>>I'm giving S&G's a try again. I tried to use NashVegas's system before but wasn't as successful at it as it seems a lot of others have been. So I quit playing them for a couple of months. Now, I'm wanting to try them again and have played a couple of them on Stars but have yet to even crack the top 4. It seems like I'm playing so damned tight using this system that by the time I do get to play a hand, I've been blinded down so far (or everyone else has left me far behind which seems like the same thing since they have me covered stack wise 3 times over or more) that I can't really plan on playing a hand without getting all-in.<<
If you're getting short stacked, the question is...when? If you're getting short stacked at anything under 100/200 on PS, then you may be playing too many hands. If you really are playing tight, then you absolutely must start relaxing your starting hand requirements as the blinds go up. On the Study Hand #2 thread, the question was Is AT UTG a marginal hand or not? 5 handed, I think, is right at the borderline.
Consider A8. Harrington calls it his crossover hand. He dominates more Ax hands than is dominated. That's an example of stuff you have to consider as the blinds increase. Even with the bigger stacks on PS, the blinds will continue to creep up on your ass.
A useful discussion would be what hands you need to start playing in later rounds.
>1. What is this "pushbot" style you keep mentioning?
This is a style that has developed on 2+2 by the math whizzes using some programs which analyze the +-EV situation with various hands. Primarily, it sets a threshold of 10 BBs. If you're below 10BB, then you should be pushing hands that you might want to raise. If you have a hand that you would raise 3BB, that would leave you with only 7BBs to play post-flop. Pushing, you have the advantage of folding equity, which is the difference between what they would call with vs what they would fold with. By pushing, the opponent feels he needs a stronger hand to call with.
Some have taken this to an extreme. Push/fold. It puts a lot of pressure on opponents, but it doesn't really work on good players. Works every time but the last time.
It's primarily a strategy for Party Poker, where you're always short stacked, and for those who have poor post-flop skills, imo.
>>2. During stage 2, do you play any hands (preflop) other than what you would play during stage 1? I know the strategy says to call an all-in with PP's down to 88 and Ax down to AT but I mean are there any other hands a person should be playing like a "normal" ring game? <<
This is truly impossible to answer. Yes, I play all kinds of hands. Kx is one of my favorites. It depends on the table and the opponents and my position. I guess one just gets a better feel with experience. I'm playing even more hands now than I did just a short time ago, as I'm more comfortable with post-flop play. I hardly ever push unless I'm at 8BB or under.
>>3. During stage 1 and especially during stage 2 when your stack is likely to be lower than it was when you started, are you looking to get all your chips in the middle preflop? Or is it wiser to see a cheap flop and then get them all in if you hit the flop? I guess I'm kinda lost as to how much to be betting during these early stages. <<
Sorry to say, but it depends. I think the true good poker player is one who takes advantage of the opportunity presented. Too often people are looking for the "big kill," getting all their chips in the middle with a big hand. Unfortunately, they just don't come that often. Usually, the difference in winning and losing is being able to get chips without any hand at all. Sometimes I try to keep down the pot, if I've got a weak but possible hand or I'm out of position. Other times I'm looking to build a pot, if I've got good cards. Anytime I leave chips in someone else's stack that I could have/should have gotten, I'm disappointed.
>>4. I know a lot of folks like plaing the S&G's at Stars but since there is only 9 players instead of 10 the prizes are lower. Does this make Stars S&G's less desireable?<<
I got back and forth on this. I like the bigger stacks, as I feel I have an advantage playing post-flop. But, the score is smaller and they take longer. I like the Turbos. It's a nice compromise.
I can kick butt on Party, but it's not much fun. It doesn't feel at all like poker. It's very cut and dried and too often comes down to pushbotting.
Hope this helps.
CJ
