I think I may be running hot in my $109 SnGs at Party.

[GlassJoe]

I didn't start this thread to ask for advice (which is usually the case), more to just share my nice run as of late as I have started to focus on SnGs as of late.

I recently started trying to play SnGs over ring games (or limit instead of NL) because I think I just tilt away money at NL or just get impatient (though impatience can still hurt your stack at limit, I'm finding, but tilting is easier to avoid as I tend to give as many bad beats as I take).

Anyway, I started an experiment to try to play four $109 SnGs at a time at Party to see how I'd do. Well, after five tries (20 SnGs), I was up $520, due in large part to one session which had two 1sts and a 3rd. Anyway, after 20, I got ITM 7 times (35%) and a ROI of around 28%, I believe. I decided that was too many and went down to two 109s and one 215. Tried that three times, and after not cashing in any of the 215s, thought I ought to stick with 109s for a while.

So now I'm playing two at a time, or one and either limit, a tourney, what have you. Since playing no more than two at a time, I've played 15 109s and was ITM 8 times, 7 of which were firsts, including my last 3 in a row...woo hoo.

Anyhow, here are my overall 109 numbers:

41 played - 25 out of $, three 3rds, one 2nd, and 12 firsts. That's an ITM of 39% and an ROI of 53%. Of course these numbers are because I've had 7 firsts in my last 15 games, but I am digging it right now. I started doing this almost a week ago, and while I know I can't keep up this pace, I have discovered the secret to winning SnGs. The first, of course, is avoiding suckouts where you're dominating (QQ vs. JJ, AK vs. AQ type stuff), but the main "secret" is winning all your "coinflips." It's amazing how well you can do when you run good at the coinflips. It makes you feel like you're better than you are, I know. In the last two I just won, I must have won my last 5 coinflips in the two games. It all seems so easy when you're catching cards...

Anyhow, just wanted to toot my horn a bit and share my little run. I'm pretty jazzed since two days ago I did my first ever real cashout from PP ($3500), and I've already gotten my BR back over what it was when I cashed, and I haven't even received the check yet. All from an initial $500 deposit, so it's all gravy now. I just hope I can keep my ITMs in the 35-40% range. I know I'll have less 1sts, but I'm going to try to focus on ITMs.

[MVPSPORTS]

Good to go Joe... I guess you got all of my luck, as I'm running like ass over the past 4-5 days...

BTW... I don't like the $215 either... Every time I've played one, the players play SOOOOOOOOO freakin tight, and it comes down to a bunch of blindstealing and allins at the 100/200 level...

[GlassJoe]

Run to the tables, MVP. Maybe your luck has changed (seeing as how I just dropped three 109s in a row).

I completely agree about the 200s. The 100s seem to have 2-4 loose players that tend to donate chips early on, thus making it easier to get chips with premium hands early and also to thin the field for when the blinds start to get out of hand.

[Nashvegas]

[GlassJoe]

[MVPSPORTS]

Be careful with the ministeps... I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that it doesn't pay off the full amount... I think they keep like $500...

[GlassJoe]

Not sure about the rake, but it's a $400(+30) SnG and pays out 2000, 1000, 500, 300, and 200, so that's all $4000. Maybe lower down they take a rake besides the rake, but I don't think so.

[MVPSPORTS]

Oh... that's probably cause I'm dumb, and didn't see the "more" button that showed what 4th and 5th paid...

[shoesnatcher]

Nice post Glass Joe, but I don't understand how winning coin flips is a "secret" to winning at SNG's. That's called luck/deviation, whatever you want to call it, in my view it either happens or it doesn't. I am glad to hear you are on the winning side, it's nice to hear from someone who is.

ShoeSnatcher

[MVPSPORTS]

Well... i sure as crap still aren't...

Example... 2 hands I'm playing on different tables at the same time... Both on the bubble...

I get [Ah ... Push... get called by ...

FLOP... ... TURN... ... RIVER ...

AT THE EXACT SAME TIME...

I get .... Push... get called by ...

FLOP... ... TURN... ... RIVER... OF COURSE... ...

And, while typing this, this abortion came up...

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (8 handed)

Button (t685)
SB (t1165)
BB (t3773)
UTG (t1347)
Hero (t2025)
MP1 (t1295)
MP2 (t1710)
CO (t1500)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with , .
1 fold, Hero raises to t300, 5 folds, BB calls t200.

Flop: (t650) , , (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets t500, BB raises to t1000, Hero raises to t1725, BB calls t725.

Turn: (t4100) (2 players)

River: (t4100) (2 players)

Final Pot: t4100

He had J9 for the wonderful rivered 2pr...

This is the first time in my poker playing life that I think I'm quitting poker for a little while... I just can't take the beats anymore... I'll still play my live games, cause it's fun more than anything else... But, I'm takin about a week off online stuff....

[GlassJoe]

I was, of course, being fecitious about the coinflips, but when running good, it can put you on a major rush. The best case scenario is getting to where you have the stack to absorb lost coinflips, but when you're running good in the coinflips and are eliminating players with AQs vs 77, et cetera, it just all seems so easy.

At Party, when the play is 4-6 handed and the blinds are 75/150, there has to be a good deal of timing and stealing involved, and when you do get called, many times you're involved in a coinflip. Hopefully you're not the shorter stack, but if sometimes you are. You just have to take some blinds late in SnGs, and if you start running bad in coinflips or, even worse, just get sucked out altogether, it can feel like you may never make the money again.

Sorry to hear the luck hasn't changed, MVP. Hopefully if you step away for 48 hours or so it will get better...

[shoesnatcher]

[GlassJoe]

Just a quick update. Here were the stats when I posted in the middle of my first place rush (seven 1st in 15 games) followed by my updated numbers:


Total played - 10th-4th ----- 3rds ----- 2nds ----- 1sts ----- ITM ----- ROI

41 --------------- 25 -------- 3 ---------- 1 ----------- 12 -------- 39% ----- 53%

73 --------------- 44 -------- 6 ---------- 5 ----------- 18 -------- 40% ----- 47%

So these are my current numbers at the 109 (fresh off of five ITMs in my last six games - two 1sts, one 2nd, two 3rds). I tend to update my stats when I hit a hot streak, but I am keeping my ITM up around 40% and the 1sts, 2nds, and 3rds have smoothed out since the hot start (3, 4, 6). I'm hoping I can beat this level in the long run and play almost exclusively 109s to build my BR. I will keep you guys posted (likely after hot streaks), and thanks so much for all the great info both in the SnG forum and in your BR articles Nash. Wish me luck.

GJ

[MVPSPORTS]

Good luck Joe... I think that your ROI might be a LITTLE high in the long run... But, you're still kicking my ass...

[GlassJoe]

lol. I think my ROI is maybe twice what it should be, but I just want to get 100 games under my belt so I can go from there. I'd be happy with a 30% ROI, and I'd love to get to 200 games with an ROI of 40%, though that, too, may be unrealistic.