Position in No-Limit Holdem refers to where you are in the order of betting either before or after the flop. The player with the ‘dealer button’ (to the immediate right of the blinds) will act last on each betting round once the flop is dealt. Acting last conveys many advantages in No-Limit Holdem games, the main factor being that you get to see what your opponents do before you decide on your own action.
The best way to look at taking advantage of position in No-Limit Holdem is that you are able to win the most when ahead and loose the least when behind. At the end of the day the strongest hand will win a showdown regardless of where at the table the holder of this hand is sat.
Hand Selection
Before the flop you are able to take advantage of late position by playing a wider selection of hands. For example if you are in early position (one of the first to act) in No-Limit Holdem you may not be able to profitably play hands such as suited connectors, small pairs or unsuited high cards.
The reason for this is that all of these hands need high ‘implied odds’ to be profitable. They will not hit the flop too often and so need to be cheap to play in the early betting rounds. In early position most of your opponents have yet to act. The risk here is that one or more will raise you forcing you to lay down your hand.
Compare this to being in late position you have seen most of your opponents limp or fold and can now play these hands with little risk of a re-raise. Even when raised you may choose to call having the advantage of seeing your opponents act before you do on the flop may also mean you can steal the pot.
Betting Rounds
The real advantage of position in No-Limit Holdem comes from being last to act on the flop, turn and river betting rounds. Compare holding a medium pair when first to act to being last. In order to find out where you stand you will need to bet. Betting when first to act risks being re-raised by any opponent, or even flat called as a bluff.
Betting when last to act gives you the advantage of seeing your opponents check first, making your bet more likely to succeed. Sure, an opponent may be trapping with a strong hand but check-raising you ‘out of position’ will show a lot of strength and allow you to get away from your medium strength hand.
Bluffing Advantage
If you completely missed the flop then being last to act may enable you to pick up small pots with a bet on the flop. If an opponent who is in the habit of betting every flop acts before you then you can even choose to call taking away the pot with a bet on the turn instead.
With a strong holding last to act you are able to decide whether to check, enabling your opponents to ‘catch up’ in the hand. You may also be in a position to flat call a raise, thus building the pot, or to re-raise an amount that you expect to be called by at least one opponent. With strong holdings you want to build the pot, the advantage of being in last position is that you can do this without arousing too much suspicion from opponents.
To summarize, taking advantage of position in No-Limit Holdem involves being able to play hands you might otherwise have folded, steal pots that nobody has shown an interest in, build a bigger pot when you are strong and get away from a medium strength hand early when the action in front of you gets heavy. This is quite a list, and explains why profitable poker players make sure that they play the majority of their hands from late position.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Single Table Sit n Go Basics
Single table sit n goes are the fastest growing game in online poker. A standard sit n go consists of 9-10 players with the top 3 making the money. Recently, different forms of sit n goes have come into play. One new type is the shorthanded sit n go, where 5-6 players enter and the top 2 finishers make the money.
Also, satellite sit n goes are becoming popular. In these sit n goes 9-10 players enter for a certain buy in, and the top finisher wins his/her way into a larger buy in tournament.
Step Tournaments
Another common form of single table sit n goes are “step tournaments”. In these, players start out at step 1, which may have a $5 buy in, and the top 2 finishers advance to a step 2 tournament, which may have a $25 buy in. There are usually around 4-5 steps before the final tournament, where cash prizes are awarded.
In sit n goes players enter the tournament for a fixed buy in. Besides the buy in, there is also a small tournament fee, which is usually 10% of the tournament buy in. This means that if you enter a $5.50 sit n go, $5 is going to the tournament prize pool, and $.50 is going to the poker site for hosting the tournament. It is similar to the rake of cash tables.
Chip Structure
When the tournament begins the players are all given the same amount of “play chips” that they use to play in the tournament. The chips you have aren’t real money, but you have to use them to try and outlast all of your opponents. When players get out that are in the money they are awarded their cash prize. In the most common form of single table sit n go, the 9-10 man, the top 3 finishers get paid with payouts as follows:
Some of the advantages of single table tournaments are as follows:Single table sit n goes are very quick, because the blinds are continually raised. Usually blinds are increased every ten minutes, and as the tournament progresses an ante may be added as well. This puts pressure on everyone, as they are blinding away, so the tournament progresses quickly.
Sit n goes can be entered at anytime. They are literally running non stop at just about every single online poker site. This means that as soon as you bust out of one sit n go, you can join another instantly. This feature attracts many weak players, as they want to play without waiting in line for a ring table, so experienced players can take advantage of them.
