Carlos Welch
Last week we discussed beginner strategy for the middle levels of a standard single-table sit & go in which the top three spots pay. This week we find ourselves on the money bubble with four players left.
Since we're playing poker for real money, our main goal at this point is not to be the next player out and miss the cash. In order to survive, we have to know how to shove and call correctly so we do not get forced all in by the blinds and antes.
Shoving Correctly
![Sng Bubble Strategy Sng Bubble Strategy](/uploads/1/3/9/2/139211978/388725978.png)
- You Are Playing The Bubble In 6-Max Sit N Gos All Wrong February 12, 2021 at 5:55 PM by Staff In this “Shorts” video, Sit N Go specialist Againstime goes over how to play bubble situations in 6 max Sit N Gos and how that you should actually loosing up your play versus a tighter strategy.
- SNG Strategy in Poker If you don’t have the time to play a cash game, or a multitable tournament, there is one option available to you – Sit and Go’s. These exciting poker tournaments are different from MTTs since the blinds increase rapidly, and there are a set number of runners.
As the shortest stack, shove slightly wider than Nash on the second-shortest stack
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.
The thing that makes shoving so profitable is fold equity. You can maximize your fold equity as the shortest stack by shoving slightly wider than suggested by the Nash equilibrium shoving strategy when the second-shortest stack is in the big blind. (See last week's article for more about using Nash as a guide for optimal shoving/calling.)
For example, if you have 10 BBs and shove from the small blind into a 50-BB stack in the big blind, he may call you close to correctly because losing does not hurt him very much. For this reason, you should just stick to the Nash shoving range in this spot.
On the other hand, if you shove from the cutoff, the big stack is less likely to call you from the button given that he does not have a blind invested and has to worry about the players left to act. If one of those other players has a 12- to 15-BB stack, he is less likely to call you correctly because losing would be devastating for him.
As a medium stack, shove moderately wider than Nash on all but the biggest stack
As a medium stack, you can put tons of pressure on everyone except the biggest stack. In fact, once the biggest stack folds, you can assume the role of the biggest stack even if you are tied for second as long as you are next to act. If you go all in, the other stacks will need a very good hand to call you.
As the biggest stack, shove extremely wider than Nash on everyone
On the money bubble of a SNG, the biggest stack is in the catbird seat. He has something I refer to as 'big stack insurance' — he can bust the other players, but they cannot bust him. This allows him to shove incredibly wide.
For example, say there is a short stack with around 5 BBs. When he folds and you are next to act as the biggest stack with 50 BBs, you have license to shove just about any two cards on any medium stacks left to act (e.g., with 20 BBs). They know that if they just fold a few more hands, the short stack will likely be out. For this reason, they will be hesitant to gamble with the big stack with anything less than a premium hand. They are almost assured at least 20 percent of the prize pool and will not want to take the risk of getting nothing. (Single-table SNGs on most online poker sites pay 50/30/20 percent to the top three spots.)
Even if one of the medium stacks does decide to call and is fortunate enough to win, you will still have 30 BBs and a great chance at locking up 20 percent of the prize pool, not to mention also still having enough chips to play for more. This is less true when shoving on a fellow big stack whom you only cover by 10 BBs or so. Use reads to ensure this player understands how tightly he should be calling before you get too far out of line in this situation.
Calling Correctly
As the shortest stack, call according to Nash as you begin to lose fold equity
Generally, everyone should be tighter when calling on the bubble. However, there is one exception. If you are the shortest stack and you don't have much preflop fold equity, your only option is to showdown the best hand. When this is the case, calling is almost as good as shoving.
For example, let's say you have 10 BBs and the next shortest stack has 15 BBs. If a big stack shoves on you blind-versus-blind, you can choose not to call with a hand like if you expect to have opportunities to shove on the 15-BB stack later.
However, this is not true when you only have 4 BBs. In this case, there is no reason to wait for a shove because your short stack has almost no fold equity. This means that you will likely get called, anyway, and often by multiple players at that. You may as well call the big stack's shove when you know you only have to beat one player who likely has a wide range.
Otherwise, call tighter
Unless you are the shortest stack with no fold equity, you should call tighter than Nash on the bubble regardless of your stack size.
If you are a short stack, but you still have decent fold equity, then you should prefer shoving over calling because this gives you two ways to win.
If you are a medium stack, then you certainly do not want to call off your stack in the presence of a short stack. You essentially have 20 percent of the prize pool all but locked up. This is not the time to gamble with a marginal hand.
If you are a big stack, it is almost criminal to call off with a marginal hand against a fellow big stack or medium stack for the majority of your chips. Furthermore, you may even want to call a wee bit tighter against the shortest stack in order to keep the bubble alive. If the other players are calling as tightly as they should, you can continue to win pots without showdown for as long as the bubble lasts.
Eventually, someone will pick up a good hand and call to bust the fourth player. Unless that fourth player happens to be you, congratulations — you've made it into the money! You've guaranteed yourself 20 percent of the prize pool. This is a nice consolation prize, but there is much more at stake.
We will discuss this next stage of the tournament — three-handed play — next week.
Also in this series...
Ready to start giving sit & gos a try? Put these tips into practice at PokerStars.
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tournament strategyno-limit hold’emstack sizesstarting hand selectionpreflop strategysit & go strategyonline pokershort-handed strategysatellite strategyRelated Room
Full Tilt
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.
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:
Sng Bubble Strategy Meaning
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.
Sng Bubble Strategy Games
Related Lessons
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.
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