ITH Poker Forum

[jeffnc]

Amidst the gloom and doom of online poker over the past several years (and getting worse if that's possible?), I look for ways to make it fun. I had my bankroll held in the initial crackdown, but fortunately didn't lose any in the long term. Now I just keep tiny amounts online to practice and play with. I've had a lot of research work to do on the computer lately, so playing on the side works for me. Less stressful

I always liked the idea of starting with $0 and trying to build up something from nothing. There are various ways to do this, but right now I'm on Lock Poker. They have an SNG Step challenge where you can freeroll 10 player SNGs with play money. Come top 3 in Step 1, get a ticket to Step 2. Get top 2 there and get a ticket to Step 3. Come in first in a Step 3, and win $1. You can then use that dollar to play cash games, or play more free SNGs. (Note: min buyin for NL cash game is $1.20, and for Limit is .40).

Who can get to $10?

It's actually a harder parlay than it first seems. Let's assume you're a decent player, who can cash in a small stakes SNG 3 out of 8 times, and come in 1st, 2nd and 3rd with equal frequency. For easy math let's use a $10 SNG with a $1 fee for example. You average a $100 payout for every 8 you enter, at a cost of $88, for $12 profit, or approximately a 14% ROI.

To win $1, let's work back from Step 3. 1st prize is $1, 2nd is another ticket to a Step 3 SNG, and 3rd is a Step 2 ticket. Assuming our outcomes from above, you'd need 8 Step 3 tickets to win $1. However, you're normally going to come in 2nd 1 time, which gives you a free Step 3 ticket, so let's assume you'd need to win 7 Step 3 tickets from Step 2.

Step 2 pays a Step 3 ticket for 1st and 2nd and another Step 2 ticket for 3rd. You'd get 2 Step 3 tickets for every 8 Step 2 SNGs you played. You need 7 tickets, so you need to play 28 Step 2 SNGs. However for every 8 you play you'll come in 3rd once, getting a free Step 2 ticket. So you really only need to win about 25 Step 2 tickets from Step 1.

At step 1 it's simpler - top 3 get step 2 tickets. To win 25 tickets you need to play approximately 66 Step 1 SNGs.

In other words, 66 SNGs at Step 1, 25 at Step 2, and 8 at Step 3 for a total of about 100 SNGs. Fewer if you're awesome, a lot more if you suck.

ICM would probably get tough, because it's hard to know how you should value 3rd place in Step 2, or 2nd or 3rd place in Step 3. For Step 1 of course it's a satellite, not a cash payout, so satellite rules apply (maybe you'll get a chance to fold AA, ha ha).

Strategy-wise, it wouldn't be a bad idea if you're short on time to just shove the first decent hand you get. If you double or triple, play out the SNG, otherwise start another. You can get 10 free Step 1 tickets per day.

[mash_tun]

I love the fact that you did this detailed analysis on how to go about winning $1 !!! Poker players are the best...

[jeffnc]

Tough times my friend

Just a little math and some free poker for diversion for anyone wiped out by the Full Tilt scandal.....

[mash_tun]

Tough times my friend

Just a little math and some free poker for diversion for anyone wiped out by the Full Tilt scandal.....

Yea...I count my blessings every day that I only had about $30 total on Stars and Tilt when Black Friday hit...

Serious suggestion: Have you considered trying to build a BR from nothing on Bodog? I believe that they have a handful of freeroll MTTs that run each day that you could try...

[CroMagnon]

I have a Lock acct with a few bucks. I didn't know about the steps. This sounds like a fun challenge. It will take me many months to get in a hundred sng's, but what else am I going to do with my poker time?

Thanks Jeff.

Cro

[kinnipak]

Lock took me to the cleaners with the small amt I had there....who am I kidding...I drove myself to the cleaners...I know..i know...

I'd love to give the steps a go...What else do I have to do?

*Note about Bodog

They used to have a daily freeroll that they no longer seem to run. Used to be at 8:40PM CST. Havnt seen it for a while...

Also, they have a points freeroll(min 30pts I think) for cash. I think that may be gone too...that or my settings are screwed up...

[jeffnc]

It will take me many months to get in a hundred sng's

You can always do 6 or 8 at a time of course.

[CroMagnon]

It will take me many months to get in a hundred sng's

You can always do 6 or 8 at a time of course.

Never been capable of playing more than two tables and even then lose most of the small edge I have over the monkeys.

Cro

[kinnipak]

They have an SNG Step challenge where you can freeroll 10 player SNGs with play money. Come top 3 in Step 1, get a ticket to Step 2. Get top 2 there and get a ticket to Step 3. Come in first in a Step 3, and win $1. You can then use that dollar to play cash games, or play more free SNGs. (Note: min buyin for NL cash game is $1.20, and for Limit is .40).

Jeff,

I'm sorry to be a dweeb, but all the "step" play money sng's I see are restricted. Can you or Cro shed any light on what I am missing? I'm in SNG tab, All, I see tons of "Fun Step 1, Fun Step 3..." etc. All Restricted...

Thx

[CroMagnon]

They have an SNG Step challenge where you can freeroll 10 player SNGs with play money. Come top 3 in Step 1, get a ticket to Step 2. Get top 2 there and get a ticket to Step 3. Come in first in a Step 3, and win $1. You can then use that dollar to play cash games, or play more free SNGs. (Note: min buyin for NL cash game is $1.20, and for Limit is .40).

Jeff,

I'm sorry to be a dweeb, but all the "step" play money sng's I see are restricted. Can you or Cro shed any light on what I am missing? I'm in SNG tab, All, I see tons of "Fun Step 1, Fun Step 3..." etc. All Restricted...

Thx

Interesting. I have always seen the Fun Steps and noted they were restricted and never checked further. If you open the lobby for one it directs you to purchase a ticket in the Player Admin. It's a button in the main lobby. Scroll down and you'll see Play Money. Click on that and you can use $250 of play money to buy a step 1 ticket.

Cro

[kinnipak]

They have an SNG Step challenge where you can freeroll 10 player SNGs with play money. Come top 3 in Step 1, get a ticket to Step 2. Get top 2 there and get a ticket to Step 3. Come in first in a Step 3, and win $1. You can then use that dollar to play cash games, or play more free SNGs. (Note: min buyin for NL cash game is $1.20, and for Limit is .40).

Jeff,

I'm sorry to be a dweeb, but all the "step" play money sng's I see are restricted. Can you or Cro shed any light on what I am missing? I'm in SNG tab, All, I see tons of "Fun Step 1, Fun Step 3..." etc. All Restricted...

Thx

Interesting. I have always seen the Fun Steps and noted they were restricted and never checked further. If you open the lobby for one it directs you to purchase a ticket in the Player Admin. It's a button in the main lobby. Scroll down and you'll see Play Money. Click on that and you can use $250 of play money to buy a step 1 ticket.

Cro

Thx! (again...)

Now teach me to grill like you.

[kinnipak]

For the record...I start the challenge with .27 cents in my Lock account

[kinnipak]

Played step 1 and won my first.

[kinnipak]

Played first fun step 2 and won...on to 3!

[CroMagnon]

Played first fun step 2 and won...on to 3!

GoGoGo Kinn! I played a few the other day and lost them all, but great fun as it costs nothing.

Somehow I doubt you need any instruction on grilling.

Cro