What type of odds to consider in SNGs?
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 18
What the types of odds that professionals consider in a SNG? Are the pot odds the same for a SNG as they would be in a cash game for a draw? Are implied odds more important?
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,452
Well, the odds remain the same. But, yet there is a heavy difference in how you deal with odds between the games.
In a cash game, each chip is worth the same. 1 $ chip = 1 $ value.
The same would be true for a winner takes it all tournament.
But in a SNG, the chipvalue differs, depending on pay-out-structure and stacksizes. Usually that means, being tighter than a cash game.
For example in the first hand of a 9man SNG with a 50-30-20 payout you need ~57% to call an all-in preflop. While in a cash-game anything >50% is a call.
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 18
Where do you come up with those calculations like that? I would like a deeper understanding of bubble play.
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 4,452
Independ Chip Model, ICM, is what we use to calculate equities in SNGs. You may try out a calculator like icmizer (just google it, you can try it for free), unfortunately its a bit too complicated to do these calculation by hand or even in your head.
The idea behind is as simple as this:
In a cash game if all player go all-in and you win, you get all the money.
In a SNG you would end up being first which usually means only 50% of the money, as 30% go to 2nd, 20% to 3rd.
Another way of looking at it would be, that you can profit without even playing a hand if your opponents let you into the money by busting early.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 177
Should also note that there are no professional SnG players anymore ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
