Need a little advice

[Hawk_1MG]

I've been playing the $10 tables now at UB, and have consistantly making the last 5, but that's it. A couple of 3rd's, one 2nd and a 4th Place finish. I just can't put my finger on why my play allows me to get that far, but when the field narrows I get eaten alive. Looking for some articles or tips for how to play and finish off the remaining players.

I'm also looking for some post flop hand tips, like there are with the pocket cards.

Thanks,

^Hawk^

[ScanX]

u're talking about Sit&Go ? how many participants ? NL ? Fixed Limit ?

more info please :)

[Hawk_1MG]

Sit n go, NL 10 to start so I'm riding out half or better. I go into the final 5 with 3000-4000 and blow it.

Thanks,
^Hawk^

[HalfSugar]

Hey Hawk,

Until recently, I found myself in the same sort of position but I read some stuff, tried some stuff and now I find myself making the final 3 in about 75% of the Sit n Go's I enter.

The best advice I can give u is to keep doing wot u do (ie sit tight) until it gets down to about 5/6 players. Only play the real group 1 hands and don't be afraid to fold a 'big' hand with lots of players in if u are in a poor position in relation to the button. Too many people place an emphasis on building a decent early chip stack which is almost entirely useless in a NL 10 person SnG as the lead usually changes multiple times in the last 15 mins!

Once down to say 5 players, change up a gear and start playing 'lesser' hands such as suited connectors and A,X or K,X hands. Pre-flop raising when well positioned is a vital tool to building that all-important final 3 stack to give urself a decent chance of winning without relying solely on luck. About 5 mins ago I won a $5 SnG for $25 at UB and there was a spell where I made a conscious effort to change up a gear and I won 8 out of 9 hands on the trot taking me from slight short stack to slight chip leader with 4 others still in.

So, to sum up some ramble:

1) As the field lessens, change the starting hands u r prepared to play (still based on table position)
2) Don't concentrate on building a stack in NL too early - u will run into trouble
3) Pre-flop raise at the right times later on when u sense opponents' weakness or have a strong hand

I wish I could explain all that better but it's basically all about grabbing ur balls and taking some calculated risks if ur gonna make the final 3 or win

[Hawk_1MG]

That makes perfect sense Geno.

I think my biggest problem is knowing what I should stay in and play and what I should dump after the flop.

For example:

I Have Ac Kc in the pocket and the Flop is Ah Jh 2h
Now I'm thinking I'm in a good position so I raise, and get called.
Next comes a 3c, so I raise more aggresively and get called again.
River is Kh. Now what? There's 3500 in the pot and it's half of my chips.

I find myself staying in and getting beat by the flush or the straight to my two pairs, am I playing smart and getting beat by luck?

These type of situation are killing me. Do you have any good links for me to read on post flop decisions?

Thanks,

^Hawk^

[suds248]

Another piece of advice....Do more than wait for the perfect hand....wait for the perfect time to use that hand or any other top hand in which you may be able to trap your "heads-up" opponet in thinking he has the best hand when in reality you do. You can use this strategy when a sit-n-go gets down to three or four players and is best against a short stack or impatient/jackal type player.

[Hawk_1MG]

I finally won one! Did just like you said, grabbed my balls and played a few less than perfect openings. That allowed me to grind the opponents down and get an advantage.

Now if UB would stop dealing straights and flushes every other hand on the river, I'd be set.

^Hawk^

edit-

Now I've won 2, since posting and just took a 2nd Place. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction guys!

[nicthestick]

hawk..... I play a lot at UB.. I will look you up and try to sit and watch. My only advice is to play your players. By that i mean, some SNGs are tight and some are extremely loose, and you have to adjust your style to fit the game. Tight in a loose game, and loose in a tight game. Good luck, and see you there