SNGs are poker tournaments which don’t have a pre-assigned start time and begin when all the available seats have been filled, hence the name ‘sit-n-go’. There are many different types of SNGs, ranging in size from heads-up games to large multi-table events spanning hundreds of tables. The most popular format is a nine or ten player ‘single-table’ poker game, which normally pays the top three finishers.
- Sit and go’s, or SNG’s as they are also called, is a one table poker tournament structure with usually nine, six or two players. I started playing them when building my bankroll as early as 2005 just before the poker boom, and I quickly become one of the absolute top players in the world at that format.
- Sit and Go poker tournaments, commonly called SNGs, have become amazingly popular thanks to the growth of online poker. Their shorter format allow you to play tournament style poker without having to play for hours like in a full multi table tournament giving them the same time convenience of cash games.
- Run It Once pro and SNG specialist Ryan Martin shares his expertise and splashes around in uncharted waters on Run It Once Poker while raising money for char.
- Earnings per SNG We have taken into account in each case the best three players of the current year according to the Sharkscope leaderboards, playing at PokerStars with buy-ins between $ 5.01 and $ 15.00. We have assumed that a player who is on top of the global rankings in a SNG variant is only playing this version of Texas Hold’em tournaments.
In a SNG you will cash if you finish in the top 30% of the field. In a MTT, however, you will need to outlast 90% of the field, making it three times tougher to make the money. Both games have a lot of earning potential, but you should always remember that optimal strategy in one game will not match up with optimal strategy in the other game.
The speed by which the blinds increase can also vary; 15 minutes in a regular SNG, every 5-7 minutes in a ‘turbo’ SNG, and levels as short as two minutes in a ‘super turbo’ SNG. While stack sizes can also vary, most start with 1500 chips, though a number of the super-turbo formats can start with as little as 100 in chips.
The purpose of this lesson is to provide an overview of the basic strategy that’s required to become a successful low-stakes no-limit hold’em SNG player. We’ll look at basic strategies for the different stages of a typical single-table SNG, with particular attention to the bubble phase of the game. We’ll also throw in a few hints and tips along the way.
Key Concept: The Value of Your Chips
Before we jump in and begin discussing various SNG strategies, the most important concept to know is that the value of your chips in a SNG is non-linear. What does this mean? Well, in a cash game you might buy in for $100 and your chips will retain that value throughout the time you are at the table. If you were to win every chip on the table you’d be able to cash in all your chips at their face value. But this does not happen in a SNG. The winner of the SNG will have all the chips at the end, but unless the structure is winner-take-all he will not win all of the money.
Let’s assume you are playing a single-table SNG with a typical payout structure of 50% for first, 30% for second, and 20% for third. In this case, the winner will have all of the chips and the end of the game, but only receive half the money. Two other players will take home a slice of the prize pool despite not having any chips at the end.
In a SNG your last chip is always going to be the most valuable chip. The more chips you have, the less valuable that first chip is going to be when compared to your last chip. In other words, the ratio of the dollar value of your chips in a SNG is non-linear. Does this sound overly complicated? Well, don’t worry about the math involved right now. 1000 free slots games egt poker. Just being aware of this concept is the most valuable knowledge a SNG player can possess.
The Stages of a SNG Tournament
Let’s break down a typical single-table SNG into several key stages and discuss some of the ways you might approach them for improved results.
The Early Stage
A typical low-stakes SNG will feature mostly weak and passive play during the early blind levels. Just like in a cash game, the most preferable style of play is the one that is the opposite of the table. With that in mind the most common course of action is to play a tight-aggressive (TAG) style of poker. This means you should mostly be entering the pot with raises, and only limping with the occasional small pocket pair or speculative hand once a few players have already limped in too. You should play your big hands strongly and get value for them against opponents that are willing to pay you off. Even a hand as weak as top pair can reap a nice pot against the weak and passive players that are often found playing these games.
The Middle Stage
Once the first few players are eliminated and the blinds have increased a few times you will typically see the table tighten up. This is especially true if you’re playing in a turbo tournament. While some of the players with large stacks might continue to limp in with their weak aces and suited holdings, you should stick with a TAG style of play.