Another advantage is the fact that you aren’t playing with chips that aren’t real money. At a cash table you can lose all of the money you have at any time. In a sit n go however, you can only lose what the buy in was for the tournament. This reduces the variance for sit n go players.
Single table sit n goes are a great way to increase a skillful players bankroll. At the lower levels the players are almost all fish, so if you learn the proper strategy you can win consistently.
Also, satellite sit n goes are becoming popular. In these sit n goes 9-10 players enter for a certain buy in, and the top finisher wins his/her way into a larger buy in tournament.
Step Tournaments
Another common form of single table sit n goes are “step tournaments”. In these, players start out at step 1, which may have a $5 buy in, and the top 2 finishers advance to a step 2 tournament, which may have a $25 buy in. There are usually around 4-5 steps before the final tournament, where cash prizes are awarded.
In sit n goes players enter the tournament for a fixed buy in. Besides the buy in, there is also a small tournament fee, which is usually 10% of the tournament buy in. This means that if you enter a $5.50 sit n go, $5 is going to the tournament prize pool, and $.50 is going to the poker site for hosting the tournament. It is similar to the rake of cash tables.
Chip Structure
When the tournament begins the players are all given the same amount of “play chips” that they use to play in the tournament. The chips you have aren’t real money, but you have to use them to try and outlast all of your opponents. When players get out that are in the money they are awarded their cash prize. In the most common form of single table sit n go, the 9-10 man, the top 3 finishers get paid with payouts as follows:
- 1st Place Finisher 50% of the prize pool
- 2nd Place Finisher 30% of the prize pool
- 3rd Place Finisher 20% of the prize pool
Some of the advantages of single table tournaments are as follows:Single table sit n goes are very quick, because the blinds are continually raised. Usually blinds are increased every ten minutes, and as the tournament progresses an ante may be added as well. This puts pressure on everyone, as they are blinding away, so the tournament progresses quickly.
Sit n goes can be entered at anytime. They are literally running non stop at just about every single online poker site. This means that as soon as you bust out of one sit n go, you can join another instantly. This feature attracts many weak players, as they want to play without waiting in line for a ring table, so experienced players can take advantage of them.
Another advantage is the fact that you aren’t playing with chips that aren’t real money. At a cash table you can lose all of the money you have at any time. In a sit n go however, you can only lose what the buy in was for the tournament. This reduces the variance for sit n go players.
Single table sit n goes are a great way to increase a skillful players bankroll. At the lower levels the players are almost all fish, so if you learn the proper strategy you can win consistently.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tournamnet Poker: Whats It All About
Basic of Tournament Poker
A poker tournament is entered by players through a ‘buy-in’ which means they all enter for the same amount of money. The casino or poker room charges an entry fee that each player must pay for entering the poker tournament. For example, if the tournament buy-in is $50 and the house charges a $10 entry fee, each player must pay $60 to enter the tournament. If 150 players enter, the prize pool will equal the number of players times the buy-in, in this case 150 X $50 = $7500 prize pool. The exact structure of the pay outs is established by that tournament but, generally speaking, there will be a prize for about the top ten players with each prize being a set percentage of the prize pool. For example, the first place player might receive 30 percent of the pool, second place 20 percent, third place 15 percent, etc.
In tournament play, each player begins with the same number of chips and, over time, the stakes are raised periodically(small blind, big blind), perhaps every 15 to 60 minutes. The number of chips, the stakes and the time periods between advances in stakes defines whether the tournament is fast or slow. Many expert player choose slow tournaments because they begin with more chips, lower stakes and longer time periods. This provides the better player with the greatest chance of outwitting the other players before the stakes are raised to such a level that they must simply gamble too much.
If there are a large number of players, such as the 150 example above, the tournament play often begin with tables of ten players each. As players lose all their chips, they are eliminated from the tournament unless they buy-in again, which some tournaments allow during a specific time period. Once players are eliminated, tables are reorganized so that the number of players are each table remains as close to equal as possible. Eventually, the tournament play will boil down to only one table and the winner will be the player that wins all the chips.
A poker tournament is entered by players through a ‘buy-in’ which means they all enter for the same amount of money. The casino or poker room charges an entry fee that each player must pay for entering the poker tournament. For example, if the tournament buy-in is $50 and the house charges a $10 entry fee, each player must pay $60 to enter the tournament. If 150 players enter, the prize pool will equal the number of players times the buy-in, in this case 150 X $50 = $7500 prize pool. The exact structure of the pay outs is established by that tournament but, generally speaking, there will be a prize for about the top ten players with each prize being a set percentage of the prize pool. For example, the first place player might receive 30 percent of the pool, second place 20 percent, third place 15 percent, etc.
