profiting/progressing most easily as a limit player or an SnG player?

IvyGrizzly · #1 08-02-2005, 04:53 AM

Right now I'm in the process of moving my relatively tiny bankroll from pacific poker to Party. I started playing poker with my friends in home games, signed up at pacific, never deposited but found a free $25 dollars in my account which I then turned into $400 after reading WLLH and this forum.

I'm trying to figure out what I want to concentrate on when I switch to Party, LHE or SnGs. Can anyone with experience in both tell me their experiences as far as which one was easier for them to progress in levels, and which they thought most profitable in the long term? Enjoyment is not really an issue, I played microlimit to start out and then switched to SnGs and I liked both but it's been a while since I played limit.

I did a search for one of the old threads comparing win rates of limit players at certain levels to win rates of SnG players at similar levels (relatively), but didn't find what I was looking for. If anyone has some of this information saved up I would appreciate it.

pearljam · #2 08-02-2005, 05:09 AM

SNG's have less variance and are easier to beat, although long run eventually you will have to settle for being a 200+15 pro only making a few hundred thousand a year.

Mr_J · #3 08-02-2005, 05:27 AM

Shorterm:

If you can hit bonuses then LHE.
If you have done those then sngs.

Longterm:

I wouldn't worry about reaching a cap of a "few hundred thousand a year". First of all, that's plenty. Second, who says you can't also play steps, MTTs and cash games??

Maybe you play NL cash games and then get into HU?? Plenty of money in that.

Try both, and play whichever one you enjoy more. Both are easy to profit at and have fine earning potential, so choose the one you can put the most hours/effort into (ie the one you enjoy more).

Moonsugar · #4 08-02-2005, 12:49 PM

I have played over 10,000 sng and over 300,000 hands limit hold em. I personally think that limit hold em is much more complex than the sng as played on party. I also think that you will learn more about poker playing limit than playing sng, and that it is much easier to learn sng from a limit background than it is to learn limit from a sng background.

One more thaing: Earning potential is much higher in limit ring games than SnG.

Basically I play all SnG and a few multis right now. Next game I want to learn is NL ring or Stud Hi Lo. Usually I switch to a new game or format every 6-18 months. It is a good way to keep poker fresh and new yet also gain some level of experience in the games I play.

You should know that I have a bias towards sng due to my better relative success. My win rates at SnG have always been toward top of range v. limit I really never could break through 1.5bb/100. Plus I just like tournies more.

jeffraider · #5 08-02-2005, 01:43 PM

Well if you have any problems at all with tilting, SNGs are better. Playing them in sets is like a built in tilt protector for a lot of people, me included.

benfranklin · #6 08-02-2005, 01:54 PM

Limit HE and NL SnGs are two entirely different games and require entirely different skills and strategy. You will probably do better at which ever better fits your natural playing style, and which ever you like to play more. Only you can determine that. Try both and see.

One constant that most agree on is that SnGs have less variance, which means that you can play them with a smaller bankroll than you would need to play limit HE at a comparable level.

Don't worry about other people's win rates. The only thing that matters is your win rate playing your style, where and when you play. Besides, poker players never tell the truth about how they are doing anyway. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

rydazzle · #7 08-02-2005, 01:54 PM

For me it was a question of personality. Try the SNGs and see what you think, WLLHE wont help you much outside of L1/L2 so you might want to read some tourney books.

I like the SNGs since you can make a lot in a short period of time at the risk of your buy-in...ring games take some time to build your stack...

gildwulf · #8 08-02-2005, 01:57 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Right now I'm in the process of moving my relatively tiny bankroll from pacific poker to Party. I started playing poker with my friends in home games, signed up at pacific, never deposited but found a free $25 dollars in my account which I then turned into $400 after reading WLLH and this forum.

I'm trying to figure out what I want to concentrate on when I switch to Party, LHE or SnGs. Can anyone with experience in both tell me their experiences as far as which one was easier for them to progress in levels, and which they thought most profitable in the long term? Enjoyment is not really an issue, I played microlimit to start out and then switched to SnGs and I liked both but it's been a while since I played limit.

I did a search for one of the old threads comparing win rates of limit players at certain levels to win rates of SnG players at similar levels (relatively), but didn't find what I was looking for. If anyone has some of this information saved up I would appreciate it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Both.

And I'm not being facetious.

Playing limit ring games (especially six-max) will improve your post-flop play, which will improve your SNG ROI. SNGs will improve your math skills and turn you into a ruthless pre-flop raising machine. This will improve your BB/100 at ring games.

I play 3/6 ring six-maxs and SNGs and I'm getting much better at poker than if I just concentrated on one.

rydazzle · #9 08-02-2005, 02:24 PM

G,

how do you reconcile the differences in hold'em vs. NL? I found this difficult. For instance, there are a lot of re-raises in limit that are just plain horrible in NL...take the SSHE example where you flop middle pair (7s) and 2-bet (...have you seen this?)

Just curious is all. I stopped playing limit as I thought it was corrupting my NL until I could really differentiate the two...Ill play NL ring to work on reading hands,etc.

#10 08-02-2005, 02:37 PM

I began my online experience playing SNGs, because tournaments were all I knew from TV. I soon figured out that limit was much more profitable, largely thanks to bonus whoring and SSHE. But sometimes the grind of limit just gets to you, and SNGs are a very good change of pace. Less profitable (initially), but I find them more enjoyable. Plus they're more applicable to the home games and tournaments I play. So I suggest both, with a heavier dose of limit, at least until you're ready for higher amounts and levels of SNGs, to bolster your bankroll and prevent burnout.