SNG Table Makeup: Jackals vs. Rocks

[ericlambi]

Frequently when you play SNGs on PP, you are down to 6 or 7 players after 3 orbits, and the whole thing can be done inside of 30m. The strategy here is to play ultra-tight and wait for the good hands early on, steal blinds and build chips later -- I think most/all people on this board will agree with that.

Just as frequently, you will run into a table with 8-10 rocks, and everyone is using your same strategy. I typically recognize this 1.5-2 orbits into the tournament when the small stack is still sitting on 700 out of 1000 chips. Not surprisingly, my profit from these SNGs is not good. What do the people on this forum do in response to this? Try to play tighter than all of the other tightwads at the table? Loosen up and try to steal blinds, etc.?

I've tried the looser strategy, and it typically just gets me in trouble. There seems to be at least one player who has the goods each time I do this, and before I know it, I've killed off 500+ chips when my original intention was just to try and steal 150.

FYI - I'm playing 50/5 on PP.

Thanks,

Eric

[PE101]

You're playing at a higher level than I do, but my experience is that the 'rocks' don't have the patience to stay tight for very long. Since the blinds go up so fast, mayby that makes some sense - but solid seems to work at the cheap seats I play in...

[Cael_Sanderson]

This is a very good question. If you find yourself in a very tight game I think stealing with position can be very profitable. Try open-raising with speculative hands(K10s, QJs, etc.) in late position and see how the table reacts. If you are right that the table is tight you should be able to pick up some small pots with a preflop raise and/or a postflop bet. An interesting side effect that you will often see is that the table will loosen up as players copy your stealing technique and others start to defend more. This is not a bad thing and should allow you to return to your TAG play.

[ericlambi]

Thanks for the response Cael . . . Can I come down to the rec center and wrestle with you some time? LOL.

[Cael_Sanderson]

I was wondering how many people would know who Cael Sanderson is - I guess the answer is alot. I seriously lack creativity in user names.

[The Yugoslavian]

Disclaimer: I have only played 10+1-30+3 SNGs.

When everyone is playing like a rock and you realize this early on I'm not sure if deviating from your normal early play is a good idea. However, when those same rocks are still there on levels 4-6 then you can be more fluid making loose/agg adjustments and steal all of the pots.

The reason you are probably doing worse at tables with rocks is because rocks are playing closer to correct strategy (at least early) and therefore making it harder to get ITM and/or amass chips from poor opponent play. The time of the SNG where it is bad to be a rock is later and that is when you should capitalize on their tightness (or you will find that they may become too loose too soon - level 3 for instance).

Anyway, if anything I'd become *tighter* early on if my table is tight. I would respect raises a bit more and be less likely to shove chips in the middle (b/c solid players will not have the second best hand as much as loose weak players). I also would make a mental note to start shifting gears more dramatically when the blinds get high and try to get into the driver's seat at the table for open raising.

This is instinctively what I want to do but I'm very open to it being either completely wrong or slightly misguided and welcome critiques/improvements.

Yugoslav

[Big Limpin']

I was going to put in my 2 cents, but Yugoslavian just hit the nail on the head. Kudos, great post man!

If they are still rocks on the bubble, you will steamroll this game. You last hand of the tourney will often be a winner.