Poker ring games are certainly popular in the online community as they’re not only enjoyable but many people have made tons of cash off of them, too. But when it comes to excitement and thrills, many people find that tournament poker is far better than just playing ring games all day long. Online poker tournaments often get lots of publicity, the prize pools are huge, and the top tourney players often become online celebrities within the poker community.
So it’s no wonder why so many players become addicted to playing in online tournaments. However, sometimes players just don’t have enough time or money to jump in a big tournament and still need something to satisfy their poker tourney craving. That’s where Sit&Go’s come in as these short tournaments normally involve just 1 table and don’t have any certain starting time making them very convenient. Here are some tips for mastering No-Limit Texas Hold’em Sit & Go’s so that you can make sure to do well the next time you jump in one of these.
Make your first priority to cash
Let’s say that you decide to enter a Sit & Go with a $20 + $2 entry fee. In these tournaments (assuming it’s a 10 person Sit & Go), first place will most likely pay out $100, while second will get $60 and $40 will go to third, with the rest of the table getting nothing. So you obviously want to avoid ending up on the outside looking in. The best way to do this is avoiding any maniac players in the beginning.
At a 10 person table, there is always bound to be at least one player who will be trying to win the Sit & Go right off the bat. It’s best to lay low and play conservative until these players have exited from the scene and then get more aggressive as other players start to play tighter. You certainly want to try and win the tourney but not until you’ve at least assured yourself of a cash.
Play looser near the bubble
The bubble of a Sit & Go is usually the point where there are 4 to 5 players left and pretty much everyone at the table tightens up hoping to fold their way into one of the top 3 spots. This presents a great opportunity to start taking down pots with pure aggressive play as those with medium to smaller stacks will be fearful of challenging anyone and busting out.
Obviously you’re still going to need some decent cards to be aggressive with but at this point you probably have enough information about the players at your table to know who only goes deep into hands with the nuts. These players are definitely people you’ll want to avoid being too aggressive with if they stay in a hand, however, they’re also people who are very likely to fold when holding anything but the nuts.
Stay focused towards the end
If you’ve made it into the top 3 of a Sit & Go then congratulations! But be warned as this is the point where some players lose focus since they’re relieved to have just made some money. The key here is to maintain the same aggression that got you past the bubble in the first place, yet avoid making careless calls that could knock you out in 3rd place very quickly.
Chances are that the other two players who’ve made it in the money are also somewhat aggressive players themselves and may make huge raises or choose to go all-in given the chance. If you don’t have the cards it’s definitely a good idea to just fold in these situations but you’ve also got to challenge these players if you’re holding something decent. And it is important to remember that it’s only a three-handed play at this point so hands don’t have to be stellar in order to be considered quality.
Open up your play in heads-up
When you make it to a heads-up play in a Sit & Go, you’re going to be playing at a pretty fast pace. Folding over and over again is certainly not an option since it’s just you and the other player. That’s why you are going to have to open up your play in this situation and be super-aggressive.
Going all-in with any kind of pocket pair is not unreasonable at this point since your opponent is unlikely to be holding anything. And as long as you keep putting the pressure on your opponent it definitely bodes well for your chances of winning. Even if your quality raises and all-in bets don’t always pay off, as they help you win in the long run it’s still a good strategy.
