What to do when you have nothing?

[stormshelterdave]

Last night I played 3 consecutive SnGs where i had almost no 'playable' hands.

e.g. 6 players left, all with at least 2x my stack. Blinds had got to 50/100 and i had no pairs, had only one hand with two (pocket) overcards, not even suited connectors.

I had managed to steal a few blinds and small pots but was starting to get blinded to death. I did not feel confident enough to pull off bluffs (partly due to my inexperience and partly to do with a couple of aggressive players who would bully the shortstacks). I ended up going all-in ($310) with AJs and lost.

Any suggestions on how to get into these games and what to do if you are getting nothing in your pocket?

[Greedo017]

the general answer is, play another sng. it can help to play tighter in the beginning, as having only 310 left when blinds are only 100 makes me think you've played at least a couple crappy hands.

the biggest thing though, is don't let it get to having 310 left with 100 blinds. Even if you double up you've still got no stack. My advice for you, is play a little bit tighter earlier, hope you get cards, and don't let your stack fall below 6-8BB before you go into push or push mode until it gets better. i'd rather push with 700 with a 100 blind and 2 7 o than push with 300 with aa.

[aokrongly]

In my experience people lose sng's by being too loose, not be being too tight. Are you willing to blind out? Most people aren't. You need to commit one way or the other. "I'm only playing good cards with position, etc." or you're going to expoit opportunities with any 2 cards. If you're playing Party then you're playing the wrong site 800 chips plus the blind structure makes any sng a crapshoot, and i've won thousands on PP sng's, so I know. But i won that money by being willing to absolutely blind out. You have to have a more sophisticated game if you're playing tight sng's. any jackass can push. sometimes you have to be smarter than the average bear.

Try the "short stack steal". ... whaaa... what's that? Well you know how everyone else on the short stack tries to steal. push from the button or sb!! Boy what an obvious move and you'll be called by ANY A and generally anyone who has one testicle or more. Instead of doing that. Try pausing for drama (when it's folded to you and you're on the button or sb)... think and ponder. then just call. (ANY 2 CARDS WILL WORK YOUR CARDS DON'T MATTER).

Hmm, the blind(s) think... OK, I'll check or complete the blind for SB. OR IF THEY ARE FROGGY they'll min raise you. If you're min raised just think for a bit, then call. (If they push then fold.)

Now for the smallstack steal. when the flop hits and you're on the sb PUSH. You're hoping the flop missed him, and he has to put you on any 2 cards (or a slowplayed monster) so if the flop missed him he will most probably fold even though the bet isn't HUGE at this point. If you're on the Button and he checks, push. if he min bets you have a choice push or fold. if he bets more then you probably have to let it go unless the flop made a great hand for you.

The POINT though, is that there's more than one way to skin a cat in SNG's. But you have to be smarter than the cat. And if you're going to play tight then you need some tools and commitment to those tools. ONE TOOL IS TO BLIND OUT. You think I'm kidding but I'm not. You would be surprised how often I've come back from microstack BECAUSE I refused to push with K high or play a raised pot with AT, etc.

good luck

[WhooFleuryScores]

You need to start pushing while your chips have power.Mike Sexton argues in Shuffle Up and Deal that once you get down to 5x or 6x the BB you need to be all in preflop every time(and probabaly sooner).You can't wait for Rockets or Cowboys and push when you have only 2x or 3x the BB left.At that point 7-2 off has odds to call.

[DoGGz]

You need to start pushing while your chips have power.Mike Sexton argues in Shuffle Up and Deal that once you get down to 5x or 6x the BB you need to be all in preflop every time(and probabaly sooner).You can't wait for Rockets or Cowboys and push when you have only 2x or 3x the BB left.At that point 7-2 off has odds to call.

He isn't playing vs professionals.

I've come back from microstack to win huge MUCH more often then the times I push to prevent the blindout.

[WhooFleuryScores]

I've come back from microstack to win huge MUCH more often then the times I push to prevent the blindout.

For some reason that never seems to work for me;I always get called and sucked out on when I do push with the premium hands.I'm glad it works for you though.

[albanat0r]

if youre thinking about party poker sngs.. heres my straategy.. it usually works to get me to top 3

tight is right, until 25/50 blinds, then open up and start playing a normal tight game.. at that point, at the worst, you should be around 750 chips if you played no hands.. hopefully better

then just let people knock each other out, playing when you have hands..
yeah
haha usually works for me