STT Strategy Guide

NickyOD · 07-05-2007, 21:52

Here are some tips for playing STTs on line. These are based on my experiences playing $50 and $100 STTs on Party Poker but can and should be applied to STTs on any site. A lot of this is also relevent to multis particularly short stack strategy.

1) When the blinds are small:

Unlike multi table tournament where you have longer blind levels and more oponents to get through. it’s not okay to limp in and see lots of flops early on. Some players like to speculate by limping in with 9T or calling raises with 78s. Don’t do it. The same goes for playing small pairs from early position. They are simply not worth your investment and be careful about overcalling preflop raises with them.

Also don’t bother playing hands like JT/KT/JQ in MP unless there has been limpers. These hands are garbage. Don’t open raise with them unless its folded to you and you are atleast 2 seats from the Cutoff. Fold them in earlier positions and always straight fold KQ, AJ to a raise

2) Don’t go crazy with AK/AQ.

It’s ok to limp with these hands from EP (but I’d probably fold AQ UTG 9 or 10 handed) early on and to cold call raises with them in position (but not all the time) Also you can probably straight fold these hands in MP when faced with a strong UTG raise.

3) Preflop Raising.

I generally raise 3.5BBs until the blinds get big. Any hand I raise with I want to either take the blind, gets heads up or have someone reraise me. There is no hand I would raise with in a STT where I want more than one call and you might be surprised the extra bit of respect raising a little more than the usual 3XBB gets. You are basically announcing. "I have a hand, If you want to play with me you better have something"

20/40 Open taise to 150
30/60 to 200/220
50/100 to 350.
Then always 3BBs on higher levels.

I would never raise light preflop when the blinds are big. I see some players make it 500 when blinds are 100-200 or to 1000 when the blinds are 200-400. I don’t think this achieves anything other than to lessen the chance of your blind steals getting through.

Also when there are limpers you will need to increase you preflop raise considerably to thin the field. Just be certain you hand is strong enough to commit that amount of chips. If not then consider limping or maybe even folding. These sort of hands might be AT or KJ.

4) Postflop.

Generally you should be very consistent with your postflop bet sizing. This will make you unreadable but bet more with your big hands against stations. Alternatively underbet the flop against these players if you feel it will entice a raise. For example. UTG raises and you make a reraise from the button with KK. UTG calls. His range is as bad as KJ and AT here. If the flop is 6-6-2 or Q-7-3r, then one of you is miles ahead of the other, so lets say there is 650 in the pot. Betting 300 is perfectly fine as you don’t mind the villain calling and would love it if he raised. It’s very difficult for any player to release a hand like 99 on either of these flops, so don’t make it easy for him by betting 600. Extracting the maximum from your bigger hands postflop will give you an edge over other above average STT players.

When blinds are big and post-flop the pots begin to represent very big portions of your stack then overbetting the pot by straight pushing with TP (or even with no pair as a continuation bet) when the pot is close to the size of what you have left behind is perfectly fine.

5) Reading what min raises mean.

Be aware that a minimum raise can mean absolutely anything so exercise caution when dealing with them. Generally though they tend to follow certain patterns. A UTG min raise is often a sign of strength while a min raise from MP or the button (especially the button) is more likely to be a weaker hand and you should quite happily reraise here with any hand you would normally open raise with. Also minimum reraises are pretty much always TT-AA and AK/AQ with a greater probability of being QQ-AA.

When you see a min raise take into account several things. Most important is the stack size. A min raise from a short-stack is more likely to be a big hand but sometimes could also be a desperate attempt to pick up the blinds cheaply and add to their dwindling stack.

Min raises from the small blind are tricky and without a note on a player can mean anything. A lot of the time it is no real hand at all but be aware that when blinds are big some players just make a minimum raise with pretty strong hands, even AQ shorthanded. I have sometimes been suckered into pushing over the top of a min raise from the small blind when I'm in the BB with A8 only to be called by AJ.

6) Blind stealing.