The first few levels of a SNG leave room for a bit of post-flop manoeuvring, but the middle stage doesn’t offer such freedom of expression. Paying attention to how your opponents have been playing now becomes more important. You should be able to detect which players are willing to gamble a little and which are going to be scared to bust out. Watch for situations that you might be able to take advantage of this, however be sure that you have a hand that is capable of standing up to resistance. Play your strongest hands for maximum value and you will be surprised how often you’ll be paid off.
The Late Stage
This is the time when stack sizes become shallow in relation to the blinds and aggressive play becomes the order of the day. All-in shoves pre-flop are frequently the only move available and the chips can often move around the table as players fold to aggression. With a nice chip lead you should be able to control the table, especially when a couple of players are struggling with shorter stacks and are more concerned about outlasting each other – which is sometimes the correct play! At other times you will need to be selective with your spots and use the fold equity and any leverage that your stack might still possess.
The Independent Chip Model
The bubble phase of a SNG is when the concept of ICM (Independent Chip Model) comes into play. ICM helps you to determine what kind of hand ranges you can push or call with. Remember, the chip values in a SNG are non-linear and ICM is the method that is used to mathematically determine the value of our chips in relation to the prize pool. You don’t need to be good at math. Just knowing the basics of how the math works in certain situations is the key to manipulating players on the bubble of a SNG.
The following is a brief overview of what a generic strategy might be for the bubble stage of a single-table SNG that pays the top three positions. This is all based on the concept of ICM:
Chip Leader
Your chips and the leverage they provide is your biggest weapon. Generally you will want to take advantage of the existence of the short stack by attacking the players in second and third, especially if the short stack is getting desperate in chips.When the short stack has folded you can usually raise with impunity on the others.The fear of busting out before the short stack is what they fear most, so use this knowledge wisely.
Second Place
When you’re in second place you’ll be able to bully and attack the player that is third in chips, particularly if you’re seated to his right.Although you will need to be very wary anytime the chip leader has acted or is still in the hand. You should also pay close attention to the position and potential play of the short stack. While you can still take on the other players remaining in the game, you will need solid holdings to cross paths with them.
Third Place
Most beginning SNG players are going to be too scared to play when in third and will elect to try and outlast the short stack and “fold to the money”. By accident, these players find themselves to be using the correct strategy. If you and the short stack are close in chips you will need to be more aggressive since there is no guarantee that the other player will lose a hand anytime soon.However, in most cases it is unwise to play too loosely, especially when calling raises.
Ultrasonic Sng Poker
Fourth Place
Depending on your exact situation, you are going to have to make a move on some pots or risk losing any fold equity you still possess. The best player to attack is the player that’s currently in third-place. However, do not be too shy about potentially facing anyone. Time is running out and the shorter your stack becomes when compared to the blinds, the more desperate you may need to become. Do not have the fear of not cashing, since being in fourth place means you wouldn’t be cashing right now anyway!
A Few SNG Strategy Tips
There are many weak and passive players to be found at the low stakes SNGs and you should be taking advantage of their tendencies. For every poor play you encounter there is a good counter play.
Here are a few tips and tricks that you might be able to use during the course of a typical SNG:
- If your opponent calls too much, bet more for value.
- If they call too much, don’t bluff very much, if at all.
- If they fold too much, bet and bluff more frequently.
- If they chase draws incorrectly, charge them more.
- If they call all-in raises too lightly, shove all-in more.
Not all of these SNG plays are based on math – quite a few are geared more toward taking advantage of how a random player would generally behave. It’s important that you always pay attention to the tendencies of your opponents, including their hand ranges and the level of aggression they exhibit in their play. If you find an opponent who plays two-pair like it’s the nuts then use this information by shoving all-in with your sets, straights and flushes on the river. In the long run you’ll get paid off more this way then by making a value bet – unless the board makes a straight or flush too obvious. Likewise, if you find an opponent who plays top pair like it’s the nuts then be sure to play your two-pair hands very strongly.
Conclusion
The key points to take away from this lesson is that in general you should play a tight-aggressive style during the early and middle stages of a SNG and be taking advantage of ICM-friendly situations later on in a SNG. Remember to always be aware of not only your chip stack but also those of the other players and their positions at the table – and where appropriate, use your chips as weapons.
