When choosing any sit & go tournament, the initial decision to be made is what type to play.
A satellite sit & go awards fantastic seats to live events, but only one prize.
Shorthanded versions only pay the top two, whilst with nine or ten people the payout is wider but it is a slower game. Turbo´s are more aggressive and not suitable for the beginner. Another factor is the buy-in amount; any player should have a bankroll around 20 times the buy-in cost for it to be worthwhile. Sit & go tournaments offer smaller prizes than multi-table tournaments and so players need to win 1 in 3 to make a decent profit.
Strategy is more similar to a ring game than a multi-table tournament. Positional play and pot odds are important features. The main advantage to be gained is by watching opponents as these are permanent. Study their moves and take notes. For instance, how do they play premium hands? Do they always bet the flop after they raise pre-flop? Consider bluffing techniques and the hands that they play to help decide which of your own to commit as waiting for premium hands will not help you win a sit & go. Opponents are easy to study due to the slow nature of the game, but if you find yourself bored or going on tilt, play more than one sit & go at a time. If you are a beginner, watch out for the windows interchanging so you don’t make a mistake.
Play tight initially, and especially when in early position to earn from over eager players. Don’t be misled by players who go all-in constantly; they usually get knocked out first. Fold even a pair of kings in the initial stages if a player goes all-in; you are still susceptible to a bad beat and you only have the one chance to win. Be less precious over your blinds and focus your energy on watching the game. Don’t make the mistake of being too aggressive and going all-in pre-flop; this reveals your hands, says lots about your tactics, and leaves you open to a bad beat. Do not bluff at this stage either; you will be called by any decent pocket pair. The main aim initially is to conserve chips and gain when possible.
After the flop loosen your approach and play your usual game. Include bluffs and semi bluffs and limp in to build the pot and gather chips. Play aggressively against any passive players. An all-in will now be disconcerting to your opponents and so profitable. A good tactic is to now raise pre-flop with decent hands. Chip leaders are less of a threat then in multi-table tournaments as they keep bluffers in check, so continue with faith and confidence in your game. There will be fewer players and so the aim now is to gain as many chips as possible. But be ready for them to loosen up too; don’t get caught out.
In the later stages if you are short stacked, do not sit on your stack. Try to double up with reasonable cards and all-in´s, especially if you are on the bubble as other players will be waiting for the knock out. Use small raises to instigate betting between others, and use big raises accordingly. Dominate if you reach heads up as the dominant player typically wins. If you are playing tight aggressive player, then go all-in if you think you have the better hand.
Create your own style, and play with confidence and consistency, but keep strategy in mind to inform the tactics used.
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