How to Win a Sit And Go Poker Tournament

Mastering the sit and go tournament is a must for any poker beginner. These tips will help you start winning quickly.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Scout your opponents early on. Will they fold to even the slightest aggression? Are they maniacs?
   
   Because sit and go tournaments are single table tournaments, learning about your opponents' tendencies is extremely beneficial; three to four of them will be competing with you for the money at the end of it all. Information you pick up early on could come in handy three-handed or heads up.

2. It is to your benefit to play tight at the beginning of the tournament. Normally a sit and go tournament pays the top three finishers. Be patient. Many players do not take sit and go's seriously, risking their chips unnecessarily because they think of the tournament as a waste of time. You might be able to sneak into the money without dangerous confrontation.
   
   This does not excuse you from focussing on and attacking the players you have previously pegged as weak. Avoid tougher opponents and concentrate on those you deem beginners.

3. Once you have reached the pay out level, or are one or two knockouts away from a pay day, open up your game immensely. Play and raise with a wide range of hands, and almost always be willing to risk your entire stack when you think you're ahead. A lot of beginners will tighten up when the money is on the line, hoping someone else will make a mistake and bump them up another spot on the pay ladder. This strategy is a mistake in its own right.
   
   Take advantage. You've succeeded in your first goal of making it in the money. Now your goal is the win. Picking up the chips your opponents don't want to compete for will be essential for accomplishing this goal.

Tips & Warnings

• A sit and go tournament is basically final table practice for the multi-table tournaments you will enter later on in your poker career. Remember, the money is awarded to those who survive, and the best way to survive is not to take the risk of being knocked out. You will have to take stands with high pocket pairs (among other holdings) every once in awhile. In most other spots, play defensively until the money is in sight. Then you attack. The blinds will be higher, making aggression more profitable, and the players will be less likely to defend.

[pianistic]

on 9/18/2008 Great!