Sng Bubble Strategy

When it comes to sit n go, I’ve had experience as both a player and a coach. Something that I’ve noticed is that most beginner players tend to have the same leaks. Here are 10 that I feel are the most common with beginning SNG players.

1. Lack a Push/Fold Strategy

Nearly all sit n go players starting out lack a push/fold strategy. However, this is one strategy that is a must to learn. It’s a basic fundamental of sit n go’s..

When short stacked, what most beginners will do is just try to wait to find a better spot or a better hand to go all in with. However, I found that these spots usually never come. Then what happens is that these players end up blinding down to where they have no fold equity left. They are then forced to take any two cards and go all in, crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.

I understand why most players do this. It’s not natural to shove hands like J8s or 56s. But if you want to become a good player, much less a profitable one, then it’s very important for you to learn proper push/fold strategy.

SNG Multi-tabling Strategy; It needs to be pointed out that there is a lot more to SNG strategy than these 5 Sit and Go tips. However, the above advice will form a good basis from which to build on. To do well at this game, you simply need to get a decent handle on these five strategy tips. It's as good a place as any to start. What I suggest doing is buying and playing with SNG Wizard and participating in forums such as 2+2 and PTP. Once you get the basics down, you’ll notice your ROI increase significantly, as well as your bankroll. Play the Bubble Passively. Another common mistake made by sit n go beginners is that they play the bubble way too passively. After the bubble; Strategy Summary Chart; Position is important. And sit-n-gos offer a fun way to build your bankroll. Your cash rate should be considerably higher in a SNG vs. We start by giving an overview of the differences between SNG strategy and that for cash games. Next the 4 main stages of a SNG tournament are discussed separately, covering early game, mid-game, bubble play and finally in the money play. We wrap up by looking at some common opponent errors. Difference between tournament and cash game strategy. Just knowing the basics of how the math works in certain situations is the key to manipulating players on the bubble of a SNG. The following is a brief overview of what a generic strategy might be for the bubble stage of a single-table SNG that pays the top three positions. This is all based on the concept of ICM.

There are a number of ways to do this. What I suggest doing is buying and playing with SNG Wizard and participating in forums such as 2+2 and PTP. Once you get the basics down, you’ll notice your ROI increase significantly, as well as your bankroll.

2. Play the Bubble Passively

Another common mistake made by sit n go beginners is that they play the bubble way too passively.

I understand why. You don’t want to play for an hour or two, or more, only to make a mistake and then bust on the bubble.

It sucks, I know. But in order to be a very good and profitable sit n go player, you need to learn how to be more aggressive on the bubble. This means stealing the occasional blinds, re-shoving ATC and abusing the bubble. If you are uncomfortable with any of these strategies, then just learn one at a time. Once you get good at them, you’ll wonder how you ever made money without them.

3. Miss the “Any Two Card” Spots

A good example of an any two card (ATC) spot would be like blind versus blind or re-shoving on the bubble when someone opens. These are spots where players are the most exploitable and are very profitable in the long run.

Just like the push/fold strategy, though, shoving with ATC is very unnatural and uncomfortable for players. For example, SNG Wiz will tell you to shove hands like 98o blind versus blind.

It’s important to understand, however, that the spots are ATC because players cannot call with a wide enough range for these shoves to be unprofitable. As uncomfortable and unnatural as they may feel, just know that in the long run you will make a lot of money taking these spots.

4. Overplay AK

Another common mistake that most beginner sit and go players make is that they overplay AK. They treat it like it’s a pair of pocket aces or pocket kings, instead of the unmade hand that it really is.

Most players who tend to overplay AK usually go all in pre-flop with it. This adds a lot of variance to your game since AK is no better than 55% or 60% to win. A much better approach is to try to take AK post flop, so that if you happen to miss or you’re playing against a tougher opponent and miss, you can give up and keep some of your stack. And of course when you hit the flop then you can extract as much value as possible for your hand since most fishy players will go broke with weaker kings.