In tournament play, each player begins with the same number of chips and, over time, the stakes are raised periodically(small blind, big blind), perhaps every 15 to 60 minutes. The number of chips, the stakes and the time periods between advances in stakes defines whether the tournament is fast or slow. Many expert player choose slow tournaments because they begin with more chips, lower stakes and longer time periods. This provides the better player with the greatest chance of outwitting the other players before the stakes are raised to such a level that they must simply gamble too much.
If there are a large number of players, such as the 150 example above, the tournament play often begin with tables of ten players each. As players lose all their chips, they are eliminated from the tournament unless they buy-in again, which some tournaments allow during a specific time period. Once players are eliminated, tables are reorganized so that the number of players are each table remains as close to equal as possible. Eventually, the tournament play will boil down to only one table and the winner will be the player that wins all the chips.
Using a blocking bet to save you money
Betting
A blocking bet is used when you think you might have the best hand after the river card, but you are not entirely sure. A blocking is usually made against a single opponent, when you are out of position so that after the river card is turned over, you are first to act. Even though being out of position is normally a disadvantage, by putting in a blocking bet here, you are actually negating your opponent’s positional advantage.
One of the advantages of adding a blocking bet to your game is that you set the price of finding out if in fact, you do have the best hand. Let’s say the pot is 1200, and you put out a blocking bet of 800, making the pot 2000 in total. A few things can happen.
Your opponent can call with a better hand, but had you not put out the blocking that your opponent likely would have a possibly a higher price than you wanted to pay, setting up for a difficult decision. In this way you avoided it.
Your opponent can call with a weaker hand or the same hand as you. Either way, once again you avoided making a tough decision based on what your opponent does first. This gets down to the basic fundamentals of poker in that power and advantage is an extension of aggression.
Your opponent can fold. This is a clear indicator that your suspicions were right all along and you did have the best hand, and your opponent was likely on a draw, or planning to take the pot away from you by bluffing on the river. You’re blocking bet took that play away from him.
Finally, your opponent can re-raise you. Of course, this is the result you want to see the least, but this is almost certainly an indication that he has you beat. There is a rare exception to this, in that your opponent may be bluffing you because he has actually read you for a blocking bet, but that is rather rare in online poker, especially in the low limits. The good thing about your opponent re-raising you here is that you don’t have to spend any more money than you want, to find out who has the better hand. You decided how much it was going to cost to figure that out.
There is an element of confusion to the blocking bet, which will give your opponent pause, and it’s always good when your opponents find it difficult to read you, as well as it cutting into his big-bluff-on-the-river strategy.
A blocking bet is used when you think you might have the best hand after the river card, but you are not entirely sure. A blocking is usually made against a single opponent, when you are out of position so that after the river card is turned over, you are first to act. Even though being out of position is normally a disadvantage, by putting in a blocking bet here, you are actually negating your opponent’s positional advantage.
One of the advantages of adding a blocking bet to your game is that you set the price of finding out if in fact, you do have the best hand. Let’s say the pot is 1200, and you put out a blocking bet of 800, making the pot 2000 in total. A few things can happen.
Your opponent can call with a better hand, but had you not put out the blocking that your opponent likely would have a possibly a higher price than you wanted to pay, setting up for a difficult decision. In this way you avoided it.
Your opponent can call with a weaker hand or the same hand as you. Either way, once again you avoided making a tough decision based on what your opponent does first. This gets down to the basic fundamentals of poker in that power and advantage is an extension of aggression.
Your opponent can fold. This is a clear indicator that your suspicions were right all along and you did have the best hand, and your opponent was likely on a draw, or planning to take the pot away from you by bluffing on the river. You’re blocking bet took that play away from him.
Finally, your opponent can re-raise you. Of course, this is the result you want to see the least, but this is almost certainly an indication that he has you beat. There is a rare exception to this, in that your opponent may be bluffing you because he has actually read you for a blocking bet, but that is rather rare in online poker, especially in the low limits. The good thing about your opponent re-raising you here is that you don’t have to spend any more money than you want, to find out who has the better hand. You decided how much it was going to cost to figure that out.
There is an element of confusion to the blocking bet, which will give your opponent pause, and it’s always good when your opponents find it difficult to read you, as well as it cutting into his big-bluff-on-the-river strategy.
