So I’ve been working on my single table tournament skills recently. In fact, I’m focusing almost all my efforts on improving my SnG skill to the exclusion of my limit and multi-table tournament game. I’ve even gone so far as to retain the services of a coach to help me not suck at SnGs (Sit and Gos). After eliminating (reducing at least) my most glaring n00bified errors, I’m trying to improve my bubble play.
The biggest obstacle I have to overcome is a mental one, in my opinion. Bubble play appears to be mostly push/fold, and in some cases pushing all-in with any two cards (ATC). Using a tool called Sit and Go Power Tools, I attempt to identify positive expected value situations where going all-in may be the right move. Frequently SNGPT shows that a push with total crap for cards is +EV. For example the following hand from a SnG I played recently:
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t300/t600
2 players
Converter
Stack sizes:SB: t11860
Hero: t8140
Pre-flop: (2 players) Hero is SB with K♣ 4♥
Hero raises all-in t7540, BB folds.
Uncalled bets: t8140 returned to Hero.
Results:
Final pot: t300
Yeah, K4o from the small blind. Madness, but the math reveals it is a +EV push in some cases. This is perhaps the biggest concept that I’m trying to get my head around: Pushing with crap in certain positions, with certain stack sizes is +EV.
Take this hand, from the same SnG for another example:
No Limit Holdem Tournament
Blinds: t300/t600
3 players
ConverterStack sizes:
Button: t880
Hero: t4080
BB: t15040
Pre-flop: (3 players) Hero is SB with 5♠ 4♠
Button folds, Hero folds, Hero folds.
Uncalled bets: t600 returned to BB.
Results:
Final pot: t300
This is even more of a +EV situation than the last one. +0.9%EV for me, and +2.1%EV for the Button, who folded with me giving the BB a walk. Although I should mention that ALWAYS following SNGPT is probably the wrong thing to do. SNGPT can only tell you that the situation is potentially +EV, not that you will win, or that pushing is the right move.
In this situation it could be argued that holding back and waiting for the Button to bust out would be a decent call. Indeed, the button only has 880 chips and the blinds will chew up 800 of that unless he does something. Waiting for him to get blinded out means I’m in second place, gaining $10 in prize money by just folding. However, I’m not all that healthy stack wise either. With less than 7 big bets remaining in my stack so I can’t just sit around.
I have to be aggressive if I want a shot a 1st place, but pushing with less than optimal hands is a difficult concept. It runs counter to everything you learn when playing limit ring games. SnGs are a different breed of poker, and I’m going to have to overcome this fear of pushing junk in the right places if I want to get better.