5. Results Oriented

Here is an example of results oriented thinking:

Say a player from early position decided to raise and you look down and see A6s. You fold, then on the flop you see that you would have flopped a flush. Instantly you think to yourself, wow, I should have played that hand because I would’ve flopped a flush.

This is one example of what results oriented thinking is.

The biggest problem with results oriented thinking is that it often interferes with your strategy. For example, a shove with J9s from the cutoff when you have seven big blinds is a standard play. However, if you’re called and you lose, you might think otherwise — you might second guess yourself. This type of thinking prevents you from taking profitable spots.

Sng Bubble Strategy Definition

I’m sure you can see how self-destructive being results oriented is. I’ve even known players to fold pocket queens preflop because they’ve said they always seem to run into pocket aces, kings or AK and get out flopped.

6. Play Too Many Tables

Another leak that beginners have is that many of them play way too many tables at once. If you’re an experienced sit n go player, this isn’t that big a deal. It really comes down to your goals and what you want to achieve as a poker player.

However, as a new player, you’re still learning the basic fundamentals of winning sit n go strategy. You have to focus on players ranges, their stack sizes, the different stages of the game and implementing everything correctly. I’ve found from experience that most players who do not have the basics down, yet choose to play more than 8, 10 or maybe 15 tables at a time usually are breakeven players at best, and that’s including rakeback.

New players should focus more on quality than quantity and stick to 4, 6 or 8 tables at a time. Then as they improve add 1 to 2 tables at a time.

7. Lack Volume

As a poker player you’re essentially self-employed. It’s up to you to motivate yourself to play.

This is a big leak for many players though, both beginner and experienced. Beginners either become complacent, they’re too scared to play in fear that they’ll lose money or they’re just flat-out lazy. It doesn’t take a genius to see that fitting into any one of these camps isn’t going to be profitable long-term.

Now this isn’t to say that players should play a ton or when they don’t want to, because some players do not play well when they’re forced to. However, to some extent, being self-employed sometimes means that you do things that you don’t necessarily want to or when you don’t want to. If you’re playing for fun, then it’s not that big of a deal. But if you’re playing to pay your bills or to eventually turn poker into a full-time gig, then you want to get into the habit of putting in good volume. This will depend on the game type that you choose a play, but a good goal to shoot for is between 50 and 100 games per day.

8. Don’t Participate in Forums or in Group Chats

Forums and group chats on Skype are great ways for players to improve. You can post hand histories, talk about specific spots, situations or opponents, and just get overall feedback on the way you play.

It really blows my mind that many players don’t take advantage of these resources. Especially considering that they’re free. All you need to do is post a hand and let people comment on it. If you’re afraid of people ripping your hands to threads, then you’ll just have to get over it. It’s without a doubt one of the most fastest ways to improve your game.

9. Don’t Study With SNG Wiz or Poker Stove

For some players, the problem isn’t so much that they don’t put the volume in, but that they don’t allot any of their time for reviewing hand histories.

It’s very important that you study with SNG Wiz and Poker Stove, if you don’t do so already. These tools will help you develop the fundamentals that will help you excel in sit n go tournaments, larger MTTs and even cash games. Learning different ranges and how profitable one range or hand is against another is something that you’ll use for the rest of your poker career.

If you’re new you should spend at least half of your time studying and the other half playing. As you get better you can spend less and less time studying, but it’s something that you should never remove from your day-to-day regimen. Almost every good player studies on a regular basis.

10. Rigid Style of Play

When I say rigid style of play, I mean sticking to a strategy that is considered standard, that’s taught in most strategy videos and forums online. As a beginner, sticking to a rigid or standard style of play is ok. It’s clearly effective since everyone uses it. However, the sooner you can develop a flexible or creative style of play, the more profit you will see, and the faster you’ll see it.

For example, my old coach taught me to min-raise during the late stages of a sit and go. The reasoning behind this strategy is so that when your played back at you can still fold and have a stack to work with. If you win a pot, you did so with less money. Min-raising simply gives you the opportunity to be more aggressive, which few players are able to adjust to..

