Playing draws OOP

[11t]

So I think that post flop strategy is missing from this forum and I would like to start a discussion about a particular topic. In this case, draws when out of position.

As I see it a SNG is basically broken up into 4 separate components: Beginning (Stage 1), middle (Stage 2), bubble(Stage 3), and the end game (Stage 4). For draws to be played effectively, especially when out of position, a dynamic strategy must be used in correlation with what stage you are in.

Stage 1: Stage 1 is typically the first 1-2 levels of a SNG. The blinds are low and people are all sitting on 50-80bb's. This is the brief window in a SNG where you are deep stacked and acually have the ability to play poker and not be a push monkey. It is also the period of time that many people suggest only playing AK/QQ+. Due to this the vast majority of players will almost never be put in a situation where they will be drawing during stage 1. They simply do not play drawing hands from EP (correctly) and when they do play drawing hands it is from LP with several limpers (correctly). Due to this the majority of scenarios in which you are drawing OOP in a SNG involve blind play. I believe optimal play is to look to get into a limped or min-raised pot with a lot of callers from the SB/BB with good drawing hands. Hands such as 67s+ thru qjs. These are hands that you are not playing for pair value. When you hit a flop that is favorable (such as an OESD or a flush draw or some combination of the two) I would suggest you play it by the book. Check the flop and call a bet in which you are getting proper odds to draw to see if you hit on the turn. Betting into a medium sized multi way pot OOP with a draw is going to kill you if you do not hit on the turn. This is all about explicit pot and implied odds. You do not want to get involved in a huge pot where on the turn you are looking at getting proper odds to call off 1/2 of your stack or be put in an extremely marginal or -EV situation. You are tryiing to hit your hand and win big or get out for cheap. I have no problem laying down the nut flush draw when I am not getting odds to draw. When you do hit your hand I believe playing it fast and hard is the optimal way. When you do hit your flush you are going to be hitting a large number of trailer park flushes so you are going to want to protect your hand from a higher card of your suit. You do not want to bet so small that they are drawing correctly to the river. Also checking does not gauruntee a bet on the turn by a failed continuation bet on the flop. The villain could also easily check behind when the flush card hits. I would say a turned straight has much less corruptability than a turned flush. See, I personally believe that things such as check raising often times allow people to get off of their premium and medium strength hands for cheap.

Stage 2: The transition from stage 1 to stage 2 typically occurs in the 3-5 levels. Cash game concepts disappear and ICM slowly begins to take over. I would say people typically have between 10-30xbb and the bubble is slowly coming into view. Draws change their value during stage 2 and it becomes much more difficult to lay down a flopped nut flush draw when the pot on the flop is 1/5th of your stack as compared to lets say, 1/20th. Of course there are going to be instances in which you will be able to check-call a flopped straight draw or something but the pots and the bets get so large that you want to be very careful. Implied odds are diminishing and pot odds in relation to your stack size take over. Depending on pot size and your hand you are allowed a few more options. A key concept here is fold equity. If you have no fold equity then you are just blindly throwing your chips into the pot to gamble. The difference between when leading out and when 3-betting all-in is optimal, as compared to when to check/raise all-in is about what is going to get the most money in the pot with the best chance to get the villain to fold.

Stage 3: On the bubble you really shouldn't be seeing any flops and if you are seeing them from the blinds it is probably because some donk is limping. In the rare case this occurs I would suggest controlled aggression in playing your draw hard but not versus some fool who is willing to throw his money into the pot. You don't want to be outright racing for a large % of your stack at this point of the game. Your goal during stage 3 should be gaining as many chips as possible while not doing anything so fool hardy as to bust yourself out. You really can't bet/3bet at this point so instead I would just outright push. You have the ability to check-raise but most bets at this point are going to be pot committing to a short stack and you don't want to be racing versus another big stack who can bust you. I mean there are so many situations where different lines are valid but a lot of it has to do with your stack size in relation to the blinds. Lets say blinds are at 200/400, utg folds, button (t6000) (a player who makes marginal calls and has limp/called with low pairs and weak aces) limps from the button, sb (guy with 1xbb after folding), you (t2400)check with J5s. The flop comes a24 with two of your suits. The pot is now 1000, you have 2000 behind you and you have a powerful hand. However there is a chance you have zero fold equity. You don't want to bet here because if you do you are pot committing yourself. If the button is a player who is willing to limp/call a push from the sb/yourself with a6os than he isn't folding to your bet/push now and you are now playing slot machine poker again.

Stage 4: Again once you are this point you really don't see any flops it is completely push/fold mode but if you flop something big versus a limp from the button I would say if the pot is 50% of your stack than open pushing is good versus a player you have fold equity against.

Anyways I know I left a lot of stuff but I don't have all the answers. Like is bet/3betting all in with a draw even viable in SNG's? If you bet the flop looking to 3-bet all in and villain pushes what do you do? If he calls and the turn bricks what do you do?