I just finished a $1+.10 SNG at Ultimate Bet. I've played next to no NL, so this time I tried something different - I folded absolutely everything except high pairs (TT and up) Between the start of the tourney and the time it was down to three of us, I only played 2 hands - a QQ and a TT - winning them both. It was actually kinda fun watching everyone else knock themselves out.

Once it got down to three of us (all 3 were ITM), I started getting better cards and playing a lot looser - I was even in the lead for a while until I lost a bunch of chips on a high 2-pair vs. trips play. And then, a few hands later, this is what finished me off - all-in with TT vs. 67, and the guy gets both the 6 and the 7! (Is there some secret to getting UB hands to work in the converter? I couldn't get it to come out right).

Getting Hand History Information...
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Hand #8868539-62 at SnG-0003o (No Limit Hold'em Sit and Go)
Powered by UltimateBet
Started at 08/Oct/05 05:03:10

cardwiz62 is at seat 0 with 6375.
JIMANI is at seat 4 with 7500.
stickdude is at seat 6 with 1125.
The button is at seat 4.

stickdude posts the small blind of 50.
cardwiz62 posts the big blind of 100.

cardwiz62: -- --
JIMANI: -- --
stickdude: Tc Ts

Pre-flop:

JIMANI folds. stickdude goes all-in for 1125.
cardwiz62 calls.

Tournament all-in showdown -- players show:

cardwiz62 shows 6s 7h.
stickdude shows Tc Ts.


Flop (board: 3d Ac 6c):

(no action in this round)


Turn (board: 3d Ac 6c 7d):

(no action in this round)


River (board: 3d Ac 6c 7d 5c):

(no action in this round)




Showdown:

cardwiz62 has 6s 7h Ac 6c 7d: two pair, sevens and sixes.
stickdude has Tc Ts Ac 6c 7d: a pair of tens.


Hand #8868539-62 Summary:

No rake is taken for this hand.
cardwiz62 wins 2250 with two pair, sevens and sixes.
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If you come in second in a tourney because of a bad beat, that's winning poker.

Well done.

CJ

That's definitely not a bad strat for surviving the early stages of a low entry SNG and you'll probably turn a profit using it. Nashvegas has posted a great guide which is similiar to use but has more rigid guidelines. Check it out here: . The hand you went out on was a bad beat but you got your chips in with the best of it and that's all you can ask for.

You ONLY played pocket pairs ten and higher? You should at least be playing AK and AKs.

Nothing at all wrong with this strategy. You'll not win many, but you're a favorite to win money. AK is what one guy I know calls the workhorse of tournament play, along with AQs, but they are drawing hands. Pairs are the absolute foundation of THE and always win the most times. If you NEVER play a drawing hand, you'll be far ahead of most of the competition at low buy in SNGs and MTTs.

If you don't think this strategy will work, see my post about my last MTT. I played 6 hands outside the blinds in three hours and busted out 5 out of the money in a REBUY tournament. Almost 1100 people went broke before I did. Wouldn't you think the vast majority were playing draws?

As you go up in buy ins, the competition gets way better, but not a lot through the 33s. You won't find many really really good players, just more good players per table. At the 10s, you might find one pretty good, two or three at the 22s, and definitely two really good ones at every 33. (I've been told that this is the case for the 55s, too.)

I love playing tournaments. They reward your skills.

CJ

AK is not just a drawing hand. Many times when you see the flop, your A-high will be best. And with AK, you also have the best kicker to go with it. You beat every single unpaired hand! Always remember that most flops miss most people, which is the biggest reason why continuation bets are so effective.

Raising with AKo/s are +EV plays for sure.