That’s just one example though. And the thing is, that many players will hear this strategy and scoff at it, even though they’ve never tried it. But it’s these players that don’t have an open mind that are the ones that will lose out on the extra profits in the long run.

SNGs are poker tournaments which don’t have a pre-assigned start time and begin when all the available seats have been filled, hence the name ‘sit-n-go’. There are many different types of SNGs, ranging in size from heads-up games to large multi-table events spanning hundreds of tables. The most popular format is a nine or ten player ‘single-table’ poker game, which normally pays the top three finishers.

The speed by which the blinds increase can also vary; 15 minutes in a regular SNG, every 5-7 minutes in a ‘turbo’ SNG, and levels as short as two minutes in a ‘super turbo’ SNG. While stack sizes can also vary, most start with 1500 chips, though a number of the super-turbo formats can start with as little as 100 in chips.

The purpose of this lesson is to provide an overview of the basic strategy that’s required to become a successful low-stakes no-limit hold’em SNG player. We’ll look at basic strategies for the different stages of a typical single-table SNG, with particular attention to the bubble phase of the game. We’ll also throw in a few hints and tips along the way.

Key Concept: The Value of Your Chips

Before we jump in and begin discussing various SNG strategies, the most important concept to know is that the value of your chips in a SNG is non-linear. What does this mean? Well, in a cash game you might buy in for $100 and your chips will retain that value throughout the time you are at the table. If you were to win every chip on the table you’d be able to cash in all your chips at their face value. But this does not happen in a SNG. The winner of the SNG will have all the chips at the end, but unless the structure is winner-take-all he will not win all of the money.

Let’s assume you are playing a single-table SNG with a typical payout structure of 50% for first, 30% for second, and 20% for third. In this case, the winner will have all of the chips and the end of the game, but only receive half the money. Two other players will take home a slice of the prize pool despite not having any chips at the end.

In a SNG your last chip is always going to be the most valuable chip. The more chips you have, the less valuable that first chip is going to be when compared to your last chip. In other words, the ratio of the dollar value of your chips in a SNG is non-linear. Does this sound overly complicated? Well, don’t worry about the math involved right now. Just being aware of this concept is the most valuable knowledge a SNG player can possess.

The Stages of a SNG Tournament

Let’s break down a typical single-table SNG into several key stages and discuss some of the ways you might approach them for improved results.

The Early Stage

A typical low-stakes SNG will feature mostly weak and passive play during the early blind levels. Just like in a cash game, the most preferable style of play is the one that is the opposite of the table. With that in mind the most common course of action is to play a tight-aggressive (TAG) style of poker. This means you should mostly be entering the pot with raises, and only limping with the occasional small pocket pair or speculative hand once a few players have already limped in too. You should play your big hands strongly and get value for them against opponents that are willing to pay you off. Even a hand as weak as top pair can reap a nice pot against the weak and passive players that are often found playing these games.

The Middle Stage

Once the first few players are eliminated and the blinds have increased a few times you will typically see the table tighten up. This is especially true if you’re playing in a turbo tournament. While some of the players with large stacks might continue to limp in with their weak aces and suited holdings, you should stick with a TAG style of play.

Sng Bubble Strategy Game

The first few levels of a SNG leave room for a bit of post-flop manoeuvring, but the middle stage doesn’t offer such freedom of expression. Paying attention to how your opponents have been playing now becomes more important. You should be able to detect which players are willing to gamble a little and which are going to be scared to bust out. Watch for situations that you might be able to take advantage of this, however be sure that you have a hand that is capable of standing up to resistance. Play your strongest hands for maximum value and you will be surprised how often you’ll be paid off.

The Late Stage

This is the time when stack sizes become shallow in relation to the blinds and aggressive play becomes the order of the day. All-in shoves pre-flop are frequently the only move available and the chips can often move around the table as players fold to aggression. With a nice chip lead you should be able to control the table, especially when a couple of players are struggling with shorter stacks and are more concerned about outlasting each other – which is sometimes the correct play! At other times you will need to be selective with your spots and use the fold equity and any leverage that your stack might still possess.

