Sit and Go poker is increasingly becoming popular, with the advent of online casino. Sit and Go is favoured by many players especially because it allows for tournament-style poker without having to play for hours or even days. We can say that Sit and Go are the shorter versions of a multi-table tournament.
The main advantage of SNGs is that it gives online poker newbies a chance to increase their poker bankroll. Sit and Go is for the poker lovers who do have the patience to wait for a thousand more players to get to payday.
It will be more difficult for you to win, without a practical SNG tournament strategy. Here, we will give you SNG poker tips on what you can do to increase your chances of winning.
1. Select the right SNG poker tournament
It is important that you select the right SNG tournament to participate in. Remember, the more the players, the more time you will have to invest in the game. SNG tournaments vary, depending on their host online poker company. In some tournaments, you will find 5-tables, while in others 9.
It will be difficult to win if you are anxious about time and you keep looking at your watch because you have somewhere to go. Ensure that the SNG poker tournament you chose fits within your patience and time limits.
2. Know your poker strengths
Before joining a Sit N Go tournament, consider your poker strengths. Are you a strong or a weak player? The best people to play against are those who are at the same level with you. For example, if you are intermediate, playing against experts is signing up for a loss.
Regular SNG tournaments start with big chip stacks and gradually increase blind levels, thereby giving expert players more advantage. Fast-paced SNGs (turbos) begin with lower chip stacks and fast blind levels, leaving all players to depend on luck.
3.Manage your bankroll
If you can help it, please avoid joining a Sit N Go tournament that charges more than 10% of your available bankroll. Using the proper Sit N Go strategy puts you in a position of winning at least 1 in every 10 SNGs. To know the maximum amount that you can place in every SNG seat, calculate the 10% of your entire bankroll.
4.Understand and know how to manoeuvre the different stages
To increase your chances of winning SNG, you have to understand the various stages of the single table game.
- Early stage. As the game starts, play tighter because the chips you lose have more value than the extra chips you might be lucky to win. Tightening up protects your stack from getting finished too early. Saving on stacks enables you to make your opponents fold in the later stages.Expert players will always ‘clean house’ or eliminate impatient opponents in the early stages. If you push all-in on the first hand, you are less likely to win. It is also advisable to avoid calling if other opponents have called too.
- Mid-stage. At this point, there are fewer people on the table and the blinds are higher. Be a little more aggressive than in the first stage, stay ahead and steal the blinds, re-raise and take the chance to win small pots.When only one player is remaining to bust before the paying positions, you are said to be in the SNG bubble. In this stage, you are at an advantage if you understand the risks vs reward, in relation to prize pool equity.
- Final-stage. Once the bubble has burst, all players acquire an in-the-money status. Be cautious when you are deciding which hands to play because you are more likely to be called. With hands going up so dramatically, it is necessary that you look out and play positively. From aces, pairs or any two picture cards!
Set traps.
The fewer the opponents, the more the money. Therefore, trap as many impatient or non-strategic players as you can. You should target opponents who are calling on any bet and use them to increase your stack.
Observe the game from a third-eye
Make an effort of reading your opponents’ reactions. Remember, they are looking at you too. Therefore, be very conscious of your body language and facial expressions. Before making a move, consider how your opponents are reading you.