Strategies for Effective SNG Tournaments
SNG poker is the quick fix of poker tournaments. It limited player tournament. Once the quota is filled, the SNG tournament commences, hence the name Sit n' Go. Most tournament last just over an hour so it is a great option for those with limited time.
Sit & Go's (SNG's) are a favorite choice for many online poker players. The table usually fill up fast, the payout's are pre-set & the game lengths are usually about 1 hour long. Usually the payout on a 10 seat table is as follows, 1st place pays 50% of the buy in, 2nd place pays out 30%, and 3rd pays 20%. This payout structure leads us to our first strategy decision. That is, are we going to be playing to finish in the money or are we playing to win? For example, 1st place pays 2 1/2 times more than 3rd place. That justify's a little extra risk.
Playing for 1st early means playing aggressively. It means taking more early risks in attempt to build a healthy chip stack. With the large stack you can control the table action. You can push people around and put them in all-in or fold situations. Sometimes things will go your way and you'll find yourself sitting on top of a pile of chips in cruise mode. Other times you will get stung for using this risky strategy, leaving you crippled or out early. You get paid 0 for last,you get 0 for 4th. Using that information, why not take the risk early to secure or bust.
Other players play to get in the money. If they make it to the cash, then they try to move up. These player will tend to lay low and avoid the action early in the tourney. They want to avoid the aggressive action early on. These types of players seek to shorten their odds by letting others take each other out. A player using this strategy tries to instill a tight table image which they can exploit a a later stage in the game. Their theory, you just have to be in it to win it.
So which strategy should you adopt? Take my advice & do the opposite of the table. help. Usually the first few hands will be a learning experience. Who are the aggressors and who are the maniacs? Who is sitting out the early action? Is this an aggressive table or is everyone playing tight? What's my position relative to the aggressors? Channel in on over aggressive players & catch them. Look out for passive players & bully them, then you have the best of both worlds.
Now for some general strategy. The cost of blinds towards the beginning of the tournament is fairly low, which allows players much more leeway when deciding which hands to play. You might find a lot more people seeing the flop, so beware of people hitting unexpected hands. To combat this you can either bets aggressively with high pair hands pre flop to drive out the marginal hands or just be more ready to fold a good hand when you sense someone has caught something better. Again, factoring your cost allowance versus aggressive playing is important for finding the proper balance somewhere in-between both.
Now, if you have a decent hand pre-flop such as an Ace-King, it's better to play a bit more conservatively. Firstly, this allows you to minimize your losses if the flop doesn't work out, and secondly, if you flat call and manage to hit it big after the flop, you enjoy the benefit of disguise. This is your best bet since you most likely won't be able to get other players to fold by raising them, especially if you're sitting in late position.
In general, pre-flop betting strategy should be slightly loose but relative to your stack for the chance of early chip accumulation, but post-flop strategy should be played tighter, particularly if you're not positive that you are ahead and will be wasting another bet that could've been saved. In these types of cases, save the bet and lose the pot rather than risk losing both.Keep in mind that your main focus in the beginning stages of a tournament should be to keep a decent stack of chips so that you'll be in a secure position for the upcoming rounds.
Just take a note on the erratic players and plan their downfall when you have a monster hand. Often if these players are not out early they will have a high chip count because they have already taken big risks. Target them and wait for your opportunity. Play with AA, KK, QQ, AK, and play them aggressively pre-flop.
If you land a low pair with your hole cards, call only if you think you will get to see a cheap flop. You are hoping to land three of a kind. Be wary of a dangerous flop with straight or flush opportunities when there are several players left in the pot. If this is the case, be prepared to fold and save your chips for a safer and better opportunity.
The important point is to not get too attached to either SNG strategy. A good businessman asks himself everyday, "What angle should I approach my problem today?" He knows that conditions and opportunity are ever changing. He must adapt in order to survive and to thrive. Perhaps sit & go players should ask themselves a similar question, "Who will be my problem? Who will give me an opportunity?" Asking these questions on an ongoing basis will point us in the right direction. Play for the win when conditions are right to do so. Play to place in the money when that's the best choice. By being flexible and adjusting our objective when needed we can enhance our SNG play and boost our win ratio.
FURTHER READING : POKER TOURNAMENT VARIATIONS
No-Limit Poker - A basic guide to No Limit Multi Table Poker tournaments
Limit v No-Limit - Identify the different tactics between Limit and No Limit poker
Heads-Up - One on one poker. How to dominate the other player. OUS BLUFF'S - HE IS A RESIDENT FT PLAYER
USE the FULLTILT POKER BONUS CODE - "PPABONUS" (Site Accepts USA Players)
I'm Away to Try Out My New SNG Strategy - Take me to Full Tilt Poker now!!! |