When to Quit Poker for the Day
Even professional players have losing sessions. One important quality for a winning poker player is to know when to call it a day. This can greatly help your bankroll grow. In fixed limit Hold’em, you should be quitting for the day if you either lose forty big bets or win forty big bets. Although it may not sounds like much, forty bets is quite a sum in limit poker. The only exception to this rule is if you’re at a table that is extremely loose, and you’re just dominating.
Another time you should quit for the day is if you are tilting. Here are some common traits of tilt:
Here are a few common traits of just plain old playing too much:
If you are having any of these traits, you should quit for the day, and it will have a significant positive effect on your bankroll.
Another time you should quit for the day is if you are tilting. Here are some common traits of tilt:
- You believe that your opponents are always betting with nothing.
- You’re fighting to recover from a loss and get back to even.
Here are a few common traits of just plain old playing too much:
- You’re becoming drowsy, or are resting your head on the table.
- You have played for over 10 hours consecutively.
- You aren’t focusing on the other players, just your own cards.
If you are having any of these traits, you should quit for the day, and it will have a significant positive effect on your bankroll.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Heads Up Strategy in No Limit Hold'em
No-Limit Holdem Heads-Up strategy involves making several adjustments from the full table version of the game. Players who fail to adjust properly will not maximize their poker profits in these games. This article will look at the strategy adjustments you need to make in several ways providing a guide to beating heads-up no-limit Holdem cash games.
We start by discussing the two key components of heads-up strategy, the changes in the relative strength of hands and the increased importance of position. We then look at some common errors your opponents will make and how to exploit these.
Relative Hand Strength
The biggest adjustment required in heads-up games is the understanding of the relative strength of hands. This is required before the flop and also after the flop. Before the flop any pair should be considered a strong holding, any ace is a good raising hand and two broad-way (picture) cards can be considered very strong.
A good rule of thumb on the flop is to imagine that the highest card disappears and assess the strength of you hand based on this. For example if you have 2nd pair on flop of King-Nine-Three then treating this the same way as pairing the king in a full table cash game would be broadly correct.
Position is Key
Position takes on a greater relative importance heads-up. This is such a big deal that the player who chooses to play the majority of hands from out of position will rarely make a long term profit. Playing from position involves regularly raising from the small blind / dealer button position. This will enable a player to take control of hands where their opponent acts first on the flop, turn and river betting rounds.
In addition to playing too many hands out of position the biggest mistake you will see opponent’s make in no-limit Holdem heads-up matches is to call too often. With only 2 players in each hand the probability of hitting the flop on each hand is small. Winning these heads-up matches often involves snatching many small pots rather than the all-in coups with hidden monsters at a full table.
Don’t Call Too Much
By calling too many bets you are gaining little information on your opponent’s hand, and also allowing them to set the price for that betting round. You are allowing them to build a pot when already ahead or to draw cheaply when they have the potential to hit a monster hand.
Over-aggressive heads-up opponents are also exploitable in heads-up no limit matches. Again it is the relative strength of hands and position which are key. If your opponent is regularly re-raising out of position then you have a great opportunity to allow them to build a pot when you hit the flop hard. Saving your re-raise until a later street when your opponent is already committed to pot can maximize returns against overly aggressive opponents.
To summarize, no-limit heads-up strategy involves a good understanding of the importance of position and the relative strength of hands. As in all poker games, winning is a matter of spotting and exploiting your opponent’s weaknesses. Playing out of position, calling too much and over-aggressive play are three examples of strategies which are beatable by the thinking player.
We start by discussing the two key components of heads-up strategy, the changes in the relative strength of hands and the increased importance of position. We then look at some common errors your opponents will make and how to exploit these.
Relative Hand Strength
The biggest adjustment required in heads-up games is the understanding of the relative strength of hands. This is required before the flop and also after the flop. Before the flop any pair should be considered a strong holding, any ace is a good raising hand and two broad-way (picture) cards can be considered very strong.
A good rule of thumb on the flop is to imagine that the highest card disappears and assess the strength of you hand based on this. For example if you have 2nd pair on flop of King-Nine-Three then treating this the same way as pairing the king in a full table cash game would be broadly correct.
Position is Key
Position takes on a greater relative importance heads-up. This is such a big deal that the player who chooses to play the majority of hands from out of position will rarely make a long term profit. Playing from position involves regularly raising from the small blind / dealer button position. This will enable a player to take control of hands where their opponent acts first on the flop, turn and river betting rounds.
