Sit and Go (aka SNG) tournaments are becoming more and more popular with each year. Thousands of players at the best poker sites choose this fast-paced and all-accessible poker variation when they want a quick and exciting game with a fixed prize pool.
But since this type of poker tournament is a bit different than what we're accustomed to, does that mean that the applied strategy should change as well? What is the best way to increase your chances of winning SNG's? It is time to answer those pressing and important questions.
SNG Strategy 101
Since SNG tournaments are often much shorter than regular poker events, you should come with a clear-cut plan if you want to hang in there for more than a few minutes. So, what should your strategy look like when you play SNG?
- Keep it tight – When joining an SNG tournament, you only have one shot at trying to win the pot. Once you lose all your chips, the game is over for you. Therefore, in the first stages of the tournament, you should play more tightly than in a regular event. Don't play unless you have a strong hand and allow your opponents to battle each other. Hopefully, that will eliminate most of your competition as you watch the drama unfold from the sidelines.
- Observe and learn – At the early stages of the game, you will probably have to fold a lot. That means you won't get much action, but you will have a unique opportunity to watch your opponents play. Learn as much as you can about their betting tactics and use that information to your advantage later on.
- Act quickly and without hesitation – In a normal game of poker, making slow and calculated decisions is the way to go. In this case, however, you need to move fast and keep your cool.
- Target weaker players – If your chips are worth more than 15 times the big blind, you're in a good position, as you are still in no danger of losing. At this stage of the game, you should strive to gather even more chips by targeting players with smaller stacks. Raise the blinds, go all-in (if you can back it up), and put them under pressure until they make a mistake.
- When necessary, be aggressive – if you are seriously short on chips, your chances of being booted out of the game are rather high. In this case, you need to do all you can to win back some chips. Make the most of every opportunity you get, betting even on marginal hands like J-10, suited 6-7, etc. Get aggressive and try to intimidate other players into folding to gather their chips.
- Change your tactics along the way - After the first few rounds, where the weak-links are quickly eliminated, you will face more season players. Sitting back and letting the game unfold will no longer be an option, and you will need to step things up. That means that the closer you get to the end of the tournaments, the more aggressive your strategy should be.
In Conclusion
Participating in Sit and Go tournaments requires you to follow a different set of rules, as it is nothing like regular poker games. By changing your poker play, you will be able to increase your chances of getting a spot in the top 3, thus winning a guaranteed cash prize.
Do you think you have what it takes to master this type of poker?