Sit & Go: An Introduction

Defining Sit & Go's

Sit & Go's are poker tournaments that seat a certain number of players (this article refers to PokerStars 9-Max No Limit Hold'em regular speed Sit & Go's) which start after the last player registers. The prize pool is made up of all the buy-ins. The first place finisher wins 50% of the money, the second 30% and third place 20%. Players start with 1,500 chips and the blinds rise every 10 minutes.

Advantages of playing Sit & Go's

Ever since Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP Main Event in 2003 and kick-started the poker boom, the Sit & Go has been one of the most popular formats of online poker for several reasons:

• Available every hour of every day of the week
• Very short waiting time
• You don't have to commit to 4-6 hours of play (unlike MTTs)
• More chances to win due to the prize structure, where one third of players get paid, compared to the top 10% in MTTs
• Very good training for other No Limit Hold'em games because of the rising blinds and different scenarios
• Unlike cash games, fixed buy-ins for as little as $1.20 make them very affordable and better for players with limited bankroll

Introducing this series of articles

These five articles are based on the ebook 'Let's Play Poker' by professional poker player and author Lee Nelson. They are designed for PokerSchoolOnline members who have already passed the Basic & Core courses.

The main goal is to give you an easy-to-use strategy for playing Sit & Go's at micro limits (up to $11 buy-in) without years of experience under your belt.

The starting hands are grouped in different categories (these are explained later on), and there is advice for every possible situation taking into account stack sizes, position and the actions of other players.

Article 2 deals with the early phase of the Sit & Go, Levels 1-3. Article 3 tells you how to survive the middle phase, by definition Levels 4-5 with a minimum of five players remaining. Article 4 describes what to do on the bubble, which is the most crucial phase of the Sit & Go where one more elimination means players are in the money.

Finally, the best way to play three-handed and heads-up is revealed in Article 5.