Virtual Poker Coaching

Playing Suited Connectors

Robert — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:24:31 +0000

Hey guys,

A lot of Sit and Go players have trouble playing suited connectors
before the flop, and it’s understandable. The hand gives you great
potential, but if you overvalue and overbet it, it can cost you a
large portion of your stack, and potentially the tournament. Below
are some basic guidelines to follow when playing suited connectors.

- Suited connectors should be played primarily during the early
stages of a Sit and Go. During the low blinds, you can get
excellent pot odds with many players limping in.

- Fold to any strong raise coming in pre-flop. Raises coming from
early positions tells you that they have a stronger hand.

- Limp in from late positions. This will decrease the chance of a
raise from someone acting after you, but will let you get away
from the hand if someone does.

- If you hit your straight or flush on the flop, bet it aggressively
to prevent someone from outdrawing you.

- If you miss on the flop, but get a four card flush, or a straight
draw, call any small bets that are still giving you the correct
odds, but fold to any serious betting, especially if the board is
paired.

- Know when to let the hand go. You’re looking for a straight, flush,
full house, 3 of a kind, or two pair to stay in. If you hit a pair,
even if it’s top pair, but have no drawing potential, let the hand
go.

Just like everything else in poker, these guidelines have exceptions.
Knowing how and when to play suited connectors can help make you a
more profitable player, but can also cost you a lot if you are not
familiar with them. Suited connectors are a hand that takes time to
get a feel for, and requires you to be able to read opponents. Do
not play suited connectors if you don’t feel comfortable with them.
It is always better to fold a hand you’re unsure about then to try
playing it without knowing how.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for topics, send
me an email at virtualpokercoaching(@)gmail.com.

Low Blind Sit and Go Play

Robert — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:02:03 +0000

The initial stages of a Sit and Go can be tedious, but it’s also one of the most important parts of the tournament. During the initial stages, the blinds are low, the chances are higher someone else will hit a hand, and you don’t have reads on any of the players. The best way to play during these early stages is to play tightly, and protect your chips. You only want to be playing the best hands during the early stages, sticking not even to top 10, but top 5 hands. You’re going to be folding upwards of 75 percent of hands in these early stages, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to pay attention. These early stages are when you will be getting the best reads on people for later in the better position to win the tournament.tournament. Make sure you watch how your opponents play their hands. Do they tend to slow play monsters, or go all in with nothing? Figuring out what type of player you’re against can save you a lot of chips, and put you in a

In the video below, the player starts off with pocket kings, and it gets folded around to him with the exception of an early caller. He makes a standard 4xBB bet, and picks up a couple calls with it. After it gets checked to him on the flop, he still has the top pair. He makes a continuation bet that is a bit too small, as it would allow drawing hand to get the proper odds to call. One person folds, while the big blind re-raises essentially all-in. He shows a king with a pair of 4’s, doesn’t catch a third 4 to complete the set, and is knocked out.

Knowing how to play your hands, and when you can call an all in bet, and when not to, is a crucial skill to have early game. Less skilled players will often try to overbet the pot, or bet more than their hand warrants, in order to scare you off the pot. Being able to read your opponent and detect when they’re weak is a necessary skill for winning Sit and Go’s. For more in depth video training, check out SNGTrainer. If you haven’t already signed up for the free course, go ahead and get started taking your Sit and Go Tournament play to the next level.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for topics, send
me an email at virtualpokercoaching(@)gmail.com.

Choosing a Table

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:36:27 +0000

An important part of playing Sit and Go’s, and online poker in general, is knowing how to pick a table. When you first start off playing online poker, you may just sit down at the first table you see, but this can make it much more difficult to be a winning player. Make it easier on yourself by following a few guidelines, and you’ll find it much easier to be a winning player. Picking a table that matches your desired game type, doesn’t require too much of your bankroll, and isn’t filled with grinders, is an important first step in becoming a more successful Sit and Go player.

Types of Sit and Go’s

Figuring out which type Sit and Go you’re looking for is the first step in choosing a table. Currently, there are two main types of Sit and Go’s, the traditional ones, where 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place are in the money, and Double or Nothing’s, where the top half of players win. There are also a different number of players at different tables, the most common are 6, 9, and 10 man Sit and Go’s. Our video series, and this blog, focus on 10-man traditional Sit and Go’s.

Know Your Bankroll

The amount of money in your account is the determining factor when deciding which stakes you will play for. Only two percent of your bankroll should be invested in any single tournament. This is stressed in the videos, but deserves repeating. Poker has ups and downs, and by only risking two percent of your bankroll in any single tournament, it makes it much more likely you’ll be able to ride out bad breaks, keep playing, and win more than you lost.

Analyze the Rake

Rake is another important factor to consider when choosing a table. The amount of rake you’re paying compared to the buy in varies significantly. In a traditional Sit and Go, the rake can be anywhere from 4 to 20 percent of the buy in. The rake is generally a higher percentage in lower stakes games, so I recommend starting off with at least $100 in your bankroll so that you can play at a slightly higher level and avoid the most extreme rake. Another good way to cut down on rake is to play in turbo Sit and Go’s. The rake in a turbo Sit and Go is usually less that in a regular Sit and Go with the same buy in. This allows you to play more games, and pay less in rake, than traditional Sit and Go’s.

Watch Out for Grinders

The biggest threat to being a profitable Sit and Go player is grinders. These are people who will generally play tighter, and at a higher level than the average player. The way to figure out if there are grinders at your table is to open up multiple tournament lobbies and see who’s registered. If you see more than four people registered at multiple tables, you may want to find another table. Playing with grinders does have its advantages though. Because grinders are multi-tabling, their attention is split between many table, making it more difficult to get a read on you. Another advantage is that grinders will generally play very tightly most of the tournament, making it easier to steal pots from them.

Poker Stars has a huge amount of Sit and Go’s to choose from, and always has new Sit and Go tables opening up and running . Full Tilt Poker is another excellent site for Sit and Go’s, as it also has a very large community and selection of Sit and Go’s. Using the marketing code VPC600 at Full Tilt Poker will net you a 100% sign up bonus up to $600 to get your bankroll growing even faster.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for topics, send
me an email at virtualpokercoaching(@)gmail.com.

Introduction

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:14:37 +0000

Hey guys,

I hope all of you have checked out the video series over at SNGTrainer, but if not be sure to head on over and sign up for the free course. It’s a great way to get all the basics of Sit and Go tournaments under your belt before sitting down at the table. The course covers bankroll management, post game analysis, and everything in between. For those looking for more in depth coaching, our hand reviews or live one on one coaching may be for you, sign up here for more information. Also, be sure to check back here frequently for new videos, strategies, and advice to make the most out of your time playing Sit and Go tournaments.

Good luck at the tables,

Robert