Dear Fellow SNG Players;
I have just recently started playing $5.50 SNG's @ BoDog. Anyway, so far out of 13 SNGs my ITM% is about 31% (so I am slightly in the hole at the moment). Heres my question, I employ the following strategy at MTTs:

blind levels I-III I play these hands and muck the rest.
A's-2's
AKx,AQx

blinds IV-VI
same unless I have doubled up then I try stealing blinds from late position, playing a few suited connectors or suited aces if limped up to me in late position.

Blinds VII-?
If I have failed to double up by now I am <15x BB and I begin looking for a hand to double up on. I wait for position whenever possible and make sure I am first to act, I then push all in with any of the following:
all pairs
two face cards
suited connectors

If I have doubled up, I gradually turn up my aggressiveness and begin attacking small stacks until I double again. Once that happens I am eating blinds and antes like popcorn by bluffing with my stack with A5 or KT or better from late position and folding to any re-raises.

Those of you who are successful at SNGs, how well do you think this strategy will work in the long run any suggestions? BTW, I have made several final tables using the above MTT strategy.

Thanks!

ShoeSnatcher
"Give Me Your Shoes!"

I'm an idiot, ignore the previous post...

OK, thanks for the tip. I had seen a comment from some other SNG players elsewhere stating they begin to loosen up once 2-3 players have been eliminated from the SNG. Do those of you with good ITM% do that? If so what changes do you typically make to your game (I know it all 'depends' but generally speaking)...

ShoeSnatcher
"Give Me Your Shoes!"

Generally speaking, if you're playing that low limit of a SNG, then I've got some good advice for you. I forget my exact stats at that level, but I think that I'm career ROI of 50+% at SNGs that cost $11 or fewer dollars to play.

You should not be playing that loose early. Note from topics below on this forum that you wouldn't be that bad off in low limit SNGs even if you literally never played a hand except AA in the first 3 rounds, ever. You quite simply can't make a big mistake by playing too tight. You absolutely should not be playing tiny pairs early, and please forget about suited aces and suited connectors. You don't want to be drawing in a sit and go.

Don't get too caught up in the exact details of a SNG strategy. Check out my "knowing your opponent" article, it might help for building your own strategy. However, the most important component of any SNG strategy is to only play hands like AA-JJ, AK, AQ for the first 3 rounds. Put it this way, usually you'll get one of these hands by the third round. Lets say you go 25 hands just folding, fold T145 away in blinds (3 rounds of blinds), pick up AA, there's two limpers to you, you raise big, and everyone folds. All of a sudden, you're 25 hands into the SNG, you have 30 chips more than you started with, and it's probable that 2 or 3 of your opponents are gone. You're in a way better position than you started with.

So please play tighter than that early. And let us know what your numbers look like after 100 SNGs, I'll be looking forward to hear how this strat works for you.

JohnD--

I'd much rather play AQs from two off the button than have 99 or ATs on the button. Just something to think about.