In addition to playing too many hands out of position the biggest mistake you will see opponent’s make in no-limit Holdem heads-up matches is to call too often. With only 2 players in each hand the probability of hitting the flop on each hand is small. Winning these heads-up matches often involves snatching many small pots rather than the all-in coups with hidden monsters at a full table.
Don’t Call Too Much
By calling too many bets you are gaining little information on your opponent’s hand, and also allowing them to set the price for that betting round. You are allowing them to build a pot when already ahead or to draw cheaply when they have the potential to hit a monster hand.
Over-aggressive heads-up opponents are also exploitable in heads-up no limit matches. Again it is the relative strength of hands and position which are key. If your opponent is regularly re-raising out of position then you have a great opportunity to allow them to build a pot when you hit the flop hard. Saving your re-raise until a later street when your opponent is already committed to pot can maximize returns against overly aggressive opponents.
To summarize, no-limit heads-up strategy involves a good understanding of the importance of position and the relative strength of hands. As in all poker games, winning is a matter of spotting and exploiting your opponent’s weaknesses. Playing out of position, calling too much and over-aggressive play are three examples of strategies which are beatable by the thinking player.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Game Rules of No Limit Texas Holdem
No Limit Texas Holdem is one of the most popular poker games enjoyed by millions of poker buffs. As the name states, in this game there is no limit for betting. No Limit Texas Holdem allows players to bet different amount of money in four betting rounds. That is, players can bet on all of their chips in this kind of game. From a beginners point of view it is quite easy to play the game, however they need to be very careful on how much money they bet. The most important thing is to consider probabilities, hand rankings, and odds. It is easy to learn the rules of the game, however to win the game one need master the game to its subtle intricacies.
No Limit Texas Holdem rule is same as the ordinary Limit Texas Holdem. The game is played with standard 52 cards. The game starts with two cards dealt to each player. Known as Hole Cards, these cards are dealt face down. The first betting round begins after each player is dealt with hole cards. Same as Limit Texas Holdem, in the game also there are community cards. Known as The Flop, these cards are placed in the middle of the poker table. The players are allowed to use these cards to make the best possible poker hand.
No Limit Texas Holdem, Forced Bets
There are usually two forced bets in the game, known as the Ante and the Blinds. An Ante bet is usually seen in tournament play, in which each player need to place a specified amount as bet before the game begins. The ante is not counted towards any future bets.
According to Texas Holdem rules for Blinds, two forced bets need to be placed by players on each hand. There is a small blind in this game, this is half of the low limit bet size, and a big blind, which is generally same as the low limit bet size. Before each hand begins, the player positioned immediate left to the dealer is forced to post the small blind and the big blind is put up by the next player towards left. These bets are regarded as live bets as the players can select to raise even if nobody else has.
The main aim of the game is to make the best poker hand with the cards in your hand and the community cards. The game of No Limit Texas Holdem will be a test of ones own judgment of character, mathematical skills, and common sense.The game has more money at stake when compared with the other Limit Texas Holdem games. The potential gains and losses are also higher than other poker variations. If you are a skillful player you can take better advantage of this no limit game.Otherwise it is better to keep off from competitive Texas Holdem No Limit games completely.
No Limit Texas Holdem rule is same as the ordinary Limit Texas Holdem. The game is played with standard 52 cards. The game starts with two cards dealt to each player. Known as Hole Cards, these cards are dealt face down. The first betting round begins after each player is dealt with hole cards. Same as Limit Texas Holdem, in the game also there are community cards. Known as The Flop, these cards are placed in the middle of the poker table. The players are allowed to use these cards to make the best possible poker hand.
No Limit Texas Holdem, Forced Bets
There are usually two forced bets in the game, known as the Ante and the Blinds. An Ante bet is usually seen in tournament play, in which each player need to place a specified amount as bet before the game begins. The ante is not counted towards any future bets.
According to Texas Holdem rules for Blinds, two forced bets need to be placed by players on each hand. There is a small blind in this game, this is half of the low limit bet size, and a big blind, which is generally same as the low limit bet size. Before each hand begins, the player positioned immediate left to the dealer is forced to post the small blind and the big blind is put up by the next player towards left. These bets are regarded as live bets as the players can select to raise even if nobody else has.
The main aim of the game is to make the best poker hand with the cards in your hand and the community cards. The game of No Limit Texas Holdem will be a test of ones own judgment of character, mathematical skills, and common sense.The game has more money at stake when compared with the other Limit Texas Holdem games. The potential gains and losses are also higher than other poker variations. If you are a skillful player you can take better advantage of this no limit game.Otherwise it is better to keep off from competitive Texas Holdem No Limit games completely.