Stealing blinds and bullying shorties is absolutely the most important skill in STTs and to miss even one blind steal is considered heresy, so paying attention and picking your spots is imperative.

One thing that is important to realise is that when blinds are big and you are going to raise with the intention of folding to a shove then you should be raising with any 2. Say for example the blinds are 200/400 and you have stack of 5600. The 2 tight players behind you have about 4,200. Neither of them is going to smooth call you. You have A-5 and decide this is a strong enough hand to steal the blinds with so you make it 1200 to go. It’s fine to fold if someone shoves. Now if a player is dealt T-4o in this spot they might decide that this hand is not a blind stealing hand without realising that the cards are irrelevant because there will never be a showdown.

Be careful when blind stealing with bad hands when there are shortstacks behind you. If they are particularly short then it might be profitable to go for a blind steal with any Ace or King or hands as bad as J-T but work out your odds if you are forced to call a RRAI BEFORE you go for the blind steal. Don't pot commit yourself with garbage because doubling up short stacks unnecessarily isn't clever.

On the bubble apply as much pressure as possible on the players looking to blind into the money and be astute enough to realise that when there is a very short stack at the table, you can bully the crap out of the players who don’t want to blow up or get unlucky and have the shortstack outlast them.

Never let your stack get so low that it is gauranteed you will get called when you push. Although this number can change from tournament to tournament, a good guideline is that you want to maintain at least 10xBB. This gives you enough for a sizeable allin raise, and makes it possible that a reraise allin of a 3xBB open raise can make your opponent fold (i.e. so that you can resteal.) I cannot stress how important it is to not fall below 8xBB, especially around the bubble. If you let yourself whittle down to 5xBB, everyone (especially the big stacks) will DEFINATELY bully you around. Your stack won't put a significant dent into their stacks, and it isn't much for someone to call you with mediocre holdings or push on your blind. When you let yourself bleed off you really only leave yourself the chance to get lucky on a double up. It is very hard to steal with a 5xBB stack. And, around the bubble people won't fold to your allin steals as much because it doesn't bust them. When you maintain a 10xBB stack you can get respect and have the chance to accumulate chips when everyone tightens up.

It is especially important to apply this to STTs, where around the bubble you If you have a 5xBB stack, you will get bullied and the blinds will eat your stack faster. If you maintain a 10xBB stack, though, you can target those trying to squeak into the money (and you're not one of them... right?) and steal their blinds.

7) Playing the shortstack.

As a short stack, you want to make aggressive moves that will allow you to build a healthy chip stack, and put yourself in a position to move up the payout ladder. You also want to avoid blinding off without a fight, leading to busting right after the bubble, or worse, bubbling. I am not saying to panic and to start pushing with anything. I am illustrating a way to maintain patience while accumulating chips.

This is really important and probably the biggest hole in most players games so I’ve written quite a bit on this, Even non turbos descend into crapshoots when its 4 or 5 handed, sometimes sooner, so learn how to pick your spots to push. When you have 10BBs or less just go all in preflop except maybe if you have AA/KK where you should probably just make a standard raise. Don’t limp or min raise.

When you have 8BBs or less and its folded to you in the SB you should push into a bigger or similar sized stack with any 2 cards unless there is a very shortstack about to bust that will move you up the money.

Don’t over push with Ace-rag when shortstacked. 5 handed, if you have 8.5BBs UTG with A-5 it is a fold but KQ is a push and with 6BBs I’d probably push with 9T suited from first position 5 handed.

Be careful when calling all-ins from shortstacks. Don’t overcall a RRAI with Ace-Rag. Often when it appears you’re pot committed you might not be. 2:1 might not be enough to call a RRAI with A-2 against certain tight players. The biggest blow ups 3 or 4 handed in STTs are from players over playing Ace rag by overpushing or reraising all-in with them in very bad spots.

Also be careful about pushing into the big stacks with crap hands from the SB when it might be an autocall for them. You may have more success if you wait to push on the button the next hand with any 2 because the big blind is tighter and can’t easily afford to call you.

