my main game recently has been small stakes NLHE 6 max ring games. In fact, that is all I ever play these days and I do really good at these games.

My only complaint is that ever since I learned how to play cash games well, I now suck in tournaments. Compared to when I first started playing poker, tournaments were my bread and butter, and cash games... well you get the point

I feel like I can't catch any cards in any tourney, I think in the last 4 or 5 sng's (10-30 ppl), I placed either 1 or 2 out of the money.

I get fed up, try to steal a pot, end up going too far on a bluff, and lose it from there. I mean don't get me wrong, I sit and wait for good cards and favorable spots to get my money in, but it just seems these situations don't present themselves often enough to get me through into the money.

What is your approach to sng's, do you need to catch cards to place, whats a good strategy to keep in mind, and how often do you bluff (semi fluff or try to steal blinds)?

TAG early until the 3rd or 4th level. Don't expect blind steals to work, they are more to test how they are defended than to win them.

Once stacks are spread out then look toward picking on the smallish but not desperate stacks with raises/reraises. You don't need large bets to do this, if they are weak tight they will fold without a hand. If they resist back off.

If y0u are looking to maximize ROI in 1 table Sngs then survival to the money is the key. With so few chips in play you always have a reasonable shot at moving up in the money. Also the flat prize structure of 50/30/20 emphasizes survival, as opposed to a MTT where 1st might be 5 or 6x just making the FT.


As far as semi-bluffing, like any other tourney, know your opponents. Some you can't bluff off a J high and some will lay down 2d nuts to an all-in.