Sit-and-Go Essentials Part 4: Heads-Up
In parts one, two and three of this series we went over the skills you need to put yourself in a position to play for the win.
If you read those articles and apply the techniques properly, you'll absolutely find yourself playing for first a whole lot more than you have previously.
But once you get to the end game, you still need to seal the deal.
You've learned all the tools; now you just have to apply them one-on-one. So our focus in part four is heads-up play.
Still Room to Exploit Your Edge
Unfortunately, the way most sit-and-gos are designed online, by the time you get to heads-up play the blinds are so big the game doesn't allow for much play.
I hope you've accumulated some chips, because if the chips are even it will be a very tight match.
Neither player will hold much of an edge over the other because of the structure.
The match usually comes down to whoever gets the best cards in the shortest period of time.
That's not to say it's completely out of your hands though; there's still room for you to exploit your edge.
Watch Your Hand Values
When you're heads-up, hand values change from what they were pre-flop in the earlier stages.
Depending on how aggressive your opponent is playing, it may be +EV to get any ace in pre-flop.
Think of it this way: if your hand is decent when the game is short-handed, then it's a monster heads-up.
Pocket pairs are very robust. Hands are usually won with just one pair at showdown, so if you are dealt one before the flop then you're already ahead of the game.
Hands that also increase in value are big broadway hands, like K-Q, K-J, Q-J, K-T, etc. - ones that when they hit the flop make top pair with a good kicker.
Top pair is a massive hand heads-up and it's almost always worthy of getting all-in.
Hands that decrease in value are weak speculative hands, like low suited connectors.
While they may be decent hands to raise with as a steal, they should not be played against a raise.
These hands dramatically drop in value when the stacks are short.
Even if you flop a draw, there's little money to get paid off with. When they do hit the flop, they usually make weak second-pair type hands or gut-shot draws.
Nothing you'd want to risk your tournament life on.
An Example:
You have $6,250 and so does your opponent. Blinds are $250/$500.
You're in the small blind/button with J♠ T♣ and raise to $1,800. Flop comes J♣ 6♣ 3♦. Your opponent bets $3,200.
What should you do? Shove.
That's it, that's all.
This is the crux of heads-up poker in a sit-and-go.
The blinds are too big and there's so little play that if you flop top pair, you're destined to get it all-in.
Another Example:
You have $6,250 and so does your opponent. Blinds are $250/$500.
You have Q♣ J♣ in the small blind/button and raise to $1,800. Your opponent calls. The flop comes down T♠ 2♣ 9♦.
Your opponent checks and you bet $3,000. Your opponent shoves.
You? Call.
You have two overcards and an open-ended straight draw. You only have $1,450 in your stack and there's $11,050 in the pot.
To put it bluntly, you're pot-committed.
Luckily you have a massive draw and are getting great odds. It's hands like these your tournament will come down to.
You should of course, as always in poker, be exploiting your position to the max. Continue pushing hard when in position.
Don't stop stealing or slow your aggression just because you're heads-up - the game is not over until it's won.
So stay on your toes and keep up the fight.
Remember if you always make decisions as best you can, you'll make money in the long run no matter what happens in the short term.
Just look long-term and always try and make the most +EV play you can.
* * * * * * * * * *
Well, that brings this four-part guide to becoming a sit-and-go champion to a close.
It's by no means comprehensive - I wrote it for the average player who understands poker but wants to take his or her sit-and-go game to the next level.
I hope it's given you enough information to go from merely playing sit-and-gos to understanding what it takes to be a serious winner.
More strategy articles by Dan Skolovy:
Comments
17bennie99
2009-11-05I love sit n gos, they suit tags alt more than lags I feel. Unless you are a very good lag, you're gunna get busted at some stage or another.
The important thing is to get as aggressive as you can in the late stages whilst still making good poker decisions. I find if I'm very tight early on and then get very aggressive later on, the players at my level can't adjust quick enough. I almost always get close to the show, unless I get a big hand versus big hand early on.
Dra9onboy
2009-06-09Great article, now combinging my pimp skills with the poker article. This is what works for me.
