What is Sit and Go Poker?
A sit and go is a poker tournament that has no set start time and begins as soon as the required number of players have registered. Sit and go’s offer a fast action, small entry fee, and a good opportunity to practice multi-tournament play without the investment of hours of your time.
Many online poker players begin their careers with Sit and Go’s as they offer a fast and easy way to get into the game. They also provide an excellent way to learn the basics of tournament play before moving on to higher stakes and bigger events.
In a sit and go, the last player remaining wins the tournament and receives the lion’s share of the prize pool. The runner-up and the last two or three place finishers will also win a substantial amount of chips. This is why players with an ironclad Sit and Go strategy can make a living playing the games alone, or as a supplement to their cash game or multi-table tournament regimen.
The key to success in a Sit and Go is playing the tournament from start to finish. This means avoiding early mistakes like limping into pots with mediocre hands or calling with marginal draws. It’s important to re-raise when you have strong hands, especially in the first few rounds when the blinds are low. It’s also a good idea to play hands that have “double-up value” such as pocket pairs or suited Aces.
Playing a tight game is also a big part of successful Sit and Go strategy. Many opponents will play recklessly early on, and you won’t be highly rewarded for making borderline calls on the flop. Taking a tight approach to the table will allow you to accumulate dead poker chips on the table before the flop, which will give you a much stronger position once the action gets to the flop.
Another essential element of Sit and Go strategy is understanding the independent chip model (ICM). This is a mathematical model that takes into account the tournament’s payout structure, which determines how much each player will win. In order to maximize your winnings, it’s crucial to understand ICM, and how it impacts your decision-making process.
One of the most important things to remember when playing a Sit and Go is that the blinds will rise throughout the tournament. This will force your opponent to make decisions about what type of hands they can play. Generally, you should raise your premium starting hands to at least 5-7x the Big Blind in the early stages of the tournament. Weak opponents will often limp into these pots in the early rounds, so raising with your best hands can prevent this from happening and increase your chances of getting into the money.
A common mistake that many Sit and Go players make is overvaluing A-K. While this is an excellent drawing hand it should never be raised to a full stack unless you are in late position and have a good read on your opponent. Otherwise, you will find yourself in a coin-flip situation for all of your chips and may not end up with a profit if you call an all-in.
