Poker is a game full of many variables, and understanding these variables will improve your chances of becoming a great poker player. Understanding the psychology associated with patience, mindset, the ability to put opponents on ranges of hands, and the ability to push your chips when the moment's right can improve your game ten fold over those who focus solely on mathematics and the size of their chip stacks. Poker Sit N Go tournaments are the fastest variation of the game, and because of that you are going to have to use your mind more than ever to beat your opponents at the table.
For some strange reason some people are under the assumption that you want to try and capture the chip lead early in the tournament by playing a lot of hands. The truth of the matter is, this is the exact opposite of what you should be doing to win a Sit N Go tournament. Remember that patience is one of the factors that determines whether or not over time you'll be a winner or a loser. A losing poker player may have a rush of cards for a few minutes, hours, days, or even months. But eventually their habits of playing any two cards that come in front of them will dry up their bankroll faster than they built it. Great players wait to exploit the flaws of their opponents. You can only exploit the flaws that you can see.
By standing back while the blinds are low you are giving yourself an opportunity to study the playing habits of your opponents. What you're really looking for in the beginning is who is the loosest at the table. This will be the guy who will be doubling you up when the time is right. You see, a player who calls a lot of flops with strange hands is playing the opposite of winning poker. Some hands win more often than others, we call these hands positive expected value hands. Then there are hands that lose more often than win, which are known as negative expected value hands. Very loose players will play these negative EV hands with no regards to what will happen to their stack. They're just hoping for a lucky flop.
Occasionally the loose player will get lucky and outdraw you. This will happen roughly 2 out of every 10 hands you play with them. 8 out of 10 you'll win. Now keep in mind I said this article wouldn't really be about math but more about the psychology associated with winning poker. This is still true. By putting your opponent on a range of hands, in this case a range that includes many hands that don't really stand a chance against your starting hand selection, you are putting yourself into an opportunity to win the tournament based on the play of your opponent. Without the patience to wait for that hand you'll be giving away needless chips, which means when the double up finally does happen, you'll have less total chips than had you waited. By identifying your would be caller once you get your hand, you know the odds are in your favor of actually doubling through.
The easiest way to win at Sit N Go's is to wait for valuable hands and bet with them. Nothing more, nothing less. Let your loose opponents knock each other out, then take the remaining loose players chips from him when you have a hand. The more players that go out before you have to step in, the better. Every player eliminated moves you one step closer to the prize pool and that's ultimately what you're after anyway.
When the blinds finally increase your bets will be a much larger portion of your opponent's stack as well as your own. Suddenly the plays you make will put them to a decision for their tournament life, or at least a large portion of their stack. You'll be able to steal blinds, pad your stack, and coast your way into the promised land. Be patient and wait for your opportunities. Take the downtime as an opportunity to note how each of your opponents are playing, that way you'll know how and when to bet against them as soon as you have a hand.
For some strange reason some people are under the assumption that you want to try and capture the chip lead early in the tournament by playing a lot of hands. The truth of the matter is, this is the exact opposite of what you should be doing to win a Sit N Go tournament. Remember that patience is one of the factors that determines whether or not over time you'll be a winner or a loser. A losing poker player may have a rush of cards for a few minutes, hours, days, or even months. But eventually their habits of playing any two cards that come in front of them will dry up their bankroll faster than they built it. Great players wait to exploit the flaws of their opponents. You can only exploit the flaws that you can see.
By standing back while the blinds are low you are giving yourself an opportunity to study the playing habits of your opponents. What you're really looking for in the beginning is who is the loosest at the table. This will be the guy who will be doubling you up when the time is right. You see, a player who calls a lot of flops with strange hands is playing the opposite of winning poker. Some hands win more often than others, we call these hands positive expected value hands. Then there are hands that lose more often than win, which are known as negative expected value hands. Very loose players will play these negative EV hands with no regards to what will happen to their stack. They're just hoping for a lucky flop.
Occasionally the loose player will get lucky and outdraw you. This will happen roughly 2 out of every 10 hands you play with them. 8 out of 10 you'll win. Now keep in mind I said this article wouldn't really be about math but more about the psychology associated with winning poker. This is still true. By putting your opponent on a range of hands, in this case a range that includes many hands that don't really stand a chance against your starting hand selection, you are putting yourself into an opportunity to win the tournament based on the play of your opponent. Without the patience to wait for that hand you'll be giving away needless chips, which means when the double up finally does happen, you'll have less total chips than had you waited. By identifying your would be caller once you get your hand, you know the odds are in your favor of actually doubling through.
The easiest way to win at Sit N Go's is to wait for valuable hands and bet with them. Nothing more, nothing less. Let your loose opponents knock each other out, then take the remaining loose players chips from him when you have a hand. The more players that go out before you have to step in, the better. Every player eliminated moves you one step closer to the prize pool and that's ultimately what you're after anyway.
When the blinds finally increase your bets will be a much larger portion of your opponent's stack as well as your own. Suddenly the plays you make will put them to a decision for their tournament life, or at least a large portion of their stack. You'll be able to steal blinds, pad your stack, and coast your way into the promised land. Be patient and wait for your opportunities. Take the downtime as an opportunity to note how each of your opponents are playing, that way you'll know how and when to bet against them as soon as you have a hand.
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