Tournaments
Though not totally exclusive to the Internet, Sit and Go (SNG) poker tournaments have blossomed online. Their principle is simple: Rather than compete in a long, full-fledged tournament you simply sign up (sit down) and wait until your table (six to ten players) is full. Then you play until only one player is holding chips.
SNGs are popular because they appeal to people’s love of instant gratification and risk-avoidance; games rarely take more than an hour to crown the champion, and losses can’t exceed your initial buy-in. Howard Lederer, popular host of the TV show, Learn From The Pros, considers SNGs the perfect training ground, providing valuable final table experience for larger tournaments. Here are some tips from Howard on improving your results in the trendy SNG format.
- Start out conservative. Initially the blinds, the mandatory bet before a hand starts, are small, so the chips to fight over are few. Establishing a tight image early by playing only select hands is a good idea because that may help you steal pots later with weaker hands, when the stakes are higher.
- Play for third place. The standard prize structure for a ten-player tournament pays 50 percent of the entry fees for first, 30 percent for second, and 20 percent for third place. So if you can survive until the final three, you guarantee yourself a profit.
- Go for the gold. After you make the top three, shift gears and aggressively play for first place. The difference between third and second is only 10 percent, but finishing first is worth a whopping 30 percent extra.
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.