The Independent Chip Model

The bubble phase of a SNG is when the concept of ICM (Independent Chip Model) comes into play. ICM helps you to determine what kind of hand ranges you can push or call with. Remember, the chip values in a SNG are non-linear and ICM is the method that is used to mathematically determine the value of our chips in relation to the prize pool. You don’t need to be good at math. Just knowing the basics of how the math works in certain situations is the key to manipulating players on the bubble of a SNG.

The following is a brief overview of what a generic strategy might be for the bubble stage of a single-table SNG that pays the top three positions. This is all based on the concept of ICM:

Chip Leader

Your chips and the leverage they provide is your biggest weapon. Generally you will want to take advantage of the existence of the short stack by attacking the players in second and third, especially if the short stack is getting desperate in chips.When the short stack has folded you can usually raise with impunity on the others.The fear of busting out before the short stack is what they fear most, so use this knowledge wisely.

Second Place

When you’re in second place you’ll be able to bully and attack the player that is third in chips, particularly if you’re seated to his right.Although you will need to be very wary anytime the chip leader has acted or is still in the hand. You should also pay close attention to the position and potential play of the short stack. While you can still take on the other players remaining in the game, you will need solid holdings to cross paths with them.

Third Place

Most beginning SNG players are going to be too scared to play when in third and will elect to try and outlast the short stack and “fold to the money”. By accident, these players find themselves to be using the correct strategy. If you and the short stack are close in chips you will need to be more aggressive since there is no guarantee that the other player will lose a hand anytime soon.However, in most cases it is unwise to play too loosely, especially when calling raises.

Fourth Place

Depending on your exact situation, you are going to have to make a move on some pots or risk losing any fold equity you still possess. The best player to attack is the player that’s currently in third-place. However, do not be too shy about potentially facing anyone. Time is running out and the shorter your stack becomes when compared to the blinds, the more desperate you may need to become. Do not have the fear of not cashing, since being in fourth place means you wouldn’t be cashing right now anyway!

A Few SNG Strategy Tips

There are many weak and passive players to be found at the low stakes SNGs and you should be taking advantage of their tendencies. For every poor play you encounter there is a good counter play.

Here are a few tips and tricks that you might be able to use during the course of a typical SNG:

• If your opponent calls too much, bet more for value.
• If they call too much, don’t bluff very much, if at all.
• If they fold too much, bet and bluff more frequently.
• If they chase draws incorrectly, charge them more.
• If they call all-in raises too lightly, shove all-in more.

Not all of these SNG plays are based on math – quite a few are geared more toward taking advantage of how a random player would generally behave. It’s important that you always pay attention to the tendencies of your opponents, including their hand ranges and the level of aggression they exhibit in their play. If you find an opponent who plays two-pair like it’s the nuts then use this information by shoving all-in with your sets, straights and flushes on the river. In the long run you’ll get paid off more this way then by making a value bet – unless the board makes a straight or flush too obvious. Likewise, if you find an opponent who plays top pair like it’s the nuts then be sure to play your two-pair hands very strongly.

Conclusion

The key points to take away from this lesson is that in general you should play a tight-aggressive style during the early and middle stages of a SNG and be taking advantage of ICM-friendly situations later on in a SNG. Remember to always be aware of not only your chip stack but also those of the other players and their positions at the table – and where appropriate, use your chips as weapons.

Simply knowing that chips stacks are always changing in value as players bust out of the game will give you a huge advantage over your opponents, particularly during the bubble stage of a SNG. Depending on ICM, position and what you have learned about your opponents will often dictate your decisions much more often that your cards might. Understanding such concepts in addition to paying attention to the tendencies of your opponents will help you become a successful low-stakes SNG player.

By Rick 'RyckyRych' Perlini

Rick has been playing poker since 2007 and is a low-stakes online SNG specialist. He has been a highly active and well-respected member of the Pokerology community for several years.