The competition is becoming slightly more difficult overall in SNGs, so the importance of having some type of reads on the other players has also increased. I've talked with plenty of poker players who tell me they don't bother taking much notes - instead they will watch a movie, browse forums, talk on AIM, and do everything else not related to the game. If you want to improve your game, one of the first steps is concentrating on the games themselves.

Now how do you get reads in SNGs? With SNGs you can get reads a few ways.

The old-fashioned way
During early stages, the ones who have close to the default starting chips until 30/60 or 50/100 likely are somewhat tight. Whenever there is a showdown, look at the hand history to see what position players limped, raised, or called a raise with their hands. Anyone who min-raises after limpers you should immediately peg as a donk, especially if the hand is something like AT (make note of other donktacular moves as well). Also, late game, make note of any all-in push and call so you have a better idea of what they'll call and push with in different situations.

Of course, if you're doing reads the old-fashioned way, you won't be able to spend as much time watching a movie, chatting on AIM, and browsing forums while 4-tabling. When I'm playing, I have an away message up, music playing, and nothing else going on. Maybe during early stages I'll mess around a little bit, but then try to catch up later.

PT and PAHUD "reads"
PT and PAHUD will give you a rough idea of their tightness/looseness. It isn't as accurate as with cash games since people play differently per blind level, but you get the idea. If someone has 60/40 stats, you can certainly peg them as LAG. If someone has 15/7 stats, you can peg them as TAG or rock. Inbetween... look for the fish with stats like 33/3.

I do all of this while 3-4 tabling with little trouble. Me checking the hand histories and making notes also keeps me busy early on so I don't get bored and lose concentration

All very good points. One particular thing i've been taken notice of lately is how weak/tight players will play on the bubble. In a SNG today I pushed J7 in the SB vs the BB who instantly called with Q9, he didn't have too many chips but had enough to survive a few more rounds. Contrastly I had someone who folded 4-handed with a 1400 chipstack in the BB when the blinds were 400/800, i pushed in the smallblind with A2. The same player won an allin the next hand and had some chips. When it came around to me again in the SB with him in the BB it was 3-handed he had a few more chips than before but I pushed without hesitation with 62o because I knew he's folding most hands. He folded, and I hurried to put a note next to him as weak/tight with a shortstack OTB or just ITM.

I'm pretty tight early so i spend that time paying attention to what poeple are playing and where. I like to note the chasers and the calling stations, etc.

One thing I have found productive is to test the blinds a bit. If given the chance in the middle stages, I will raise in the SB just to see if the guy to my left is willing to defend. I will test the next couple as well. This, of course can come in handy later when I need to steal a blind or two to stay alive. I like it if I have an aggressive defendor to trap when I get an AA, KK type hand.

There is an excellent article on Pocket Fives about reading SnG opponents.


It's a little complex for my simple game but interesting.