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Single table No-Limit tournaments are usually known as Sit and Go tournaments. Basically, there is one table with 10 players where all players buy-in for the same amount and the top three players win (50% of pot for 1st place, 30% for 2nd place, 20% for 3rd place). These types of tournaments can also be played as satellites and winner take all tournaments.
During the early stages of the tournament, when blinds are low, try to see as many cheap flops as possible. Raise early when you have a strong hand (such as a pair of Jacks or Queens), but call or check when you have a mid-range hand, such as smaller suited connectors (Seven-Eight). Tournaments with low buy-ins tend to attract weaker players who lose their money quickly. Take advantage of their willingness to pay when you have a good hand. Read more about Blinds and Position for more information on these topics.
When you are in the middle stages of the tournament, keep trying to see flops when they are cheap. Play tighter if the pot gets raised. Focus on stealing blinds; raise when you are first to enter the pot. A good raise is three to four times the big blind. Limp in with a high pair and then re-raise when someone raises after you. The gap is more prevalent during this stage, so raising to steal the blind is a good strategy. Similarly, when someone raises ahead of you, they are more likely to have a good hand, so be more selective of the hand you choose to call with.
During the later stage of the tournament, when blinds are high, a lot of betting action occurs before the flop. If you are playing with a short stack, avoid chasing blinds. Steal the blinds when no one goes in before you, or go all-in with a good Ace high or decent pair before the flop. Surviving to the final three is a good goal. If you have a mid-sized stack, build your stack slowly and avoid large confrontations unless you have a strong hand. Now the goal is to win, as the payoff is much larger. If you have a large stack, bully the smaller stacks with aggressive (not stupid) raises for the blinds. Players will fold unless they are strong because they want to protect their chips and go for the money.
Keep track your statistics to see how you did at different types of buy-ins (i.e., number of times in the money at a $10 table vs. a $100 table). Most online poker rooms track your statistics for you, and you can easily view your poker results after your game. |