Texas Holdem Secret
Many Texas Holdem experts have written that the best-kept Texas Holdem secret to winning lies in your two starting pocket cards. The odds, however, change when the flop comes down. To win tournaments and make money playing the game, you need to adopt the best Texas Holdem secret strategy.
Texas Hold’em Secret Strategies
Lets say, for example, a flop reveals an ace, a nine, and a four. Now, if youre holding an ace and a king, the decision to bet or raise would be an easy one. What if you have a pair of nines, with a ten kicker, though? Making a call with that kind of middle pair is a hard for any poker player. These hard decisions are what Texas Holdem secrets are all about.
Its delicate business when you hit second pair with a middle kicker on the flop. Being able to read your opponents is one of the best Texas Holdem secrets to learn, and will aid you immensely in deciphering the hand of your opponents. Watch every mannerism a player makes. Does he look nervous? Does he look calm? A general rule of thumb is the rule of opposites. If your opponent appears to be in the lead, you may have him beat. If he looks nervous and continues to check his cards, he probably knows that he has the best hand.
Texas Hold’em Secret Formula
If you know that there are high cards out there and you have flopped your second best pair, there is a great possibility that one player may have top pair. “How many outs do I have? “Is the most important texas holdem secret question you need to be asking yourself in the process of making your next decision. An out is any single card that comes out of the deck that will help you complete your hand. A Texas Holdem secret strategy is to calculate you hand odds by taking you number of outs, multiplying them by two, and adding one. The outcome, in a percentage, would be, roughly, you chances of completing your hand.
The Texas Holdem secret to winning is not solely about your pocket cards, but about how you decide to play them. Play the top hands aggressively, but dont be tempted into a pot with a sub-par holding. Play the best, and youll be the best.
Texas Hold’em Secret Strategies
Lets say, for example, a flop reveals an ace, a nine, and a four. Now, if youre holding an ace and a king, the decision to bet or raise would be an easy one. What if you have a pair of nines, with a ten kicker, though? Making a call with that kind of middle pair is a hard for any poker player. These hard decisions are what Texas Holdem secrets are all about.
Its delicate business when you hit second pair with a middle kicker on the flop. Being able to read your opponents is one of the best Texas Holdem secrets to learn, and will aid you immensely in deciphering the hand of your opponents. Watch every mannerism a player makes. Does he look nervous? Does he look calm? A general rule of thumb is the rule of opposites. If your opponent appears to be in the lead, you may have him beat. If he looks nervous and continues to check his cards, he probably knows that he has the best hand.
Texas Hold’em Secret Formula
If you know that there are high cards out there and you have flopped your second best pair, there is a great possibility that one player may have top pair. “How many outs do I have? “Is the most important texas holdem secret question you need to be asking yourself in the process of making your next decision. An out is any single card that comes out of the deck that will help you complete your hand. A Texas Holdem secret strategy is to calculate you hand odds by taking you number of outs, multiplying them by two, and adding one. The outcome, in a percentage, would be, roughly, you chances of completing your hand.
The Texas Holdem secret to winning is not solely about your pocket cards, but about how you decide to play them. Play the top hands aggressively, but dont be tempted into a pot with a sub-par holding. Play the best, and youll be the best.
Surviving the Sit ‘n’ Go
Sit ‘n’ go tournaments are quickly becoming one of the most popular formats in No Limit Hold ‘em poker. Originally the format was used for satellite tournaments that would allow players a chance to win a seat at a large buy-in event with a relatively small investment. Instead of putting up $1,000 to enter a major poker tournament, 10 players would each put up $100 plus a little something for the casino (maybe 10%) and the winner of the satellite tournament would win a seat at the larger tournament.
Today, the sit ‘n’ go tournament format has taken the online poker community by storm. A sit ‘n’ go tournament is an impromptu tournament that starts as soon as a certain number of players are registered (most commonly 10) and is over when one player has captured every chip in play. Generally the pay out structure for a ten player sit ‘n’ go is 2 buy-ins for third place, 3 buy- ins for second, and 5 buy- ins for first. Sit ‘n’ go tournaments offer a great opportunity for players interested in sharpening there tournament poker skills by allowing them to practice early stage, middle stage, and late game strategy all with a minimal investment of time and money. They also offer an extremely lucrative opportunity for anyone willing to put in a little study time and practice.
