Section 11

Rock, Gambler, Solid, Maniac, Fish….What kind of player are you? More importantly what kind of player is your opponent? For a long time now I have generally agreed with the statement that there is not a significant skill difference between the different levels of SnG up to the $100 buy-in point. The statement may still be true, but I have spent a considerable amount of time pondering it recently and I no longer agree…at least not completely. While the skill level of the individual player may not increase discernibly when moving from the $5 to the $10 level, the overall table texture is radically different. I believe that is where the distinction lies….the individual player’s skill levels may not increase significantly, but the way they interact with their opponents seems to have a cumulative effect on the play at the table, generally making the game harder to beat.

Consider this; what makes a successful $50 SnG player so different from a successful $10 SnG player? Generally speaking, nothing at all…..they both have the same basic set of poker skills; they have the same win rate or ITM%. So why does one play at the $50 level and the other play at the $10 level? Funding or bankroll is probably a significant factor. Confidence may be another. If both players have the same amount of experience, what makes the $50 player tougher to beat…..my guess is confidence. Call it a higher tolerance for loss, but the players at the higher levels seem to have shed the fear of losing more than their lower level counterparts. Of course this is assuming that they are equal in skill. In the real world, people start playing at a lower level and slowly step up as their skill and bankroll increases. So why do so many people think there is little difference between the levels? I suppose poker forums like this one are populated by people who take the game more seriously than the average player….perhaps the countless hours of reading and debating poker topics has granted them the ability to learn the game more quickly than their more recreational counterparts. The perception is that if an individual is beating the game consistently, then it must not be any more difficult than the previous level that they were beating at the same rate. This kind of thinking does not take into consideration the dramatic improvement of the solid player’s game….therefore he perceives the competition is no more difficult, they simply have more disposable income. I firmly believe this is not true…and this misconception can be dangerous to a generally good player who is considering moving up in SnG buy-in level. We have all seen it time and time again….a player is running good at the $5 SnG level. He has been at 48% ITM over 100 games and moves to the $10 level. At the $10 level he is at 45% ITM over 100 games….slight decrease, but still pretty solid. Then he moves to the $20 or $30 level and tragedy strikes….all of a sudden he is ITM 32% of the time and when he does get heads up, he takes second place far more than first. Of course you could say it is an anomaly…or that he is just on a losing streak – it happens to everyone. All of this is true, but I have seen this so often and so consistently that I believe the players are just that much better, and our poor misguided neophyte has not increased his skill enough to be competitive.

To me, it seems to have a nearly mathematical progression to it. At the $5 SnG level, you may have one, possibly two somewhat experienced players, with the rest complete beginners. At the $10 SnG level you may have two or three players with experience. At the $20 level you may have three or four decent to solid players….at the $30 level you are looking at maybe five solid players and the rest inexperienced, or just plain bad. At the $50 level you will find five or six good player per table and at the $100 level you may find as many as seven good players at a single table. The point is that although the individual skill level may not increase dramatically the cumulative effect of more good players at the table makes the game tougher to beat. We have all been there….I have seen it in the Gauntlet countless times. When you are playing good players you tend to play better….you rise to the challenge. When there are more good players at the table they are constantly challenging each other essentially elevating everyone’s game. Just because it is a $20 SnG does not mean there will not be very good and experience players there. Just ask one of the poor unfortunate souls that have wandered into one of our “grudge” matches. Several days a week you will find a $20 SnG with Soupie, Radashack, Mike4066, ihategnomes, Corey, Phlegm, Obertray and myself (or some combination thereof) on Poker Stars…along with 2-4 unsuspecting individuals rounding out the field. We play these games for fun and as training/practice exercises, and I’m sure the anonymous players have no idea what hit them when it is all said and done. No cheating, no collusion….just several experienced players pushing each other to play better….and to a lesser degree this is what happens as you step up in SnG levels. You have tables with a higher percentage of solid players pushing each other to play better.


Section 11 Summary

• What kind of player are you in relation to your opponent
• Individual skill level vs. cumulative skill level
• Consistent increase in skilled players at higher levels
• Beware of the $20 SnGs on Stars