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Five Strategies for Winning Basic Sit & Go Poker Tournaments
Some of the most popular poker tournaments online are the Texas Hold ‘em Sit & Go contests. These tournaments are called Sit & Go because once you pay the entry fee, you are seated and once the tournament has reached its maximum number of players, which can range from six to over 300, and they are seated, then the tourney is a “go.” In other words, it starts.
Basic Sit & Go Poker Tournament
There are many different kinds of Texas Hold ‘em Sit & Go poker tournaments. This article will focus on the most common type of tournament, which seats 10 players and offers three prizes with third prize being 20% of the buy-in, second 30% and first 50%. In a 10-person game with a $5.00 buy-in, the prize structure would be $10.00 for third, $15 for second and $25 for first.
Along with the buy-in, you are charged an entry fee. The entry fee is how the online casino makes its money. These vary from poker tournament to poker tournament, but they range from 1% to 20% of the buy-in. One hint concerning fees: look for tournaments that charge low percentage entry fees. They do vary from site to site and even sometimes from game to game.
Five Strategies for Sit & Go Poker
The fact is that as the tournament progresses and more players are eliminated, strategies can change. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of five winning Texas Hold ‘em Sit & Go tactics.
- The Wait: The first thing that you must be willing to do is to endure “The Wait.” “The Wait” refers to the times you sit out hands or fold early. To win consistently in a Sit & Go, you must be patient and hold off betting until you have something worthwhile. The very least you’re looking for is a high pair, an Ace suited with another card, or two face cards with one being an Ace. Do you have enough patience to wait for a good hand? If not, then cultivate that patience.
- Use Your Brain: Keep your brain, with all of its knowledge regarding Texas Hold ‘em and all of its logic and critical thinking skills, in the game. Stay focused, study how other players are betting (determining those that are loose, those tight and those who go with the flow), try to read “tells,” and watch for weaknesses.
- Do Not Play Emotionally: Playing in this manner sinks more players than anything. If you’ve lost a big hand, take a breath, analyze what happened and play the next one only if it should be played. If someone just took you to the cleaners, don’t try to get them back. Once again, “use your brain.”
- Exploit Weaker Players: As the tournament progresses, try to focus on those players that have low chip counts or seem vulnerable in terms of overplaying their hands or engaging in emotional wagering. If another player is focused on taking that weaker player down and your hand isn’t stellar, then fold and see what happens. Don’t put yourself at risk if you don’t have to do so.
- Play Your Stack: If you are short-stacked, then you really have to wait for the right moment to push the betting. Good players can be down to 300 chips with everyone else around them at 2,000 or more and pull themselves out of the mess. If you have a tall stack, then utilize it to its fullest. If you’re holding 5,000 chips and everyone else is around 2,000 or less, then you can risk 300 to 500 chips on a bet. But do so wisely. Don’t make a habit of it or you may find yourself raising to someone holding pocket Aces and looking at another Ace on the Flop.
Players often overlook these five strategies. Although they are basic, it takes discipline and dedication to adhere to them. If you can approach the game in a mindful manner, you’ll be a winner.