I never said that this was a perfect strategy, just that it's good enough to make you better than average.

I'm now convinced that party is not a great place to play SNGs unless you're at high stakes. If you're playing $30 or below, go to one of those other sites. Dang starting with 800 is frustrating, I had really forgotten how annoying it could be.

Anyway, if you're pushing the best 1/2 of your hands once you're ITM, even an excellent shorthanded player won't take too much of your EV away -- it's an equalizer strategy meant for beginners.

Sorry Nash,
I didn't mean to sound like I was trying to poke holes in it. I wasn't. I'm still just pretty much a newb (since Valentines day) and needed some clarification on a couple things. I don't claim to know a whole lot about poker yet so I thought that maybe there was a good reason for pushing with 50% hands that I didn't know. As it turns out, I think there sort of is. At least until I become the "excellent shorthanded player". Thanks for the reply. That goes for you too MVP. You guys are a lot of help.
Here's another question for you guys. Say you are playing a S&G and it becomes obvious that there is at least one or more others playing this strategy. Let's say 3 of them so that there is a better chance that you won't finish in the money. What do you guys think would be a good Anti-Strategy to use against them? Did that make sense? Basically, if it looks like there are 3 folks playing the same style as you and they may be better at it or more disciplined about it, what different kind of style would you use to combat it and maybe better your chances? The answer may be obvious but I don't see it.
-Seb

as far as the counter strategy goes. i would guess:

I am also a SnG newbie..but I have played SH vs. crazy laggers and tightwads . I would think if in the first round or two if someone's VPIP is really low [and prob following good SnG strat] , then u can prob push them around and pick up small pots early.

then when a few players have been knocked out and the tightwads are getting laggy [obviously if the SD a weak hand that they tried to steal with] then u have to either get in a raise before them or re-raise them depending on your relative position.

having picked up small pots ealrly will provide a small cushion that dissappears rapidly as the blinds go up. dont be afraid to re-raise [with marginal hands] someone who has RFI'd on the CO and BTN two orbits in a row. once u get headsup and see the r going AI PF 50% of the time, you know what you have to do.

as others have mentioned chip stack, position, ur table image and all the other factors will guide you. or just up you get AA and reraise them all in and they call and u double up...

This worked for me for awhile at Party, but eventually the weak/tight caught up with me again.

For about two weeks, I had an ITM of almost 60%. Then, I started to decline as games got tighter and tighter and weaker and weaker. Finally, the last SNG I played on Party, I busted out 4th, and sat and watched for another 15 minutes or more that it took for the third place to go out. I mean, they went through two or three more levels! Passed chips back and forth as they folded blinds to all in. It was ridiculous. Blinds got to 300/600.

It was 8 at Level 5 before this.

Nash's strategy is right on, but it does tend to leave you as the short stack when it comes time to make moves. If you do not catch at least one, better two hands before the blinds get to 50/100, you're going to have to get extremely lucky. The biggest problem, at least at Party, is you don't have enough starting chips. By the time you have blinds worth going after, you're pretty much left to go all in. Then, it's luck. Ish.

I don't know about pokerroom. If the starting chips are 1500, then it should work, if you've got the patience to stick with it. That's the key. Patience. It's not easy to fold, fold, fold for a half hour, but it's the only way to play it.

Good Luck,

CJ

Yup, you'll usually be the short stack with four or five people left. The thing that should make this strategy attractive is the consistancy -- if you are getting no cards and you're still around with 5 or 6 others already being eliminated, you're doing something right.

Absolutely, Nash. It's extremely consistent, and a winning formula. You gain a tight image, which works nicely when there are now blinds worth stealing. It wouldn't be a problem to be the short stack, if there were still enough chips to gamble.

You're left with 600 chips when the blinds get to Level 4, 50/100. You raise 3X the BB to 300, which leaves you with 300. If anyone calls, you are left with too few bullets to fire post-flop. That's the flaw with playing like this at Party, although really the only to play at all.

The problem is that 800 chip start. I'd suggest no one play them until they change this to at least 1000. 1500 would be even better. The only way this will happen is if they realize that SNGs are going longer and longer as more people are going to higher and higher levels, unwilling to go all in and bust out. The last tourney I played, and then watched, was a fold-fest. It was like they were assuring no one would be blinded out. If PP increases the number of chips, it would actually make the tourneys go quicker, as hard as that is to believe.

Great stuff, Nash. Really. I used it to really great advantage, until the tables got so weak/tight it simply no longer worked. Thanks.

CJ

Nash, I'm very interested in your comment earlier in the thread:

"I'm now convinced that party is not a great place to play SNGs unless you're at high stakes. If you're playing $30 or below, go to one of those other sites. Dang starting with 800 is frustrating, I had really forgotten how annoying it could be."

Can your beginner's strategy be adjusted for Party to allow a less frustrating game, or is the 800 chip start just too small to allow anything more than luck to prevail? How about opening up in level 3 rather than level 4? Anything else to try?

I"m just starting in STTs and would love to include the low-limit Party network games in my learning...

Uh, did you read what I wrote above your post? If yes, what did I leave out?

How about this?

The problem isn't the strategy but the format. You can be the best shot in a gunfight, but without enough bullets to kill all the bad guys, you probably aren't going to come out of it alive.

I am at a loss to understand what exactly you want, bud? I'm completely convinced that a good player canNOT consistently beat the Low Limit SNGs on Party Poker, and I'm a stubborn SOB who cannot stand giving up. 800 chips simply sucks.

Nash, am I wrong?

CJ