Let's say the blinds are 100/200 (for easier math.) You have 2000 chips.

In this first situation, you are in the SB with T-9s against an average TAG. They will call your allin with A-K, A-Q, A-J, K-Q, A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, and T-T.

Those hands constitute (.018) + (.048), or 6.6% of possible hands your opponent has been dealt. (I know I am ignoring the fact you have a Ten but that is a minute difference and would only serve to complicate this beyond reason.) This means that you will not be called 93.4% of the time. Your win % against this hand range, when called, is 33.7%. There is 300 in the pot and you have 1900 more. So your expected value is:

EV = .934(300) + .066*.337(2200) + .066*.663(-1900)
EV = +245.99, or slightly less than +1.25BBs on average. So, in this situation, moving in is a correct move.

In this next situation, you are in the SB against a maniac with a huge stack. You have A-4o. You guess the maniac\'s calling range to be any of the 13 A-x hands, any of the 13 pairs, and the other 6 \"Broadway\" hands. This means you will be called 28.7% of the time and will win 42.0% of the times you are called.

EV = .713(300) + .287*.420(2200) + .287*.580(-1900)
EV = +162.81, or about .79 BBs gained on average.

Now you are in the cutoff on the bubble with three very tight players behind you, that will only call with A-A, K-K, Q-Q, and A-K. (I know this situation is unlikely but its just here to illustrate a point) One of the three will pick up one of these hands 2.55% of the time. Ignoring the times when more that one person picks up one of these hands, there is 7.4% one of your opponents has one of those hands. You have 9-2s. You will win only 25.3% of the time you are called. You are moving in for 2000 to win 300.

EV = .926(300) + .074*.253(2300) + .074*.747(-2000)
EV = 210.30, or an average gain of slightly more than one big blind. Surprisingly, this is a positive expected value move.

Finally, you are in EP (Button -4) with 6 people behind you, all of whom are very tight and will only call you with A-K, A-Q, A-A, K-K, Q-Q, and J-J. You have A-Jo. An opponent will get one of these 5.4% of time time, and (once again ignoring repeats) you will get called 28.3% of the time by an opponent. You win % against this hand range when called is 25.6%.

EV = .717(300) + .283*.256(2200) + .283*.744(-1900)
EV = -39.37, or an average loss of more than an eighth of a big blind.

Here, you have a negative expected value even though each individual opponent will rarely call, and you have Ace-Face. An important note is that holding T-9s would make this move have a positive EV of almost one quarter a BB (31.73 chips)

It is important to apply this advice in the correct context. I have given you a few situations and shown you how to do some of the math. I realise that these calculations would be very hard to do within your allotted amount of time. But if you play around with some of the numbers, you can come up with answers to common situations. Personally, I do a quick guestimation based on what I think my opponents will call with and a quick evaluation of what I think my win % will be. As you do more of these calculations, split second guestimations can become part of your game. Until then, evaluate some situations for yourself. You may be surprised with some of the results you get. And remember, as you push in more, people's hand calling ranges open up, so take that into consideration when you make your calculations.

The Sheriff 101 · 07-05-2007, 22:01

Nice post

insafehands · 07-05-2007, 22:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyOD

Unlike multi table tournament where you have longer blind levels and fewer oponents to get through. it’s not okay to limp in and see lots of flops early on.

?

MacStacked · 07-05-2007, 22:26

vnp nicky, fair play.

NickyOD · 07-05-2007, 22:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by insafehands

?

ok, ok I fixed it. Such an obvious typo!!

breadmonkey · 07-05-2007, 22:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyOD

be astute enough to realise that when there is a very short stack at the table, you can bully the crap out of the players who don’t want to blow up or get unlucky and have the shortstack outlast them.

When you have 8BBs or less and its folded to you in the SB you should push into a bigger or similar sized stack with any 2 cards unless there is a very shortstack about to bust that will move you up the money.

Nice post but these two bits seem to contradict eachother.

NickyOD · 07-05-2007, 22:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by breadmonkey

Nice post but these two bits seem to contradict eachother.

