Virtual Poker Coaching

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.