[beriac]

I think limiting the number of SNGs you play is a good strategy, you need to be pretty focused to do really well in them. Whereas with ring games, I guess you can get away with just playing tight/aggressive, top hands, etc.

[benjahuna]

I've built a bankroll through sitngos at very low limits. The main problem is the variance is high in sitngos just like with any tournament (but probably even worse) so you need a lot of bankroll to withstand fluctuations (variance). I've heard recommendations of 200 dollars of bankroll for 5 dollar sitngos. I'm pretty good at them and I think this amount will probably only minimize risk or ruin to about 95 percent.

After playing for a while, I've really accepted how importance variance is and played with much smaller amounts of my overall bankroll on a table.

For cash games, Chris Ferguson recommends 10 percent as an upper threshold and if your bankroll is partly used for expenses and not purely set aside for poker, 5 percent. For tournaments, you'd have to increase this amount. Increase it for stud and omaha over holdem as well. And increase it for limit versus pot limit/no limit.

[beriac]

Sounds like good advice. I'd add this: play what you find fun, carefully consider the variance of it, and don't play above your bankroll.

[BadAndy]

Low buyin tournies: $3, $5..... good tournies to build bankrolls with.... if u ask me.

[beriac]

How big a table would you recommend for such a bankroll-building Sit n Go exercise?

[AGreen]

I've realized that sit-and-gos are not the most profitable poker format for me. For every three/four sag's, I win or come in second only once, assuming that I don't go on a good/bad streak. Instead of burning through these buyin fees I should probably put the money to use in some more MTT, which I have looked at and realized that at least 60% of my total profit has been from them. Profit: MTT>Cash Games>Sags

Sags are just so convenient and take far less time than any MTT. How can I possibly get away from them?

[AGreen]

Just wondering, but when everyone says bankroll-building do they mean simply profiting more than losing or focusing solely on sag's?
I didn't see if this was already said anywhere, so if it was I'm sorry and I must have skipped over the post.

[spresso81]

I do like playing in SNGs. However, I am probably only a little ahead all time in playing them.

The way I see it, is that a sit and go is a change of pace. I do not feel like playing a cash game and there are either no MTT tournys or I only have 90 minutes to play.


They are fun but the blind stuctures online stink. Therefore, I like to put them in the mix and use them as a training for final tables and such.

[TopTrotter]

Ill stick my 2 percent of a dollar in on this one...

first of all, most of the guys you see on TV do NOT make most of their livings playing large MTTs ... they make most of their money and spend most of their time playing ring games.

If you have the sound technical skills then ring games are the best way to buid a bankroll. If your stregnth is tournament poker, then go that direction.

Personally, I think SNGs are a better way than large MTTS ... the way I look at it is that in a 10-player SNG, if you finish in the top 30% of the field, you double your buy-in.

In large MTT's you must finish somplace in the 20% (sometimes only 10% pay) in order to cash.. and cashing means basically getting your buy in back and a ham sandwhich. True, there is a potential BANKROLL CHANGING event at the end of the rainbow, buy your chances of getting there, even if you are a superb tournament player are relatively small.

For the average player, I think the staple of your playing should be either ring games or 10 player SNG's, depending on your particular skillset.

Now I will add one more thing that many people do wrong when trying to build a bankroll using SNGs. YOU MUST PICK YOUR LEVEL AND TYPE AND DO THAT, AND THAT ONLY. Do not move back and forth from $10 to $20. Why not? Simple - keeping your skill level constant, you cannot control when you have good luck and bad. You don't know when your long-term profitable outcomes with assert themselves. If you played an equal number of $10 tables and $20 tables... lets say you get luckier on the $10s than the $20's - you would lose money. Keep your betting level consistent. Second, be honest and pick the type of SNG that highlights your personal strengths. If you are a more patient selective player, then do NOT pay 6-seater turbos - play 10-seater regulars at a constant buy in. If you have an attention problem or time limitations, then play turbos. If your strength is short-handed play, then consider 6-man SNGs.

[dylan236]

buiding your bankroll on sitngo's are pretty tough. Because you can't always get great hands every time, so its hard to win consecutive tournaments. However playing in a ring game... you can play alot more patiently and its a lot easier to win in my opinion also.

I personally use sitn go's as practice for multi Nl holdem tournaments. Thats why I prefer to play the 2 or 3 table sitn go's. If I'm not winning most of my money from multi table tournaments it comes from the hours i spend at the ring games. I usually like to switch it up though to keep thing satisfying. But i honestly find it very hard to keep playing back to back to back sitn go's and expect to buid my bankroll continuously.

But anyways if i could win everyone i guess i would just base my bankroll on sitn go victories.. but its very uncommon.