Sit and Go Tournaments: Playing the Sit N Go
Introduction to Sit N Go’s
It’s hard to get experience playing at the final table when you have to play your way through up to a hundred players to get there. It takes a combination of skill, discipline, and a lot of luck. Online poker offers a new way to get that experience: the Sit N Go.
How Sit N Go’s Work
The basic idea of a Sit N Go or SNG is that all players buy in for a set amount, and are allocated a chip stack. Every five to fifteen minutes the blinds are raised until only one player remains. The payout on a 9 person table is to the top 3 with about 50% of the pot going to first place, 30% to second and the remainder to third.
Sit N Go Strategy
A SNG consists of three parts: Early, middle, and end game. You can determine which part you are in by how many people are left at the table, essentially divide the players by 3 and when one third is eliminated you move to the next stage. To be successful at each stage requires a different strategy.
Early Game Sit N Go Strategy
In the early stage it’s best to play tight and only play with the top ten starting hands. You will have a strong chance of taking down some pots and you minimize your risk. Alternately you can sit and wait, because in most low limit sit n go’s people tend to go all in as early as possible. It’s often the case that half of the table could be wiped out in one hand, suddenly leaving you in contention.
Middle Game Sit N Go Strategy
When there is only 6 players left, you can start to loosen up a bit and playing suited connectors, lower pairs like 9’s and 10’s, and any combination of ace and another card. You can also use this time to start bluffing and stealing pots, assuming you have a good sized stack that could be perceived as a threat. Other players will to tighten their play in this stage, to try and ensure a cash out. Use that to your advantage.
End Game Sit N Go Strategy
If you’ve gotten this far, you have usually guaranteed a cash out, meaning you have made a profit, even if it is small. This is the stage that you can start playing like the final table of the World Series of Poker. Loosen up and try and take as many chips as possible. If you take down the table, then enjoy the victory, but regardless you now have valuable final table experience that you can use in large multi table tournaments.
