ITH Poker Forum

[the_hawk]

OK, so staking done (for now) and I'm back in the Rush SNG 4+.40s (for now).

Only played a few tourneys so far (one min-cash from 6 or 7 I think) but I've already noticed some things. The 4s are MUCH MUCH softer than the 12s. The play is truly abysmal. Villains are just sooooo willing to give their stacks away (I have to admit including myself in this once or twice ) and it just seems so insanely easy to build a stack early. Then of course, after this, a lost flip doesn't usually mean end-of-tourney and so they are much easier to bear.

I've noticed you get A LOT more free / cheap cards than in the 12s. That's probably one adjustment I didn't quite make correctly at the higher buyin. In the 4s you can limp in with all sorts of speculative crap, especially in position, knowing you're likely to see a flop - and then just outplay them postflop.

It is surely impossible to get too wound-up by the beats when people do stuff like raise 3.5x from EP with 88, then 5-bet shove over my chunky 3-bet with AA and a relative shortie's 4-bet all in (with JJ). That the 88 binked is irrelevant. This is gonna be a gold mine as it was before.

[PauliF]

innit

[Llanlad]

How many players hawk ? and have often do they run ?

[Dogs]

How many players hawk ? and have often do they run ?

I shall field this, as when I dabble I also tend to play these.

They are SNGs 'on demand'. Sign up is like a regular SNG, and when 45 players are in the table fires up with a 2 minute count down. Players can join until the end of the 5th level. Ones I've played in have ranged from 150 - 450 runners. I've never taken more than 5-10 minutes before one has started, but I think hawk said in another thread he had been waiting 20 minutes (though that may have been at the higher buy in, and possibly even in a different time zone).

I am mildly addicted to them - I like rush, and when I get an urge to play these appeal to me more than any other game at the moment. Whilst hawk seems to do very well in them, I am over $150 down. The standard is clearly poor, and I think I contribute to that . However, I really do enjoy them and have no immediate plans to stop. I think I'm right in saying that first place gets approximately 20-25% of the money, so it's not far off $1 per entrant. All I need is one result...

[the_hawk]

Dogs basically has it nailed. The 4s go off more frequently than the 12s - the 20 minute wait mentioned is at the higher buyin at relatively quiet times, and is also because of a stubborn refusal to late reg (that's what the fish do).

Variance is high and 20+ tourneys without a cash is to be expected.

Once the field gets above a certain size (300 - 500 is standard) it is exactly 25% of the pool ($1 per entrant) first prize.

[chrisjp]

Just started playing these. Don't be afraid to jump in if it has already started and there are no more than 60-75 entrants. Usually this means they are in Level 1, or even haven't started. In those two minutes of "wait time" before the cards fly a lot of people register, and just after that too.

Chris

[mconstab]

You can keep these Hawk, does the best hand ever hold up?

[Dogs]

Do you change your style when the antes come in? I've noticed a number of people slow down. I've been continuing to 'rush', with the thought that the more hands I play, the more chance I have of being dealt something playable which will allow me to take down a decent pot. However, yesterday I went through a long dry patch as the blinds and antes increase, and my stack started dropping quite alarmingly. What approach do you think is optimum?

[the_hawk]

Do you change your style when the antes come in? I've noticed a number of people slow down. I've been continuing to 'rush', with the thought that the more hands I play, the more chance I have of being dealt something playable which will allow me to take down a decent pot. However, yesterday I went through a long dry patch as the blinds and antes increase, and my stack started dropping quite alarmingly. What approach do you think is optimum?

By "rush" I guess you mean (something like) "quick fold a lot, even in potential steal spots in mid or even late position pre". This is definitely best early on IMO. I QF a lot of buttons or even SBs that are steal spots, even with reasonable hands (Ax in SB say), in favour of playing as many hands as possible (it's the doubling-up hands rather than the stealing hands that matter).

But you will find steals to be incredibly effective when antes kick-in. Your cards matter little if at all - you can often play pretty much any 2 first-in, especially in the last couple of seats. You will be +EV even if you play fit-or-fold (muck to any 3-bet pre and only play post if the flop wallops you in the face), but you'll also find the c-bet to be an incredibly good friend.

[Dogs]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. I wasn't so much asking about steal hands, but the choice of quick folding vs letting the action come around to you and taking more time to fold. As an example, let's say you're on the button with junk and would fold if there's a raise in front of you. If UTG puts in that raise, how long before you hit the button? I'm trying to work out if I should still be playing as many hands as possible, or slowing down to save on the antes.

That said, I probably don't steal as much as I should as the blinds increase.

[the_hawk]

I'm trying to work out if I should still be playing as many hands as possible, or slowing down to save on the antes.

You're kidding, right? (Assuming not, you turbo-mash that QF button and play absolutely as many hands as you can as quickly as you can).

Each and every hand is +EV and this increases with antes.

[Dogs]

Not kidding, just not very good at this game .

My instinct was to play as many hands as possible, but yesterday I saw my stack tumble from 18k down to about 12k in a very short time where a) I was being dealt crap and b) I never seemed to be first in. During the same time, the short stacks were hanging on, and only about 2 people were knocked out (about 30 left at this point). I am playing for first, but was mildly perturbed that I went from average stack to push/fold in the blink of an eye. It was enough to make me raise the question. Which is now answered, thank you.

[chrisjp]

There is a big difference between being itm with more than 2 tables remaining, and when it gets down to 18. When it gets to 18 you are playing 6 handed and some, usually most, are not getting cute but rather waiting for a hand because they want to make the Final Table. This is when stealing is at a premium. Just raise the min first in, or a bit more. And take notes.

Before this you have to respect people who raise first. Don't get too cute with raises and limit them usually to legit hands or late position steals.

But the more hands the better! However, I do slow down to take notes when we get to 18--esp want to note those that will be playing like I am and trying to get a stack regardless of cards.

Chris

[the_hawk]

Just a quick update... my volume has dropped to just about zero over the past few weeks. Quite a bit else going on is preventing me from playing much, and when I do play I'm getting panned every time (something like one min-cash in the last 35 tourneys or so). A typical MO has been play one or two tourneys, get absolutely nowhere, get pissed off with it, do nothing at all for a few days, rinse, repeat. Not terribly bothered about it TBH.

[Dogs]

I've been having the same problem where I simply don't manage to cash. I've dropped over $200 on them now. In my case it's probably just from being shit though.