Simply knowing that chips stacks are always changing in value as players bust out of the game will give you a huge advantage over your opponents, particularly during the bubble stage of a SNG. Depending on ICM, position and what you have learned about your opponents will often dictate your decisions much more often that your cards might. Understanding such concepts in addition to paying attention to the tendencies of your opponents will help you become a successful low-stakes SNG player.
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By Rick 'RyckyRych' Perlini
Rick has been playing poker since 2007 and is a low-stakes online SNG specialist. He has been a highly active and well-respected member of the Pokerology community for several years.
Single table tournaments (STTs), also known as sit and gos (SNGs), are the shortened variation of a multi table tournament (MTT). Despite the similarities in their names, these two games are very different from each other and require unique skill sets. The most basic difference is that a STT is generally quite short and will allow you to play many games at a time. Aside from the duration, other notable differences include payouts and blind structures.
Sng Poker Training
If you learn one of these games, you will have a better shot at succeeding in the other, but it will not be a walk in the park. There is a lot of variance associated with multi table tournaments, where that just isn’t the case for single table events. The trade off for reduced variance in STT games is a lower payout when you do cash.
In a SNG you will cash if you finish in the top 30% of the field. In a MTT, however, you will need to outlast 90% of the field, making it three times tougher to make the money. Both games have a lot of earning potential, but you should always remember that optimal strategy in one game will not match up with optimal strategy in the other game.
Players who stick to STT games will find that it is quite easy to effectively multi table without losing a whole lot of concentration or focus. For MTT players, on the other hand, this could not be further from the truth. The ever changing dynamics of multi table tournaments easily disallow players to really pay attention to what they are doing.
Sic bo online. In a STT, the actions and plays are going to be relatively similar from one game to the next. Just like in cash games, the situations are not too unique and do not call for drastically different plays. As a result, an automated playing style will often work very well in STTs. There are a number of players who are able to beat both STT and MTT games, but they are certainly going to apply different strategies in each.
The key to beating any form of poker, though, is not necessarily your skill set but instead your consistency. The biggest STT and MTT players are able to perform at their best nearly all of the time. Short term variance can be tough to deal with in any tournament, but the most consistent players will always win out in the long run.
STT Strategy Overview
Sng Poker Strategy
Single table tournament strategy is complex and almost never ending, but the general concepts are easy to learn and understand. The first thing to remember about STTs is that they are always an event where you should be playing to win. This should go without saying, but poker players tend to want to shoot for a cash instead of first place.
There is a thin line between going for the win and going for broke, though, so it is crucial that you play your cards just right. The time to put it all on the line will come much, much sooner in a STT than in a MTT. Your stack size is going to dwindle quickly as the blinds rise at a rapid pace. To adjust to these circumstances, a winning STT player needs to know when it is time to go all in and when it is time to fold.
Sit N Go Poker Training
Post flop strategy eventually goes out the window once the blinds increase a few levels into a STT. This differs from an MTT as multi table tournaments allow for a lot more actual “play” vs. gamble. The variance in STTs is derived from the push/fold strategy that needs to be adopted relatively on.
One of the biggest keys to winning in STTs is being able to make the right decisions without hesitation. Solid STT players almost instantly know whether any given hand is a shove or a fold when it comes down to the latter stages. If you don’t like the need to put all of your chips on the line in risky situations, you probably are not cut out for STTs.
MTT Strategy Overview
Sng Poker Meaning
Multi table tournaments require a lot more strategy than STTs. There are a lot of blind level increases, table changes, and game flow changes that need to be accounted for in an MTT. You can be the chipleader at one of your tables, lose a big pot, and suddenly be shifted to a table where you are now the small stack.
The ability to quickly adjust to these constant changes is what will help to form a winning player. MTT strategy is all about the long term. You will absolutely need to get lucky, to one extent or another, if you ever hope to win an MTT. This is why the long term aspect is so very vital. You can go on a streak of five, 10, or even 20 games before you even min cash. Not even being able to min cash despite great play can be one of the most frustrating things in poker.
MTT players need to have undying focus. MTTs are a marathon whereas SNGs are more like a sprint. If you aren’t prepared for the long haul, don’t expect to be killing MTTs any time soon. There is a fortune to be made in multi table tournaments if you have a lot of skill, a lot of persistance, and a little bit of luck.