Sit n Go Structure On iPoker

Hi Hoagy,

SnG offering and MTT scheduale update, August 2015
On Monday 03/08/2015 the following SnG changes will take place.
SNG offering Update
The following SNG formats and game types will be removed:
- Knockout
- Shootout
- Beginner
- Steps
- 6 & 9 player tournaments**
- Double / Deep Stack
- Omaha Hi-Lo
- Pot Limit Hold’em
- 7 Card Stud
- 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo
- Razz
* 6 & 9 player Fixed Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, 7 Card Stud, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo and Razz.
** 9 player No Limit Hold’em tournaments removed above €10, 6 player No Limit Hold’em tournaments removed above €100

this is changes from today , with the small info i have i would assume its permament but cant say that for sure..

Regards /Rompas

Thank you for the info Rompas.

From what I see in today's schedule all of what you say is correct, with the addition that all standard 6 & 9 player SnG tournaments with a normal blind structure/speed have been removed. The only 6 or 9 seat SnGs available today at any buy-in are turbo with a 4 min blind duration.

It is unfortunate for me because I don't like turbo play, I am old and slow lol. It is hard to understand why they removed games like "Toronto", "Tallin", and higher they were very popular and busy every day, it would seem unwise as PokerStars and other competitors still offer games in that format. Perhaps some of what we see today is only temporary during a change over period.

Kind Regards,
Hoagy

Hi,

An update to the above,

Support at one of the iPoker rooms have confirmed for me that the changes are permanent, and what we see available today will remain for the foreseeable future.

Chatting around the rooms I have found a lot of players disappointed about this, personally I wont play turbo format as I like to develop and improve my game and board reading skills I don't think turbo format allows that at low buy-in.

I will continue to play cash games on iPoker but need to find another room for SnG tournaments, any advice or opinions on which of the other poker rooms have the best offerings for standard play SnG, say 7 to 10 min blind duration?

I was actually looking for alternative room to regular (none turbo,hyper, other lotto) sadly dont think any other room will give an option to play on low stake full ring regular sng.

right now beginner players can play lotto(turbo,hyper,...) on low stakes or go against money management and play on higher stakes.
in my opinion its against new players

ps. dont rly like cash games so wont play them either

PokerStars

They have 6max and 9max $1.50 and €1.50 6max regular speed STTs which have 10 minute levels.

They have 6max and 9max $1.50 and €3.50 6max regular speed STTs which have 10 minute levels.

Hi Gary,

Thank you for the advice on PokerStars. The 9 man $1.50 and $3.50 regular speed SnGs there would suit me very well, I think the PokerStars MTTs have a very large volume of entrants though, which puts me off a bit. Probably the best solution for how I want to play now is to use 2 accounts. Use iPoker for NL cash, and the €2 and €5 MTTs there which I like, and use PokerStars for my SnG play.

I see you have experience of the multi-table SnGs at stars. I hear they are very good but imagine at the lower buy-ins they would be very wild (lotto style) due to the prize to buy-in ratio. Could you advise a buy-in at those games where I could get a realistic impression of them without the madness of the lotto players?

I've had a quick look at your blog I will have a better read later it sounds very interesting, good luck in your endeavours, and may all your dinners be banquets. BTW I'm from Offaly.

Regards,
Hoagy

Hey Hoagy,

Great to see a fellow Eireannach around these parts! I'm just above you in Roscommon

Admittedly, I know very little about single table SNGs as I mainly play 180 MTSNGs. I did, however, in the past dabble in the 9max SNGs at both the $1.50 and $3.50 levels. We are talking at least 2, maybe 3 years ago since I would have grinded those games.

I think the days of lotto players or fields where lotto players take up a higher percentage of the fields are long gone now. Most players have a decent knowledge of how the game pans out. Don't get me wrong there are lots of weak regulars with basic knowledge that are beatable etc but even in the micros now I guess Stars have a fairly decent player pool.

I definitely would not advise MTTs on Stars and I think you already know that yourself but MTSNGs are definitely a happy medium. 45s are OK (have a small winning sample on them up to $3.50s) and of course the 180s but they are turbos and I believe you'd rather stay away from those elements.

There is $1 180s regular speed and then $4.50s is the next level. They last about 4-4.5hrs from start to finish. Have played a few $4.50s in my time but never the $1s so I cannot say much about them. If 180s are too long then there $1 and $3.50 45 mans. They last about 2 hours 10 minutes.

Everything else is pretty much turbo territory

Hope that helps!

Thanks again for your time and advice Gary It is very helpful. From what you say yes the 180 man would be too time consuming for me except on occasion, but the 45 man sounds excellent I will try those soon probably at the $3.50 buy-in, I could be wrong but I think it would be a better game than the $1.00.

Please don't get me wrong I do realise that turbo is a good and skilled game. I tried 6 max SnG turbo €2.00 buy-ins they were exciting and very good, but alas I was not good at them lol, so I returned to standard format. My natural inclination in poker is to cash games I moved from limit holdem to deep stack NL holdem, my passion for that game could eventually lead me to the palace or the poor house. I think because of that background standard blind duration tournaments will always appeal to me more so than turbo, saying that I do understand that no matter how deep a tournament starts in the end game good short stack play is essential to success in both turbo and standard formats.

Thanks again all the best

Hi zyvy,

It is difficult now for beginners zyvy, if the games upay4dinner has recommended are outside your money management plan I can't think of any other room, but if I come across anything I will post it here.

The games like "santiago" 20c and "darwin" 50c on iPoker were ideal for beginners, as you would usually get a good game and have a chance to learn without investing much cash, it is a pity to see them gone, were they the games you played?

I think if Full Tilt moves another step towards the abyss - Ipoker likes to do so too!

Originally posted by zyvy
I was actually looking for alternative room to regular (none turbo,hyper, other lotto) sadly dont think any other room will give an option to play on low stake full ring regular sng.

right now beginner players can play lotto(turbo,hyper,...) on low stakes or go against money management and play on higher stakes.
in my opinion its against new players

ps. dont rly like cash games so wont play them either

There is $0.25c games at PokerStars but they are 45 and 90 player tournaments. The lowest fullring available STT is $1.50 as I said above.

I only play PokerStars so I've no idea what other sites offer. Hope that helps though

Hi zyvy,

I have found there is a $0.50c Standard (non turbo) 9 man SnG on Full Tilt. I haven't played the game but from what I hear it is a good game and should be suitable for beginners, it seems to be a similar game to the old iPoker "Darwin"

thanks guys for your answers, I think 45, 90 will be my games now