Alright, here's the deal...

I have been dealing with this issue for a very long time on PokerStars and FTP. I am a very cheap player, as I am a college student who doesn't have a ton of cash but I love to play the game. The thing is, I limit myself to 2-10 dollar SnG's, and the same goes for tournaments unless I get a satellite on FTP to a 26 dollar tourney.

I consider myself a student of the game, constantly learning and playing for about three years now. I have been focusing on books by Caro, Harrington, and Brunson. Harrington and Brunson write that you vary your play based on the players that surround you. If you encounter a table of skilled players, you should change your style throughout the course of a SnG or a tournament. If you play a donk, you play them straight up, with no cute moves.

The problem IS, is that when you play cheap, you are DESTINED to play an entire table of idiots who constantly make BAD MOVES. The moves are irresponsible and downright stupid sometimes. While these players don't win the SnGs, they still leave their mark at the table by knocking out decent and willing-to-learn-and-get-better players like myself.

This is INCREDIBLY discouraging, because with Harrington and Brunson telling me to play donks straight up, that means I have to wait for cards that will never come. When they do come, and if I CAN induce action, my Kings will get busted by A-7, and my stack will get crippled.

I am NOT good enough to master the skills of bluffing and pushing with higher stakes, but I ABSOLUTELY NEED to learn HOW to manage playing idiots for low stakes without having to beat them straight up with cards that may never come.

HELP ME FORUM!!!!

You have the right strategy already. In the long run you will win by playing in the way you are describing. It will just take a lot of patience.

BTW, I loved the way you called their plays irresponsible. I am going to be using this term a lot at the poker table from now on.

If the players are worse than you, then in the long run you will come out on top.

Generally wait for good cards and bet them hard to punish the donks. If they are passive preflop but willing to go broke with marginal hands after the flop then you should be limping small pairs/suited conenctors to see if you can win a big pot.

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Could god microwave a burrito so hot, that he himself could not eat it?

I play those levels too. Yep lots of plays by others that can put you on tilt and you end up playing worse than them.

Last few days I have been getting lots of crap cards dealt to me. Thing is, I am now not worrying too much if I can't get in on the action. I will fold until the cows come home and wait for the opportunities to present themselves. Last night played in a 45 man $6.50 turbo. I came third and played about 20 hands all up. Basically came down to push/fold. By this time the really crappy had been knocked out, and the really lucky crappy were there for the taking. The good players knew I had been playing like a rock and I was able to use position on them to take some good pots.

Just need to learn that opportunities will present themselves every now and again. Once you have picked up on them it is very difficult not to end up ITM. Yes you will still get sucked out on or caught in a trap/big play by others, but these will be limited due to playing really tight and really aggressive when you do have "something".

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My FTP 1000 $1 SnG Quest:

Played - 45, Won - 8, ITM - 17

Total won: $20.80
Win %: 9.00%
ITM%: 37.78%

I know exactly what you mean, you can play solid poker all you like but when your first open push with AK gets called with trash-trash and they catch a pair of trash to knock you out it makes you question whether it's worth the enjoyment of playing.

Question for sng players.. the whole idea behind push-fold poker is that short stacks can't call you lightly and must fold, therefore your pushing range is wider. However, if they will call you with any face card, you must be pushing premium hands. How does this work everyone is under pressure from the blinds but they continue to passively call bets?

Cliff notes plz.

I just woke up for third time and am going to bed again. By the time I wake up again and finish my coffee, I expect a good, concise report on my desk. k? ty.

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It's not like you get confused by bad players... it will only help you win... good players usually use psichologic methods to confuse you, they are the ones that will make you not know how to play your hand... I learned to basically play poker on freerolls, met lots of idiots, they were the ones that were my "meat", afterwards you learn how to think deeply for better opponents...

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Mac Poker Online
iMac Poker Online
High Stakes Report

Standard complaning about low level donk syndrome.

I prescribe a dose of vitamin samplesize+

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Could god microwave a burrito so hot, that he himself could not eat it?

LoL

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Mac Poker Online
iMac Poker Online
High Stakes Report

The lower levels of STT SNG are very beatable. The books you are reading are very good and will help you with your overall game. Unfortunately they do not give tons of insight into SNG strategy. SNG are different then ring games and MTT tourneys. The whole goal is to get itm, nothing else matters. you have to play tight agg poker, push premium hands and fold everything else. Do not chase hands early even with the proper odds. Your whole goal is save as many chips as possible to have better fold equity later on.

When you can afford it check out the cardrunners website. they have great information on playing sng

DaFish has started a thread on this a similar subject that should prove useful to you.

STT, 6-max turbo.

gl