Sit and Go Tournaments: In the Money Strategy

Congratulations – you have achieved your first objective and made it into the money. Reaching a prize-paying position is a key step in the Sit and Go, but there is still work to do as we now look at strategies to aim for first place and the top prize.

Reviewing our Goal

A look at the prize structure of SNG tournaments gives an indication of the best strategy for the final section of the sit and go. In a typical single table tournament, you will be down to the final three players and the typical pay outs will be as follows:

1. 1st Place – 50%
2. 2nd Place – 30%
3. 3rd Place – 20%

Since each of the final three players has already won at least 20%, then 60% of the total prize pool has already been awarded, and you only gain an additional 10% for finishing second. With that in mind, it’s often worth considering some calculated risks to put yourself in a position to compete for the top prize which is a much bigger gain of 30%. At this stage, your general approach should shift toward playing to win.

In most three-handed situations, an aggressive approach is usually the best way to apply pressure and build a lead — particularly when you’re playing to win rather than just move up one spot.

The exception seems to be if the other two opponents seem determined to knock heads with each other. Then playing a (slight) waiting game might pay off.

In the Money Strategy: How do we Win this thing?

So, we have established that we are playing to win, while second place offers only a small increase in prize money, our focus now shifts toward making strategic moves that give us the best chance of winning.

The speed of the play and the blinds will determine where your stack is in relation to the blinds. In a single table tournament with 13,500 chips in play (1500 X 9 seats), the average stack here is 4,500.

Usually the blinds will be around 150/300 in a regular speed tournament or 300/600 in a turbo tournament, with the average stack at less than fifteen big blinds (eight in a turbo), there may be a little play left but not much and at this stage, most hands will be decided by preflop all-in situations due to the short stacks and escalating blinds.

When the blinds reach a level where the average stack is less than 10 big blinds then with stacks this short, almost every hand you enter should be all in preflop.

Playing as the Big Stack

Playing as the big stack is no different now than how it was just before the bubble. You should continue to play very aggressively with the same Big Stack Strategy detailed here.

Playing as the Middle Stack

Now that you are through the bubble, if you are the middle stack then your strategy completely changes. Before the bubble you allowed the big stack to be the aggressor if he wanted to be and you just took over when he wasn’t involved in a hand.

Now, that changes and you must fight the big stack to be the aggressor at the table. The chances are he will be less willing to get involved in a pot for all your stack than he would be with the short stack and you must pick your moments to be aggressive against him.

Remember, you are no longer in survival mode — and at this stage, taking on some risk may be necessary to give yourself a real chance of competing for first place, even if it means there’s a possibility of finishing in third (remember that 10% gain vs 30% gain).

Playing as the Short Stack

However you got to this point, playing as the short stack when three handed is difficult. All hands you play should be all in preflop, since your stack is highly unlikely to be more than five big blinds.

Going all in gives you the most fold equity (meaning you can win either by getting your opponents to fold preflop, or by winning the hand if you’re called), and the best chance to pick up the blinds and antes, which will be significant to your stack.

The other players will often be keen to call your all-in bets when short-stacked, as they see you as the most likely to be knocked out next, and as the pot odds can make it worthwhile when you go all in, even with marginal hands.

One position you should be a little more careful on is the button. The positional advantage of the button is all but gone, since most hands will be all in preflop, and the button actually acts first preflop when three handed. When you are on the button, the other players will be even more likely to call your bet, since their amount to call is reduced by their blind contribution to the pot.

Aim to preserve a stack of at least five big blinds where possible — this can give you enough fold equity to pick up blinds at least once per round and stay in contention — but your broader goal should be to find a good spot to double up when the opportunity presents itself.

For that reason, slow playing monster starting hands (in this case, any pair 88+ or any Ace Ten+) is generally not advisable when short-stacked, as going all-in gives you fold equity and the best chance to build your stack.

Stick to all in bets with any hand you are willing to play, even monsters. This approach disguises the strength of your hand and may increase your chances of getting called — even a close coin-flip can be worthwhile if it offers a good opportunity to double up.

Three Roughly Equal Stacks

When all three players have about the same amount of chips, the player who applies the most pressure often gains an advantage — especially if the others are playing cautiously. The other players will feel fairly comfortable about their situation, and will be willing to let their blinds go, for a round or two anyway.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are not able to be aggressive because another player is beating you to it, it is acceptable to let your blinds go for one or two rounds, but you then must revert to short stack strategy.

If one player is showing extreme aggression, consider reraising all in with a reasonable hand if you have enough chips to to triple his bet and apply pressure — especially when you believe they may be overextending.

Even a hand like J-9 suited is only a 54%-46% underdog to A-8 offsuit, and you might just get him to fold if he thinks you’re tight enough.