Optimal sit ‘n’ go tournament strategy is much different than cash game strategy and offers less variance and swings than multi-table tournaments. You need a much smaller bankroll to play one table sit ‘n’ go tournaments than to play larger field tournaments. Because the players at sit ‘n’ go tournaments tend to be less experienced than cash game players, and due to the lack of published literature on proper sit ‘n’ go strategy, it is my format of choice. There are many exploitable subtleties to the format that will allow skilled players to make more money per hour with less variance (or swings) than any other structure within any given bankroll limitation.
Most internet poker sites offer a good selection of sit ‘n’ goes that can fit practically any bankroll size. The difference in skill level of your opposition at these games can vary quite a bit, for the sake of simplicity I will be addressing small stakes No Limit Hold ‘em sit ‘n’ goes, say $10-$50 buy in, ten player, events. We’ll assume 1000 in starting chips and blind rounds starting at 10- 20 and progressing relatively quickly. I’m going to list the most important concepts in sit ‘n’ go strategy.
Patience
Position
Implied odds
Aggression
Most small stakes sit ‘n’ goes are reminiscent of Wild West shoot outs. They could be described as loose-aggressive, high action games. Patients will be the most important element of long term success in the face of such “carnage”. Many of the players who are attracted to these games are the players who watch a lot of televised poker and believe No Limit Poker to be a game about bluffing, fancy plays, and all-in moves. When I refer to patients I am advocating an extremely tight playing style, particularly in the first two or three blind rounds.
In the first blind round you should be folding almost every hand you get. You’re just looking for one hand to play to double up and or bust someone. When you finally do enter a pot you will be entering with a raise, not a call with premium hands, really only AA-TT, AK and AQ. When you play those hands you will be playing them aggressively, raising three to four times the big blind and trying to hit a flop and get all the money in. You will also play speculative hands in the early stages when you can play for a very small portion of your stack, never more than 8% and only from late position. When you play a speculative hand such as a small pocket pair or AXs, you will be looking to flop a monster or a draw to a monster so you can double up. You can also play good suited connectors like JTs or T9s from the dealer or cutt- off position.
When the blinds start getting larger, say the fourth blind level, you will have to start playing more aggressively from late position. You’ll also have to open up your starting hand requirements; your goal is to steal one round of blinds per orbit by raising in late position with hands like AJ, ATs, and 77. If you can double up one time in the first three rounds, you will then be able to succeed just by maintaining your blind position throughout the rest of the tournament. With all the wild players getting in massive confrontations over huge swing pots it is important to stay out of trouble when at all possible.
Remember, when one guy busts every other player at the table and only the two of your remain, even if he has four times the chips you have, you are still guaranteed at least 3 buy-ins. That’s a very good result for the amount of time it takes to play your average sit ‘n’ go. Sit ‘n’ go tournaments are about survival. You have to protect your chip stack while looking for low risk opportunities to double up. Once you’ve obtained a comfortable stack, you have to maintain your chip position by looking to pick up some blinds with strong hands in late position. If you’re the type of player who likes to push small edges and play for first place, maybe these tournaments aren’t right for your style of play.
The pay out structure rewards survival. You are penalized, mathematically, for winning a sit ‘n’ go tournament. You will have captured 100% of the chips and only be awarded 50% of the money. Let’s assume a pay out structure in which the winner takes all, you would only have to win 2 out of 10 tournaments to double your buy-ins and get a 100% return on investment (disregarding the house fee). If you win 2 out of 10 sit ‘n’ goes you without any 2nd or 3rd place finishes you will actually be losing money. Conversely, if you took second place in a winner takes all event 4 times in 10 but never actually won one, you would lose 100% of your investment, the same as a player who busted out first in all 10 games. If you place 2nd 4 times out of 10 with the standard sit ‘n’ go structure, you will turn a profit even without ever winning one. Any first place finishes are really just icing on the cake, if they come they come.
The key, then, to sit ‘n’ go tournaments is to survive and thrive, let the money come to you. Really you should just be trying to make it ITM (in the money) 40% of the time. If you follow a very safe, tight-aggressive strategy, while looking for low risk opportunities to double up, and use position and aggression to maintain your chip position, you should be well on your way to beating these games.
Good Luck!
Today, the sit ‘n’ go tournament format has taken the online poker community by storm. A sit ‘n’ go tournament is an impromptu tournament that starts as soon as a certain number of players are registered (most commonly 10) and is over when one player has captured every chip in play. Generally the pay out structure for a ten player sit ‘n’ go is 2 buy-ins for third place, 3 buy- ins for second, and 5 buy- ins for first. Sit ‘n’ go tournaments offer a great opportunity for players interested in sharpening there tournament poker skills by allowing them to practice early stage, middle stage, and late game strategy all with a minimal investment of time and money. They also offer an extremely lucrative opportunity for anyone willing to put in a little study time and practice.
