Playing SNG against 2 or 3 remaining players

[taldridge]

I'm starting to have a bit of success in $3 +.40 sngs at Poker Stars. I'm able to make to a position where I'll get paid, but I very seldom win. Can any one give me some advice for this situation or point me to some posts or articles that will help?

Thanks

TA

[Erpel]

I would start here.
http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...re-t36043.html
There's a whole forum section for Sit and Go's.

[yourfather]

I would guess your playing too passive/tight near the bubble and getting ITM with a short stack or you need to work on your heads up play. If you are playing for first which is what you generally should be doing don't be scared to bubble.

[d0zer]

at the end of SnGs reads become extremely important, as does blind stealing.

You really need to be able to recognize when someone is tightening the hell up to try and make as much as possible or make it past the bubble, and when someone is spewing like crazy. The first type you blind steal like crazy & get out of the way when they wake up, the second type you've gotta start taking some chances with when it's down to push/fold mode.

Most people fall somewhere in the middle, and some are intelligent enough to have dynamic play. Not many at the $3 level though.

Well-timed aggression is very important at the end of SnGs, but when you get down shorter than 10BBs you've gotta start taking your chances. The proper balance of loose/tight depends on your opponents.

[bjsaust]

Read the threads on ICM and learn that.

[rvrking22]

Yeah your probably being to tight/passive when it comes to the bubble or maybe your games lacking the agg factor...Golden Rule: Your playing to win...not get ITM. That being said learn the fundamentals of blind stealing and changing gears when needed....also read up on so heads-up play...

So basically study the following and start to work it into your play:
1) Blind stealing
2) Turning up the agg factor (changing gears)
3) ICM ( once you understand this, your going to go from decent to solid)
4) General hand reading/ranging...

Most of these can be found on articles around here..or maybe try pocketfives...they have some good articels also...

[bjsaust]

Making it ITM is the single biggest ROI increase in sngs, so whilst the general rule of 'play to win' is good, making ITM is definately a valid goal to have. These arent MTTs where ITM is almost meaningless.

Spend a fair bit of time reading through the SNG forums, esp the stickies, you'll pick it up. Post some tournies there for feedback, probably the single best thing you could do for your game right now.

[vagrantjunki3]

[rvrking22]

I would argue that winning is close to the single biggest ROI increase in SnG...not saying that ITM is a bad thing but winning is still where its at..

[taipan168]

Hi and welcome to the forums, it's good to have you here. I agree with the suggestion to read the FAQs and stickies in the SNG forum, and to post hands and trimmed tourneys for advice.

Golden Rule: Your playing to win...not get ITM.

No no no no no, if I had $1 for every time I have to correct this, I'd be rich. We make the plays that are the most +EV for the situation. Sometimes this means playing to win, and sometimes it means playing to make the money.