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Later stages of a sit and go tournament

January 23, 2010

For the middle stages of a Sit and Go tournament, different, more intensive sit and go strategies become necessary to achieve victory.
In this second part of “stages of sit and go tournaments”, Poker Rakeback Online will cover one of the ways to play in the middle stages of a sit and go tournament.
Instead of just sitting back and playing the best hands, as the blinds increase in value, players are forced to make advanced moves to gain as many chips as possible.
For the middle stages, bluffing becomes a crucial part of any decent poker player’s strategy.

When bluffing however, remember to do so only in opportune spots.
If you’re sensing weakness in your opponent, don’t be afraid to fire off a large bet or two. Other players will also be trying to bluff you out of pots, so check-raises or check-call-bets can be warranted in certain situations.
When bluffing, however, don’t get too attached to your bets.
Don’t be afraid to admit when you’ve been caught; this will save you a lot of chips in the long run. Know when to cut your losses.

Observation will play a key role in your decision for when you should make a move for the pot.
Especially in the first stages of a sit and go tournament, watch the tendencies of the players at your table.
By the time the middle stages roll around, you should have a rough idea of each player’s style.
You should know whether they’ll back down to a large bet, how they play their top cards, and their tendencies of slowplaying and check-raising.

Pick your bluffs wisely.
If you notice that you have position on a relatively passive player who has tendencies to back down to pot-sized bets and above, it may be the time to make a move for the pot.
In these rounds of a Sit n Go tournament, every little bit counts, and it’s necessary for you to pick up as many blinds as possible.

When bluffing, make good use of position.
It’s usually never profitable to bluff out of position, as you open yourself up to an array of counteractions – raises, re-raises, check-raises, and even smooth calls opening up to later raises.
Watch your position and watch your opponents.
When both circumstances point in your favor, use the right sit and go poker strategy, and seize the opportunity.

In this crucial point in the Sit n Go, continuation bets can often make or break your game.
Once again, the necessity to build your stack is crucial, and any opportunity for you to gain chips that is presented needs to be seized.

A continuation bet, much like a bluff, is made when you have position on your opponent, and you hold a strong hand that may not have connected with the flop.
By this time, you need to start playing your big drawing hands aggressively, trying to either pick up the blinds, or get to heads-up on the flop. What do you do if you don’t connect, though?

If it were earlier in the tournament, folding would be your best option.
Chips and blinds, however, are now crucial, so folding might not necessarily be an option.
Lets say you raises pre-flop with AQ suited and the big blind called.
The flop shows all low-value cards, with one more suit to your flush, giving you a backdoor draw. Your opponent checks in front of you. What do you do?

Your best option is to bet a sizable amount.
Your object here is to scare your opponent off.
Chances are good that you hold the best hand as it is, as your raise pre-flop should have eliminated any player holding junk.
He probably has not paired, and may be holding a lower suited connector than your AQ. A solid bet should scare him off.
If not, consider firing another shell on the turn. Remember, chips are crucial at this point. Even if he calls your bets, you still have the outs to make the best hand by the river.

Opposite of the beginning of the tournament, when you combated the aggressiveness by tightening up your play and hand selection, the same sit and go tips must be used in this stage of play.
To defeat a passive opponent, you need to play more aggressively.
With that being said, however, you need to be intelligent with your aggressive plays.

Nothing screams of more aggression than the dreaded check-raise.
This will become a crucial move in your game strategy.
When dealt your monster hands, slowplaying becomes a necessity to try to milk them for all they’re worth.

The middle stages of a tournament are all about becoming more and more aggressive.
At this point in the tournament, many players tighten up their play and become more passive with their betting; they want to make the money.
To combat other players’ tight play, become more aggressive with yours.
You’ll take down more uncontested pots, more blinds, and more chips.

Advanced sit and go strategy