"Are you Sage?" Lee Jones asks.
No, I'm Saje. And I'm here to bust you wide open.
In 2006, Lee Jones created a system which tired MTT players, heads up at the end of a tournament, could memorize and effectively use to push-bot with very big blinds.
Fortunately for me, any time you simplify a complex system like a game theory optimal solution, cracks begin to form. I'm going to analyze these cracks and offer a comprehensive strategy for beating the SAGE system.
Leak: The SAGE system "stops working" above 10BB.
Exploit: Simple, if the player has more than 10BB, assume he's using a different strategy. Exploit that strategy. For example, a SAGE player might be push/folding when under 10BB, but minraising over 10BB. This is a good indication that your opponent is using SAGE. If you can figure out the percent of hands he minraises, then you can create a counter strategy that includes calls, 3-bets, and folds. This kind of deep-stack exploitative play is outside the scope of this article.
Leak: The SAGE system requires perfect play.
Exploit: For example, if your opponent is minraising when he gets KK or AA, but playing push/fold any other time, you know that when he pushes, KK+ is not in his range. Therefore, the hands he pushes will, on average, be weaker. If his strategy was a proper equilibrium, this "weaker range" would dictate a lower "SAGE" number. If he is still shoving with his entire range, we should slightly open our calling range.
And now for the meat of the discussion: the charts.
Coming soon, I hope.