Optimal sit ‘n’ go tournament strategy is much different than cash game strategy and offers less variance and swings than multi-table tournaments. You need a much smaller bankroll to play one table sit ‘n’ go tournaments than to play larger field tournaments. Because the players at sit ‘n’ go tournaments tend to be less experienced than cash game players, and due to the lack of published literature on proper sit ‘n’ go strategy, it is my format of choice. There are many exploitable subtleties to the format that will allow skilled players to make more money per hour with less variance (or swings) than any other structure within any given bankroll limitation.
Most internet poker sites offer a good selection of sit ‘n’ goes that can fit practically any bankroll size. The difference in skill level of your opposition at these games can vary quite a bit, for the sake of simplicity I will be addressing small stakes No Limit Hold ‘em sit ‘n’ goes, say $10-$50 buy in, ten player, events. We’ll assume 1000 in starting chips and blind rounds starting at 10- 20 and progressing relatively quickly. I’m going to list the most important concepts in sit ‘n’ go strategy.
Patience
Position
Implied odds
Aggression
Most small stakes sit ‘n’ goes are reminiscent of Wild West shoot outs. They could be described as loose-aggressive, high action games. Patients will be the most important element of long term success in the face of such “carnage”. Many of the players who are attracted to these games are the players who watch a lot of televised poker and believe No Limit Poker to be a game about bluffing, fancy plays, and all-in moves. When I refer to patients I am advocating an extremely tight playing style, particularly in the first two or three blind rounds.
In the first blind round you should be folding almost every hand you get. You’re just looking for one hand to play to double up and or bust someone. When you finally do enter a pot you will be entering with a raise, not a call with premium hands, really only AA-TT, AK and AQ. When you play those hands you will be playing them aggressively, raising three to four times the big blind and trying to hit a flop and get all the money in. You will also play speculative hands in the early stages when you can play for a very small portion of your stack, never more than 8% and only from late position. When you play a speculative hand such as a small pocket pair or AXs, you will be looking to flop a monster or a draw to a monster so you can double up. You can also play good suited connectors like JTs or T9s from the dealer or cutt- off position.
When the blinds start getting larger, say the fourth blind level, you will have to start playing more aggressively from late position. You’ll also have to open up your starting hand requirements; your goal is to steal one round of blinds per orbit by raising in late position with hands like AJ, ATs, and 77. If you can double up one time in the first three rounds, you will then be able to succeed just by maintaining your blind position throughout the rest of the tournament. With all the wild players getting in massive confrontations over huge swing pots it is important to stay out of trouble when at all possible.
Remember, when one guy busts every other player at the table and only the two of your remain, even if he has four times the chips you have, you are still guaranteed at least 3 buy-ins. That’s a very good result for the amount of time it takes to play your average sit ‘n’ go. Sit ‘n’ go tournaments are about survival. You have to protect your chip stack while looking for low risk opportunities to double up. Once you’ve obtained a comfortable stack, you have to maintain your chip position by looking to pick up some blinds with strong hands in late position. If you’re the type of player who likes to push small edges and play for first place, maybe these tournaments aren’t right for your style of play.
The pay out structure rewards survival. You are penalized, mathematically, for winning a sit ‘n’ go tournament. You will have captured 100% of the chips and only be awarded 50% of the money. Let’s assume a pay out structure in which the winner takes all, you would only have to win 2 out of 10 tournaments to double your buy-ins and get a 100% return on investment (disregarding the house fee). If you win 2 out of 10 sit ‘n’ goes you without any 2nd or 3rd place finishes you will actually be losing money. Conversely, if you took second place in a winner takes all event 4 times in 10 but never actually won one, you would lose 100% of your investment, the same as a player who busted out first in all 10 games. If you place 2nd 4 times out of 10 with the standard sit ‘n’ go structure, you will turn a profit even without ever winning one. Any first place finishes are really just icing on the cake, if they come they come.
The key, then, to sit ‘n’ go tournaments is to survive and thrive, let the money come to you. Really you should just be trying to make it ITM (in the money) 40% of the time. If you follow a very safe, tight-aggressive strategy, while looking for low risk opportunities to double up, and use position and aggression to maintain your chip position, you should be well on your way to beating these games.
Good Luck!
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