fold preflop

Hi Guys, This is my first post on the forum.

I currently play low limit holdem, partly for fun, but also to try and make some extra cash. I'm also very interested in improving my poker game.

I have been playing for a number of years on William Hill, My Overall account on SnG's show's im in profit. I haven't played for a while and am trying to get my game back on track.

I've been reading different articles and experimenting and just wondering what everyones opinion is on this subject, i'm sure it vary's depending on your style of play.

I currently play 10 seater SnG low limit $.75 buy in, I am trying to decide whether to limp in an unraised pot with any two cards, at the early levels, and trying to hit a monster and then call when someone goes a bit crazy and goes all in with nothing and fold if i don't hit anything.

Or... Whether to just play tight at the beginning of the tournament and keep hold of those precious chips.

Any thoughts, ideas or percentages of people who have tried to use this strategy would be good.

Thanks

Steve :-)

I also play single table SnGs frequently.

My strategy for these types of tournaments (and early on in MTTs) is to play low-risk high-reward type hands, such as AXs, or pairs, obviously the big ones, like QQ, KK, and AA. With AXs, I limp hoping to complete a flush at some point in the hand. My reasoning with this is I can make the absolute nuts if I make the flush, and I also have fold equity if i decide to raise a flop with a four flush, which can win the pot right there, regardless if I hit my flush or not. Depending on your style, you can go as far with this type of play into the tournament as your stack enables, as i find it more common to see players re-raising all in with nothing but flush draws against big stacks. These stacks are more likely to call your raises with marginal hands hoping to knock you out, so if you hit your flush, you double up, but if you miss, hey, thats poker, you can't win em all, but you've got to take risks if you want to win, right?

As far as playing the big pairs, do what comes natural, but i say NEVER limp with big pairs, always raise. I see too often where a limper has AA and gets outdrawn by 68o and complains, he didnt protect the best hand from a drawing hand. Raise and hope to get someone to stack off preflop.

As for other pairs, like 88 or 44, I like to raise to get some money in the pot. If you hit a set on the flop, pump it up. If you dont, dump it. You didnt invest that much into the pot anyway because its the early stages and blinds are small, right? I say raise because its easier to get someone's stack of say 1500 when there is 400 in the pot and you hit and bet 300 than it is when your opponent has the same stack, but the pot is only 120 when you limp and you bet 80-150.

well... i dont know how much information is really in there, but some responses would be good i guess.

With 1 table tournaments, you don't have much time to sit around. For that reason, most people at the table will be trying to see flops and make hands. This is especially true at low limits. You can either play aggressively with them, or tighten up your game and wait for them to bet into your monster hands. Either way will work as long as you are aware of how everyone is playing. But remember, if you don't think you're going to win a hand, you shouldn't be putting any chips into it.

From my limited tournament experience I would say never limp.