this.

I read all yours too and am also glad you started this post, on your strat's you posted earlier you might want to add a little bit to step 2 and 3.

ok - but i'm not nearly as successful at step 2 and 3...

;(

or else i'd just be shipping that dolla left and right!!

actually step 2 isn't so very hard to move on - i mean just finish 2nd - but they don't have the "down to 6 or 7 players after the first hand" that makes step one so easy. i do ok in step 2 - i'll def put a bit of strat up as to how i play them and see if anyone can give good comments back - then we can have a good idea of how to continually crack both 2 and 3.

step 3 - well - i play it like i used to play the $10ish buyin sngs on stars - just a very tag line. tight - but very aggressive when in a hand. really have to think about all aspects in these like position - who's in the hand with you etc. whos in the hand is particulary important in all of these steps - you tend to be able to put notes on the "ship it with any two" players - and you know when they are in the blinds - or acting behind you - just do NOT attempt to limp with those sooooted connectors and such as you are just spewing chips - when you get reraised before the flop. i actually don't usually ever play the suited connectors - even early in the tourny - i mean i do every once in a while but not near as much as in deeper stack tourny. i'm looking for hands that play well in all in situations - top teir basically. and in step 3 im definately looking to find the "steal" opportunities more so than ever - you can find the guys who are willing to give up blinds (i don't bother till they are 100 or more) - and i'm relentless at trying to be the first raise in against these guys - collecting blinds is very important in step 3 so when you finally do have that all in confrontation - you can have chips left if you get unlucky - OR lucky - i mean when you have plenty from stealing and then that super tight rock ships (finally) with 4 or 5 blinds left - you can easily take a shot and call him with any two even decent cards - 78off and such actually - just to get this guy out. if he doubles - ok he goes back into his shell and you still have plenty of chips.

wish i had more to say on step 2 and 3 - there is a LOT of good strat out there for sng's - and particulary step 3 plays (not so much like a freeroll) and more like a good player sng.

ok maybe i'll play some and come back and say how it worked out - i have several step 2s and a few step 3s to play so lets get on it!

good luck everyone!

Step 3 really tightens up, if you get reraised fold, play your good hands aggressively and be careful about bluffing, some of the better players will fold but the stations never will. And what Chance said some of the play is really good, baffling actually after donking through levels 1 and 2

so how do these steps work?

Time to throw in my hat, i started a month ago casually playing the steps for a buck. Finally won my first 1$ the same day Chance did, and have since doubled it to $2.20 playing the .11c bumblebees and .02/.04 limit. The bumblebee's are ridiculous to say the least, and .02/.04 isn't terribly insane. Call with any low pocket pair and suited connector, fold when you miss, and raise with top 6 or 7 premium hands.

In terms of Step 1 i can't handle playing 10 legitimately, so i load them up 4 at a time, ship it with any pocket pair or suited connector and have been winning about ~4 a day. Step 2 and 3 you have to play precisely as described above, patience is key, and snagging the Step 3's are pretty easy...

actually getting to the final 3 in a step 3 is rather difficult and winning the 1$ is even harder, but these guys usually have some sort of leak and you can steal blinds and continuation bet your way to the top.

GL HF guys!

Would anyone be interested in a sng competition for September?

such as?

I agree with what everyone has been saying step 3's are no joke. You have to be very selective and pick people off one by one. You can find leaks in all of them it may take a while, but like the first two steps you have to be patient but more aware of the other players plays and how to exploit them.

I could be but depends on what you have in mind?

hello ghstflame! welcome - thanks for the good post and GOOD LUCK! hope you can make a LOT out of nothing!!

look forward to your progress!

don't think we'll be in the same stakes as you my friend - but sure... details?

Chance's Day 7

ok just played three step 2's and three step 3's

step 2's = 2 wins for step 3 - one third for repeat.
step 3's = 1 win for $ANOTHER DOLLA!!! 1 third for back to step 2 and one 4th for zippo!

Roll after a bit of 2c limit and step 3 win

$4.21

also have some more step 2's and 3's obv.

Don't know if I wanted to make this an "official" day in my challenge though - i have to do a lot of "real job" work and then maybe head out for some live poker (good to live in los angeles)... funny how i am putting so much effort in this challenge when wining three sng's is not even a tip for the soda guy at the casino - but i really am taking this serious! i think it's a great challenge and poker is poker! and making something from nothing is great! i think some of us will make anywhere from 100 to over 1000 when all is said and done - maybe even more!! i mean we REALLY don't have to end the challenge at 30 days - this thread could go on and on with some amazing results from ZERO to quite a bit!!

BTW will be playing 8/16 limit (pretty much my regular game) - and will let you all know how it goes.

as far as this being my official day 7 - well i increased my roll about 25+% so i guess it counts lol!!

good luck everyone - will check in tonight!

Ok, I think I may have just figured out why I've been having issues with step one. I just played my remaining four games for today. I won ticket to step 2 in ALL four.

I think time of day has a lot to do with my difficulties. For some reason, when I've played really late night, the tables play more like what you guys are describing as step 3 -- much tougher. Whereas the step ones I just now played were donkfests. Within one orbit we were down to 5 players at most of the tables. Hah. Easy.

So, yes, I definitely want to fold the first several hands unless they are AA or KK. But the 2AM games -- much much tougher and frustrating. That's my experience anyway. Though, we're talking tiny tiny sample size.

Good job, Chance!

As far as ending the challenge at 30 days, just do what you wanna do. Based on my own past experience, I know I can't get to $1000 in 30 days, no matter what BR I start with. Variance always gets me. (Ok, truthfully, it's not variance -- it's tilt. LOL.)

But yours is the first challenge that I've read that I wanted to actually join up with to see what happens. Fun, and not outrageously ambitious, but still quite challenging.

Good luck tonight in the casino.

So. Right now I have

5 tickets to step 2 and
1 ticket to step 3.

BR currently $35.18 after losing $2.20 PLO8 mtt. (I try to play this mtt every day.)

Well I am willing to play any small stakes if other people are interested. Would anyone like the .11 cent supers? I am willing to play up to $3 sngs on Lock so whatever you guys want. No money (again unless you guys want), just some bragging rights.

Horrid start to the day

4 step 2s
2 step 3s

br: 2.03

thanks sajeffe. yea 1000 is outragious! but hey you never know - one of us may bink a decent mtt before this is over!! maybe YOU! heck i think making 100+ after 30 days would be an awesome accomplishment at these micros we are grinding. And we know that can be done - 3sixes has done it!

good luck to you today my friend! i'm checking in while finishing up some work - then yep - off to live game!

ok - if you or one of the others wants to put up some details - i think it would be fun. after all we all are grinding a lot of sngs anyway - would be fun to see who will run hottest!

I would but super turbos do not interest me.

What do you say to the challenge being to see who can make the most either at the 11 cent supers or have a challenge to see who can make the most at sngs under $1. What would you be up for Chance?

Wow. I've never seen this happen anywhere before. I was playing the StepUp and honestly did not catch a hand at all. My best hand the entire game was 6-9 suited. No pairs. No paint. Nothing. Somehow I folded my way into the money/. Amazing. Then I look up and see four players when there should be three. PlayAcesAdmin has joined the game. I think he showed up because I literally folded every hand.

Oh and I finally just shoved by 400 chips with 22 (best hand of the game) because I wasn't going to play with an admin and finished in fourth.

Strange.

say what?

That is super strange, the admin showed up midway through the game?
Was this a step one?