i mean will it send people packing in these low limits? I have read on the forums that AA KK AK AQ deserve a 5x big blind raise but so often you don't hit the flop and when that happens it seems to me you wasted money,

[/ QUOTE ]

This depends hugely on table read and your best guess. I've raised the 15bb to 45 with AA and gotten no callers, and I've raised it to 125 and gotten 6 callers. You can only do your best.

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Finally when you hit the trips on the flop should I slow play or all in?

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Depends on how scary the board is, etc., but I err on the side of playing them fast.


[/ QUOTE ]And when the blinds are say 100/200 and I get dealt AKo people say raise 5x the big blind.

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My standard raise is 3xbb at that level. I only raise more in the first couple of rounds because 45 (or whatever) won't thin the field. At 100/200 there's very little reason to raise more imo.

[Michael Davis]

Are you still winning? I am the low stack or close to it at this point a lot, too. It's only a problem if you're not making money.

-Michael

[byronkincaid]

IMHO you're playing too loose pre flop thus leaking away your chips.

GL

BK

[StarlightCoast]

Too loose??? If you feel that way then what do you feel are the cards I should not be playing? KJ and K10 or is it more of the Ax suited.

[willperkins]

I too am usually the low person when it gets to 5 or 6 players, unless I caught a good hand early. According to the records I keep, I usually fold 91% of the time until I get to the final three, then I get very aggressive.

I will not play any hand from UTG 1-2-3 except AA, AK, KK, or QQ. I always raise 4 times the big blind plus limpers.

From middle position, I add JJ, TT and 99. I will raise if the first one in.

If I hit the flop on any of the above and think I have the best hand, I will bet the pot and continue to bet the pot all the way to the river as long as I think I have the best hand.

I might limp in in with AQ, AJ,KQ, QJ, KJ, Ax suited or small pairs from late position, but I will not call a raise.

Playing this way is much tighter than what you show in your post. So maybe you are leaking away too many chips early.
That being said, I also end up on a short stack and have to go "all in" with lesser hands to double through when it gets down to 5 or 6 players.

But my results are still good (446 SNGs, 36% ITM finishes and in the black).

I am still trying to become a better player, so I know I can do better than this. I've only been playing about 2 years and read everything I can find on poker tourneys.

I am very interested in what people say about you, because I am in the same boat.

[byronkincaid]

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Too loose??? If you feel that way then what do you feel are the cards I should not be playing? KJ and K10 or is it more of the Ax suited.

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Some people like to play speculative hands early when the blinds are low, hoping to flop a monster. I prefer to think that chips are precious amunition and shouldn't be given away so easily.

So my answers to your questions would be yes yes yes.