Introduction
This guide is written for Sit and Go poker games that allow only 6 players in at a time and are single table only. The payouts for these tournaments are generally only to the first and second place, and thus it becomes imperitive to play good solid poker and keep the game face paced near the end. The strategy is derived mostly from the working Full STT Strategy posted prior but with adjustments to account for the low amount of players as well as the changing blind structure.
Because rounds are long, blinds start low, and the amount of players are small, the general adjustment of the game is as follows. Ax has a lot more worth especially as the kicker gets higher. Suited connectors are garbage and any pairs under 7s are garbage until the game gets down to three. Your hand selection should start pretty small and expand as the blinds get bigger. People love to raise with any face cards anytime, but to be honest, KJ offsuit is a marginal limp at best to play in a shorthanded tournament when the blinds are still their insignificant amounts at the beginning of the tournament.
Advantages to this Game
Not many. The games may go fast if you're playing with inexperienced players with no consideration with the blindsize. These games are great for players who don't like to wait to see action on the table. Generally speaking, you immediately start to see action on the table from the get-go. However, you MUST be a consistant short-handed player to keep your variance low and your profits high here. Because you must place 2nd or better (payouts to 33% of the players) to get in the money, your variance theoretically should not be any more than playing normal SnGs (also payouts to 33% generally). However, to make any significant money you really should be aiming for 1st every single time, as taking 2nd usually only covers a single loss at these games.
Beginning Game
Conditions: Blinds are not worth stealing (blinds*20 is less than the starting stacks).
Reraisable Hands: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, TT(?)
Raisable Hands: TT, KQ, QJs, KJs, 99, 88, 77
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: Observe players, find the rocks and find the aggressive guys (they're usually the ones with the big chipcounts).
Middle Game
Conditions: Four players and blinds are stealable (20*bigblind >= original stack)
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 (A7+), 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: Try to get stacked to ensure your position in the money.
End Game
Conditions: Three players remain, blinds are sizeable, and you're fighting for money.
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. Keep in mind that your stack should be less than 10x the Big Blind before you settle with anything marginal, like J7 or A5.
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.
Goal: Get the last guy outta here. Try to establish dominance but don't make any unneccessary risks, remember to minimize your losses when you're a midstack or better. Being stupid doesn't pay off often at this point.
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 |