[jmc]

I've started playing a few $1.2 SnG tournies and I've sort of noticed a general pattern for how the games tend to go.

1. Early blind levels -- the idiots either double up or go broke
2. Mid blind levels -- 6~5 handed, blinds have increased but stacks tend to vary between 10~30bb. Most of the idiots are gone, but one or two might remain if they got lucky during the early levels.
3. Late game/bubble 5~4 handed, stack sizes around 6~12 BB, maybe one or two larger stacks w/ closer to 20BB. Players left tend to be at least somewhat skilled.
4. Endgame 3 handed/headsup -- wild pushfest.

My general strategy has been:
1. Wait for good hands, double up or stay away from the carnage. Play speculative hands in position because you get great implied and pot odds sometimes.
2. ????
3. Push based on position/stack sizes/reads/etc.
4. More pushing / SAGE

I'm not really sure what to do during the second stage of play -- it seems like that's the time when players tend to tighten up a bit, although I still see a lot of random limping from all positions. The really bad players are probably broke so we're playing shorthanded. Also, it seems like it's worth trying to steal some blinds from the tighter players. I've seen my friend play a lot of turbo SnG's and stage 2 tends to blow by pretty quickly -- I'm not playing turbos so it seems like we spend a good chunk of time in the mid blinds.

If you had 2k~2500k chips from your initial 1500, what would your strategy be for the 25/50 and 50/100 level 5~6 handed, if most of your opponents had somewhere between 1200~4000?

[jojobinks]

generally speaking, at these microlevels, it's a bubble game. what that means to me is that with 2k+, i'm not making moves on too many pots at 50/100.

there's just too much value in out-shovebotting the donks once stacks get shorter.

for instance...let's say a really loose big stack limps in for 100 and you raise to 400 with AT. he calls oop. if the flop comes 357r you need to be worried, b/c loose players are gonna look for reasons to call a cbet. if he has A7 or 66 (likely for a loose player to limp/call), you're going to simply spew chips if you decide to play on.

on the other hand, if you have 2k and you wait til 100/200, you can safely shove there preflop, knowing he's limping with all sorts of junk.