Introduction
This guide is originally based off the series of articles written on "Mastering Sit and Goes" at CollegePokerTips.com. It is written for Sit and Go poker games that start full (9 to 10 players) and blinds increase every 10 minutes or 10 hands (depending where you play). It has seen its most success on Bodog ($10+1) and PokerStars ($5+.50 and $10+$1). This outlining strategy includes some fairly tight bluffing for later in the game, but overall, it's a pretty tight playstyle.
Advantages to this Game
Sit and Go's are a huge, consistant money maker for most good players. Because you spend a set amount of money on any single tournament, you limit your losses (and effect due to tilt) and at the same time have a chance to double, triple, or quadruple your money in most full-table games. It provides a good opportunity to learn the game for cheap.
Beginning Game
Conditions: The game has just started, everyone is seated and the blinds are in their first level.
Reraisable Hands: AA, KK
Raisable Hands: QQ, JJ, AK, AQs
Limpable Hands (with many players in pot and 4xBB or less bets ONLY): Small pairs and middle suited connectors, looking for the set, straight, or flush right from the start. DO NOT PLAY POT ODDS AFTER THE FLOP WITH THESE HANDS. There's no reason to risk your chipcount at this point in the tournament any more than you already have in the given hand.
Goal: Try not to lose any chips other than the blinds and observe players.
Middle Game
Conditions: Blinds have gone up a few levels and one or two players have left the table.
Reraisable Hands: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK(?)
Raisable Hands: AK, TT
Limpable Hands: KQ, QJs, KJs, 99, 88, 77
Special Hands (limp from middle, raise from late, fold or limp (for no raise) in early): AQ, AJ, AT
Poor Hands (avoid them if possible) : T9s and A-x.
Goal: Continue observing players. Spot any weak ones that tend to fold to anything on the blinds for the next stage. If chipcount is getting small, be prepared for an all-in come the next portion of the game. Choose hands conservatively, and slowly build your stack.
Late Game
Conditions: Shorthanded play (6 or less players). Blinds are getting stealable (60 if you started with 1k, 100 if you started with 1.5k).
Large Stack (20x Big Blind or Higher): Push people around. Bet minimum or 3x big blind if action is folded to you. Stay out of heavy action pots when possible. Vary your play with good hands (raise half the time, limp half the time).
Middle Stack (Not a large stack but not quite a small stack): Steal pots with minimum raise when action is folded to you and you're on the button or SB with any two cards over 7 (or lower if you get a face card and your stack is nice). If you're BB vs. SB, make sure you raise against a limp with the same conditions above. You're likely the leader in that situation. Pairs, good aces, and face cards are gold to play here. You want to keep your money up so the blinds don't cause your stack to dwindle.
Small Stack (10x Big Blind or Less): You're all in or nothing. If there's 4 people left (you're bubble boy), stay very conservative and do your best to only go in with monsters. That way if someone gets confrontational you have the chance to still hit money. If there's 5 or 6 people, you're all in with any pair, any ace, and any two cards 10 and above that the table gives you. Do your best to pick your battles wisely. You ideally only want one person against your all-in unless you have a monster.
Goal: Make it to the money.
End Game
Conditions: You're in the money and there's three players left.
Very Small Stack (1/2 the middle stack if there's a strong chipleader, 1/4 the middle stack if there's a split between the other two players): Much like a mixture of the Middle Stack and Small Stack strategy above. Steal blinds like a middle stack, raise like a small stack. You want to increase your position for more money so you have to be ultra-aggressive.
Two Middle Stacks (there's one clinger and you're about even with the other player): Demolish the shortstack. If he goes all in and the guy behind you calls, you call and check through best you can. Do not allow the shortstack to steal your blinds (raise him all in with a fair hand if he tries with a small raise from position). Don't call his all-ins unless you have the nuts. You don't want to double him up twice, putting you in a hole.
Three Middle Stacks: Disaster. You're stuck stealing blinds and getting your blinds stolen according to the middle stack rules in the section above. Stay aggressive. You want first. Play like it.
Chipleader: Stay out of it unless you have the nuts. Harass the shortstack when possible, leave the middle stack alone, let them both go at it when possible. Heads up play isn't usually determined by who has the most chips. You and the midstack are likely going to end up even before the last guy leaves.
Heads Up Play
Conditions: It's just you and the other guy.
Even Stacks: Play solid poker. Raise UTG if you're going to play. Raise when the SB limps. Once a stack becomes 7x the Big Blind or less, use SAGE as demonstrated below.
SAGE (the ratio between the shortest stack and the big blinds are 7 or less): In the result of a crapshoot, you simply follow the SAGE system. You minimum raise to steal the blinds if you're the bigger stack and you have cards less than what SAGE says IF your opponent is a weak player. Otherwise you follow the system:
Card Values: Jack is 11, Queen is 12, King is 13, Ace is 15.
Take your best card and multiply it's value by two. Add the value of the next card you hold. If it's a pocket pair, add 20 to the value. If suited, add 2. This is your hand value. Follow the table below for action:
Ratio (Small Stack to Big Blind) |
All-in (From UTG) |
Call All-in Preflop |
1 |
17 |
(any) |
2 |
21 |
17 |
3 |
22 |
24 |
4 |
23 |
26 |
5 |
24 |
28 |
6 |
25 |
29 |
7 |
26 |
30 |