Basic Sit and Go Tournament Strategy
- A detailed look at the basics of Sit and Go Poker
- Understand the power of observation
- Playing on my than one poker table, is it a good idea?
Basics Of How To Play Sit And Goes
Sit and Go Poker tournaments are highly predicated upon the strategy that is applied by players. If you are going to make consistent profit playing Sit and Go Poker, you have to understand the basics of how to play. Though much of what happens in a sit and go is based upon luck, there are some things that you can control. It’s up to you to recognise these things and take advantage of them accordingly. This simple to understand strategy guide will give you an idea of how things work and what you should do to improve your odds in Sit and Go Poker.
When you first sit down to take part in a Sit and Go Poker tournament, your buy in amount is the thing that you must consider before everything else. How much should you be spending on a sit and go when compared to your bankroll? It is usually a good idea to avoid tournaments that ask for more than 10% of your total bankroll. These tournaments are too costly and can break you quickly. Conversely, an $11 entry fee would be alright for somebody with a $110 bankroll. It doesn’t matter how good you are or how good you think you are. In a sit and go, bad things are going to happen every now and then. You have to protect your bankroll through these rough stretches.
This is also an issue of comfort. You might not know it or recognise it consciously, but you often play tighter and don’t make appropriate plays when you are playing in a tournament that is slightly out of your price range. You will want to be free to play your own game and not have to worry about busting out and losing too much of your bankroll. This added pressure can limit you in what you are able to do at the table.
In addition to thinking about the buy in at the Sit and Go Poker tournament, you also have to consider what sort of tournament structure you are signing up for. Certain sit and gos are structured differently than others, so you will want to find one that is comfortable to you. Some tournaments will give players more chips to work with at the beginning, while others will start everyone out a little bit short stacked. Highly skilled and more experienced players will ultimately benefit more from the formats that give players more chips and have longer periods between blind changes. On the flip side of that, tournaments that start players out with fewer chips will likely be ones that reward luckier players over better players. If you are a seasoned player, it is in your best interest to choose a tournament that rewards that ability. If you are wondering which sites to try out in order to get better sit and go structures, then you might consider Coral Poker, as they offer a wide variety of these tournaments.
There is another structural consideration to take into account, as well. Some sites have nine player sit and go tables, while other sites provide full ten player tables. A ten player table usually adds some money to the pot and can certainly benefit a more skilled player. If you are less experienced, then you might benefit from playing with a smaller field, however. This might seem like a small or minor detail, but when you play more and more Sit and Go Poker, you will understand the value of making a distinction.
Sit and Go Poker, the Power of Observation
The one thing about sit and go tournaments that most players don’t understand is that you can’t sit around and wait on the huge hands to push you over the top. Simply put, you will be left out to dry more times than not when you take this approach. Instead, you have to be able to make objective and effective observations about the other players at the table and make moves based upon that. Don’t be afraid to pull out a pen and paper and write down some notes about the players at the table. If you can integrate observation into your play, while observing the basic rules of pot odds and other tournament strategy, you can finish in the money. You might even find a poker site that allows you to take notes right on the screen. This can be a quick and effective way of making note of a player who has certain tendencies that you might want to exploit. Don’t forget that you might run into these players in the future, as well, so keeping a good notebook of their play is always a good idea.
Lots of players like to bide the time during the early part of sit and go tournaments by playing in more than one. If you play correctly, the early part of a Sit and Go Poker tournament can be extremely boring. By multi-tabling and trying your luck in more than one sit and go, you increase your chances of coming out on top. Keeping multiple sit and go tournaments going is a good way to keep yourself sharp through the less exciting parts of the tourney, so that you can continue to make good decisions.
Though all poker players should keep track of their play and how they are doing in various games and sessions, sit and go players probably need this the most. Sit and go tournaments are fairly predictable, especially if you always play at a similar buy in level. If you keep steady track of how things went down, you can improve your play and make more money in the future. If you are looking for a simple way to do this, you should try starting with a spreadsheet and going from there. Make sure to input when the tourney was played and how things progressed. This can be extremely useful in helping you stay organised, especially if you play in a bunch of tournaments.
Sit and Go Poker tournaments can be mastered, but only with organisation. You will notice obvious improvements to your game over time if you take the time to note your mistakes and learn from them. Don’t be afraid to keep a steady notebook and go from there.
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