For the last few months, I've focused almost exclusively on NLHE Sit n Gos. I've been strictly following the rule that I will not play a SNG for more than 5% of my online bankroll. So when the roll got to $400, I started playing $20 events. In the early part of this year, the roll kept dancing around $400-$600 and I occasionally dabbled in $30 SNGs. About a week ago, a boost sent me somewhat comfortably over $600 and I've graduated to the $30 level since then. So it's time for some observations.
1) Stronger Opponents. There's a noticeable difference in the quality of play for *most* players from $20 to $30 SNGs. Much more TAGgy play. Few (if any) abandoned pots. If nobody wants to go after a pot, these guys will. It's absolutely in your best interest to figure out who these people are up front - with hand history, betting patterns and just a little bit of observation, this is not hard to do. Last Hand playbacks and note taking are your friends.
2) Plenty of clueless donks. What's surprised me most is that there is still an abundance of clueless idiots - LAGs who will raise every hand; calling stations who can't get rid of J3c to a 5x raise; players who tilt after a lost pot. Probably one or two of these at a full table. There are also people who have no clue how to play short-handed or heads-up. I simply ran over someone a few nights back, starting heads-up with a slight chip disadvantage. I raised every hand on the button, took down tons of pots uncontested, and won it with very little risk.
3) The trend in my chipstack throughout the event is still typically the same. Rarely am I out early. Usually I chip down slightly, remain at or below average for most of the proceedings, and find myself under pressure as the bubble rolls around. That said, I can usually make hey around bubble time as most people still are trying to ensure the cash first and foremost. I do, however, need to figure out a way to accumulate a few more chips early on without taking on too much risk. Really need to read up and focus on this.
4) I still can't control myself against wicked LAGs and calling stations. They're oh so easy to spot and oh so tempting to try and double through. The problem is that I'm too eager to achieve this and I'll put myself in a bad situation against them. The other night, I have AQo in the BB. Folds around to the LAG on the button who just limps this time. I raise it 5x and he calls. The flop completely misses me, but he calls my c-bet. Turn is another blank and I get it all in against the guy. He calls...he has nothing but a gutter and two live cards and, well, enough said there. I need to pay special attention to this next point:
5) The correct approach is still to "out patience" the field. In SNGs, I've had my best runs of positive results when I take the approach of just trying to be more patient than the rest of the field. Yeah, you have to get aggressive in certain situations, but you get nowhere when you are playing speculative and often dominated hands like QJs, AT, etc. And you have to be willing to lay some hands down - especially those where you are trying to preflop raise just to take it down. As it gets closer to the bubble, I'll raise with any pair and most big to moderate aces, but if I'm played back at in these spots, it's often worth laying it down. You simply don't have the utility to call here with your stack in most situations.
6) Aggression on the bubble. Probably the best piece of advice I got out of Fischman's book a couple years back was that you can be aggressive on the bubble and build or repair a stack because so many people are overly cautious. Yes, if your stack is short and you get too frisky, you can get looked up, and you can always run into a monster. But simple 2.5x raises can often be good enough here - enabling you to steal the blinds without risking much of what you've got left. And if you're short, you often still have enough utility to shove - your 1200 chip stack can still be scary enough to someone with 3000 chips to deter them from coming along.
Rambling. Probably incoherent in spots. But this is what I'm experiencing. It's a noticeable shift from $10 and $20 events, in terms of the level of the opposition. The strategy and approach is still the same, though.
