Winning At Sit N Go's

Sit N Go poker tournaments, also called Sit & Gos or SNGs, are mini-poker tournaments, which can be multi-table, but are typically single-table events with up to 10 players. They are called sit and go because the tournament starts once all seats are filled. These are more popular online, but many land-based casinos are also now starting to offer them in poker rooms. A single-table Sit N Go is similar to sitting at the final table of a large tournament, which makes them a good place to practice your final table strategy. The advantage is that you’ll only have to beat six or seven players to cash. Most Sit N Gos pay the top three finishers.

The biggest secret to cashing in a Sit N Go is patience. Many low-stake Sit N Gos will have very loose players who play too many hands, so in the early stages, sit back and let these guys fall out. Before you know it, you’ll be one of the four or five players left, and you’ll only have to beat a few of them to win money.

You can base your strategy on the number of players left at the table, which is an effective technique for many successful poker players. While there are no rules to poker, if you follow the guides, you can improve your chances of getting paid in a Sit N Go. What makes these mini-tournaments lucrative is that the good Sit N Go players can and will make money on a consistent basis.

Early Stage
If you are seated with seven to 10 players, as suggested above, just wait. Getting involved in a lot of multi-player pots will likely cause you to suffer a bad beat. Be selective and very aggressive when you do get a good hand. At first, only play AA, KK, QQ, or AK. Going all-in in early position with any of these hands can allow you to double up. However, in middle position, you can play AJ, A10, KQ, QJ, or J10 suited, along with pocket pairs of 9s, 8s, or 7s. In late position, if no one has raised the pot, you can get by with a small pocket pair, a suited Ace, or suited connectors. If you don’t get set on the flop, fold a pocket pair. If you don’t flop a big hand, just get out of the pot. Don’t chase a draw because you’ll just burn up your chips, especially if there is a raise.

If you are playing with five to seven players, the same basic strategy should apply—play tight. You may happen to double up in early rounds, which will allow you to be more selective, but be aggressive in you attack against the small stack and the blinds. The main thing to remember is to avoid confrontation with a big-stacked opponent, even if you have a big stack as well, unless of course you have a killer hand. Play strong hands with a raise or fold and wait for a big hand. It won’t take long for two or three loose players to get knocked out. Again, be patient.

Middle Stage
If you are seated with four to five players, the action will begin to get really tight. All players are hoping to coast to the cash places, but this is a great opportunity for you to steal the blinds and get some of the short-stacked players’ chips who will fold in hopes of coasting. If you are big-stacked, prevent the short-stacks from seeing the flop at a low price. Get into the pot with a raise on a strong hand or fold. If players in the blinds positions are very short-stacked, they will already be pot committed and typically call out of desperation.

Don’t allow them to double up off your bluff. If you have a medium-stack, you still have the chip power to steal some blinds and build up your chips at this point. Play aggressively any pocket pairs if you are first to bet. If you are short-stacked, at this point, your focus should be on trying to double up (or go broke trying). Any pocket pair or Ace high kicker is worthy of going all-in, especially if you are heads up.

Late Stage
If you make it down to the top three players at the table, you are likely in the money and have accomplished your primary goal. Now, you can play to win. If you’re chip leader, raise with every hand you play. If your opponents want to see the flop, it’s going to cost them. If you are on the button and are short-stacked, let the blinds fight the battle for you. At this point, you’ll want to trap your opponents into making a mistake. If you flop a strong hand and are first to bet, you can check your aggressive opponents. If they are passive, try betting small so that they think you’re trying to steal the blind.

If you raise, you can come up with a bigger raise and trap your opponent. If you’re middle-stacked, don’t make the mistake of thinking the big-stack will knock out the short-stack. Instead, use your chips to scare the big-stack from confronting your raises. Short-stacked players at this point have nothing to lose. However, you shouldn’t bluff, but you also don’t want to be knocked out by the blinds. Chances are the big-stack will be attacking you, so you’ll have to make a stand to stay in the game

Once the Sit N Go is down to two players, you are playing heads up, and there’s no more room for waiting. Most of the time, it comes down to which player will steal the most blinds. Raise a lot from the small blind; if the big blind folds at least half of the time, you’ll show a chip profit. If you’re big blind and recognize that your opponent is using this same strategy, you’ll need to counter their bet by calling more or raising. If you don’t loosen up here, you will come in second place; in other words, you have nothing to lose so loosen up. Don’t be scared to raise back. Even a small pair or an AK can be favored in heads up play. If you have a strong hand from the small blind, you can usually trap your opponent by small betting it.

The Bottom Line
Some players are intimidated by single-table Sit N Gos because they think they are less experienced than the players that play in these tournaments, but this is simply not true, specifically in the lower-limit levels. You have just as much of a chance as anyone else, especially if you follow the advice suggested above. Remember when you sit down, though, that patience is your best friend, and after you train in your first few Sit N Gos, you’ll be profiting in no time.