They don't.

sikes · 07-05-2007, 22:34

You seem to have completely ignored the only concept which is critical to success in SNGs, and how they differ from cash, ICM. There is no point doing usual EV calculations without considering ICM.

Theres some good advice there but some I disagree with.

1)Limping is fine in the early stages becuase bad players generally dont make it too far. Limping hands like 78s etc is fine.

However, you dont want to play hands like JT, KQ, KT in a multiway pot, so you should never overlimp them because they dont play well in multiway pots, unless they are suited of course.

2) Never open limp AK utg in a sng, thats just really really bad. Its very unlikely we are getting raised by weaker hands. We want to play the hand heads up being the aggressor not in a multiway limped pot, or passively heads up.

6) sometimes you have to blind into the money, becuase not doing so is pissing $$ away. Its also very difficult to set thresholds in BB terms without any knowledge of other stacks and total BBs in play.

7) Usually the most important thing is to get onto the ladder before moving up.

ditpoker · 07-05-2007, 22:35

nicky, fair play to you for putting so much effort into this, but a few things in your post i disagree with in part or completely. And there are some things that go against what you say in other parts of your strategy. I have no doubt you are a winning STT player but the way some of what you have said is written makes it appear as if it should be taken as gospel, i'm simply advocating for other readers to take your advice with an open mind.

Quote:

when the blinds are small always straight fold KQ, AJ to a raise.

for me, if i have someone who is playing as you describe to my left i will raise raise raise, knowing that you will only play back at me with a monster. it is profitable for me to steal your blinds or to bet you off pots because when you do finally play back I have so much of your stack that you cutting off one of my raises with your AA wont affect me. to say someone should always fold KQ or AJ to a raise makes you very easy to read and beat.

Quote:

Also don’t bother playing hands like JT/KT/JQ in MP unless there has been limpers. These hands are garbage.

what do u think limpers are getting involved with? if there are 3 limpers before me, JT goes into the muck. if there are 3 limpers before me, and i have 75suited, i'll stick in a x5-6 bb raise and see how happy theselimpers are with their QJ or KT.

Quote:

2) Don’t go crazy with AK/AQ.

It’s ok to limp with these hands from EP (but I’d probably fold AQ UTG 9 or 10 handed) early on and to cold call raises with them in position (but not all the time) Also you can probably straight fold these hands in MP when faced with a strong UTG raise.

i don't know where to start. its not ok to limp with AK, folding AQ cos there's a table of players ahead of you!?!? raise more... make your opponents make mistakes! limp folding will not win STT's.

Quote:

"I have a hand, If you want to play with me you better have something"

by playing as passively as described in sections 1 and 2 this is all you are saying. so you raise to 3.5bb's, you know i know how passive you are playing so you know i know you have a hand... so i stick in 10bb's... so you gotta fold, right?!?

Quote:

When blinds are big and post-flop the pots begin to represent very big portions of your stack then overbetting the pot by straight pushing with TP (or even with no pair as a continuation bet) when the pot is close to the size of what you have left behind is perfectly fine.

just because blinds have increased doesnt mean we have to go broke with top pair!

alot of what you have posted seems to me that you are the type of player who is uber-tight early on the gamboools as you get close to the money, so your varience for cashing will be quite high. effectively your end of tourney varience is high and early tourny varience is quite low. thats one style. i'm a bigger fan of trying to build a stack early so i can attack the shorter stacks as we get into the money. effectively my end of tourney varience is lower and early tourny varience is higher. thats anotehr style.

i'm sure there is a happy medium somewhere.

breadmonkey · 07-05-2007, 22:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyOD

They don't.

explain

NickyOD · 07-05-2007, 22:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by breadmonkey

explain

In the first instance I'm talking about pressuring other stacks without necessrily committing all my chips.

breadmonkey · 07-05-2007, 22:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyOD

In the first instance I'm talking about pressuring other stacks without necessrily committing all my chips.

ok thanks

NickyOD · 07-05-2007, 23:50

Quote: