SNG's are they getting tougher?

AcidJoe

I've been playing a lot of $11 and $22's SNG's on poker room. In the last 2 weeks they seem to really have toughened up. An example I played 61 minutes and bust out 3rd, Play 55 minutes and bust out 7th, play45 minutes and bust out 8th. Gone are the days when you play tight for 20 minutes and your sitting with 4 or 5 left.

Anyone else finding this or is it just me. Or is it time to pack up and go back to the party. It's taken a chunk out of my ROI, however my ITM is staying constant at about 43%, it's just hard to make a good run when you end up short chipped along with 5 others and maybe 2 big stacks. If you catch cards and double up it seems to be ok.

Or is it time to play aggressive all the way through now and not play so tight early.

Metro

Havent played the poker room ones for awhile.

However, I found in the past that PR SNGs were generally a little tougher during the 3-7 period. I actually wouldnt even play during that time because it simply wasnt as profitable. I would wait for the 8-10 crowd - where as you mentioned - you can be down to 4 or 5 opponents before the 4th blind level.

Party is good anytime - Only an 800 starting stack - so I play tight early - pick on maybe one weak player and by the 4th level a few ppl are definatetly out.

GTA Poker

I find the Stars SNGs the same as always, can't comment on pokerroom.

AcidJoe

I guess it's time to move from poker room then. Last night 8 people left after 55 minutes. This morning 6 of us after an hour. It ends up being an all in luck fest at that point. After your all in with AK s and get called by A 8 off and he hits his 8. With blinds at 150/300 and 8 people in everyone is short stacked almost. I guess it's back to the party.

WaterLooser

Is it time to consider a change in strategy? If everyone is so tight, maniac it up and build up a chip lead so that when bingo time comes you can ride out the pressure? Is that easier said then done? ... probably.

AcidJoe

I've tried that and end up getting killed. After a few raises you'll start getting pressure back. A pair of 6's will start to move in on ya. Ring games I can play like that SNG's are a different story because the all in is just the buy in not real money. I may just move back to ring for a bit too.

Flint Bones

I find Party and Paradise SNGs are pretty easy. I usually finish in the money (4 out of 5? on average). I have found as my skills improved the SNGs got easier and easier. Even at the high limits.

DrTyore

Joe

I play at pokerroom a lot as well, and I've noticed they've gotten tougher also!! It's very strange, but I'm only hittin $ in like 2-3 out of five now...

Mark

westside8

Maybe its due to the fact that some players' loved one got Harrington on Hold'em for Christmas?

Hammer

Hey Flint, no offense but I find I impossible to believe that you finish in the $$$$$ 80% of the time on Party and Paradise. If that was the case you would be playing the biggest sng's there is, all the time. That is just a ridiculous statement to make.

Hammer

ScoobyD

Agreed. 80% is well beyond sustainable. I seem to remember a 2+2 article that the upper limits are around 44-45% ITM (4 of 9). I believe there was a forum article earlier where SirWatts posted a bunch of ROI figures for various buyin levels (also from 2+2).

harthgosh

INTERESTING you say this about pokerroom. I recently was doing some SNG experiments. Well I played 23 on pokeroom without 1 cash. Obviously that site is rigged or its like teams of people playing against you, or I was extremly unlucky. If you understand the way I play, for me to not cash in 23 low level sngs in a row on one site is probably 1billion-1 shot. I quit that site obv hahaha. As far as party and pokerstars, well stars is easy cuz you can set people up, and party u gotta play like a rock.

After 100 22$ on party i cashed in almost half of them. Then in my next 100 i faired much worse (still +ROI). For someone to cash 80% over the long term is seemingly a joke. Over short term anything could happen. I won 6 $27 turbos in a row on stars once 1st1st1st1st1st1st so if thats possible anything is possible (including losing 23 in a row no cashes).
FWIW

GTA Poker

I've had several streaks of 8-9 ITM (top 2) on the 6 handed $35s on Stars, don't know what the 9 handeds are like as I tend not to play them much other than the occasiional $55.

If you're looking to build back your confidence and decrease your variance then the best spot is the 5 handed sngs on Pacific. Top 3 get money (basically 3rd you lose your vig and top 2 make something). Pretty tough to lose $$ there.

AcidJoe

Thanks everyone for your input. While I haven't seen you play harthgosh, I"ve heard about you so for you to be otm that many seems odd.

My last 24 SNG's have averaged over 50 minutes long (even counting my otm experiences) with 2 1st 2 2nd and 6 3rd. Previously a SNG would average 43 minutes when I was running at a 22% ROI and a 43% ITM rate. All my ITM's have gone at least 60 minutes outside of 1. While my ROI has dropped dramatically my ITM rate has dropped but not as bad. The big however is the number of 3rds as opposed to anything else.

Once I've cleared my eurobet bonus I may pack up and go elsewhere, I"ve also started adding ring games to the bonus clearing which still seem to be full of donks. OH well 1,000 more points to go and I can keep the bonus.

Flint Bones

I have no reason to lie about my recent success at Party. Most of the time I am finishing third. But I am making the money. Perhaps it is not exactly 80% but I would appreciate not being called a liar for no reason. It is not a ridiculous statement. It is a very low range (maybe 20-25 of my last SNGs). The first 50 weren't as good.

ScoobyD

Hey Flint, no offense intended, and I didn't think you were lying. I was just saying 80% is unsustainable over the long haul. I think if you'd qualified the 80% with a "lately" (ie. your last 20-30 SNGs), I'd agree that's nowhere near a ridiculous statement (gotta love those heaters).

Flint Bones

I know 80% is unsustainable. There is now way in hell I will keep that up. Just lately it seems that there have been a heck of a lot of weak players. Ie calling an all in with 8 3 suited. Who does that?

AcidJoe

Not that it really answers anything but this was posted on another forum:

I've been on PokerRoom the past two months. For the first month I did amazingly well, but the past month I've noticed significantly tighter play. I don't like 6-player "bubbles" (still feels like a bubble to me due to so many people being close to short-stacked and the tightness that follows). Lately I've been losing the 60/40s and 70/30s a LOT, so pre-flop has been screwing me. I've also been outdrawn on river after pushing all-in on flop/turn.

Maybe it's not just me after all

GTA Poker

pot odds

AcidJoe

never mind anything I've previously said.. OMG i started pla PLO and it's fish city. Hoem'em is the game of choce but let me fish,......

DrTyore

Hey Joe...

Told you about the OM didn't I?

Anyways.. just as an addition, I played a $10 SNG today on pokerroom, it lasted 1hour and 40 minutes... 21 minutes at heads up.. how obscene is THAT?!?!?!

Mark

AcidJoe

LOL maybe they are loosening up again. Had 3 ITM finishes in under 45 minutes. Actually the one game we were 3 handed with 75/150 blinds.

Preroller

The last 2 days out of 10, 6 man Sn'Gs I have made it to heads up 8 times and 3rd twice, zero wins...and Ive entered the final 2-3 with big chip leads for the most part. I have AK, they have KQ hit the Q...I make a J high straight, they hit the Q high, 2 paris, no problem, straight, it's getting very frustrating...then as soon as they take the chip lead away, I get to look at all the pretty non face cards, till im blinded out.

AcidJoe

Funny thing happened at the ranch...... I played a few stars sng's to see what happens. a 2nd in 73 minutes and a first in 1 hr 32 minutes. I guess Party is the only fish tank left.

GTA Poker

Try the Stars 6 handeds, fish in a barrel.

And those aren't necessarily greater than average times for the non-turbos on Stars depending on your HU style.

AcidJoe

Really GTA? I used to love the Poker room full tables because they would never go more than an hour. It's just too much work to stay focused for that long LOL. I guess it's good training for next weekend.

moose

Joe did you notice the blinds are timed now instead of going up every 10 hands? I imagine that is what is the reason for the change in the length of the tourneys at Pokerroom.

GTA Poker

AcidJoe wrote:

Really GTA? I used to love the Poker room full tables because they would never go more than an hour. It's just too much work to stay focused for that long LOL. I guess it's good training for next weekend.

I don't play the full tables too much on Stars, but I know that when I rarely do ($30-$50) that the average time would likely be 1:15 with 1:30 not being unusual.

The 6 handeds ($35) tend to last 40-50 mins with alot of that time being spent heads up at times.

westside8

Just been getting back playing SnG on Stars, just $10+1, and the occasional $12+1 (6 handed). Tonight alone, I have had 2 SnG where the first knockout wasn't until the 4th blind level, and I also had a couple where the entire SnG finished within an hour.

So what did that mean? It depends

AcidJoe

Yes Moose I did notice the blinds are timed (8 minutes) instead of every 10 hands and for a while it didn't do anything to the overall length, however recently there has been a dramatic increase in length. I'm also wondering how much this has to do with Roy Rounder and his sit and go shark that's being peddled with a sign up to poker room.

moose

What I find really dumb though about PR sng is the 5 min break every hour. You get down to 3 handed or even heads up and then we take a break. Stupid waste of time.