Low Level Blinds - Be the first to attack weak players at the table, so they can donate you chips early on in the game. Go watch TV a bit and come back when blinds increase.
Mid Level Blinds - Talk smack to other players, just enough to put them on tilt when you show your bluff over and over again. Keep your game aggressive and sure enough they'll call you when you do have monster hands.
High level Blinds - Attack the weak player that got lucky early in the game and now has huge chipstack by stealing their blinds, they never protect. Check raise any good players that are left with huge chipstack, it pisses them off and they usually fold.
Sit back and watch your bankroll grow and go get laid to celebrate the victory.
Glen
2009-04-26Dan,
Excellent articles. I play weekly live SNG's, usually 2-4 per week - and I learned from reading your pieces that I've been playing far too passively in late stages and near the bubble. As you say, that's the time to shove all-in and steal - and I believe it can work well against the regular crowd where I play.
Thanks again for the great advice!
joe
2009-04-23drapoal14 or whatever your name is stfu you noob. your sad to think your amazing at poker
I Deal In Lead
2009-03-09to drapoel, if you understand paul madrigel's "M theory", i'm sure you realize that an M of 14 is not yet in danger in the technical sense; however, you must also remember Harrington's "Q theory" to see that your M is not 14, but more like 4-5. Understanding this will lead you to see that all of Dan's articles still pay off; your much more hard pressed than you realize, therefore with a good advantage (position OR hand OR timing) you still push. its that simple.
as for Mr. Schmidt,
Sir, simply take the math... if your average SnG is payed off three places, 1st being 50%, second being 30%, and 3rd being 20% - all you must do is win, place, or show enough to equal +100%. IE, if i play ten $20+2 SnG's, all i must do is make some combination of win, place, or show to equal +220. therefore 2 wins and 1 show would do the trick. or any combination of them to equal 100% plus lost "table fees".
Finally, to AlaH,
Sir, you are indeed playing way too tight. The fact is that your most +EV comes from winning, and all things considered you are already in the money, therefore you must be aggressive. One needs to remember Mike Cairo's theory of hands. If someone is playing WAY too loose, or WAY to tight, you will benefit most by playing SLIGHTLY looser than the "average" considerable hand for that starting position. Think about it- if someone is playing too tight, i will benefit most by opening up my hand selection in order to punish said tightness by stealing from them. If however, someone is playing too loose, i will STILL benifit by opening up my hand selection slightly to get more chances at that profitable situation, thereby calling more and raising even better hands, punishing their lack of respect for a real starting hand.
That answers the last few questions regarding this post. If there's any others that i can help with, or anything you feel i screwed up, let me know... i'm a player too, and we all make mistakes...
--happy fishing--
AlaH
2008-12-20To Silkroad:
The "short-handed while blind is low" situation seems to appear many times indeed. Well, I think the most appropriate strategy would be the same as in Mid-blind play Late position. You do not really have to get aggressive because the blinds are not big at all, why want to risk your stack on marginal hands. That's why I recommend playing quite tight, but maybe entering the pot with hands like Q-K , Q-J, K-J from late positions if not raised earlier, because of the guy/s who have relatively small stack(somebody must have the chips of the other players who were eliminated) and this way to eliminate the short-stacked players with top pair or even draws( in case you are not the one with the less chips). I don't have to say that with premium hands such as AK, QQ, KK or even JJ you have to raise it.
What's your opinion?
Don Schmidt
2008-12-02I have read all 4 of your articles and have learned something from each one. I feel like I have the basics down for SnGs. At times I play great and have that Tiger instinct and other times just lousy. I have played off and on for a couple of years and really just got reinterested in the game. What in you opinion is an acceptable win/loss ratio for SnGs. Is there a "rule of thumb?"
Ivanildo
2008-11-24I think there was some very important parts that werent covered here.. and its the 3bet aspect. When u have AK in early middle stages, and get re raised.. or raise QQ and a K hits the board.. raise AJ and a A hits.. The hardest situations to play..
Great Article by the way, Congratz.
Eyeball Dag
2008-11-18Every article I have read by Daniel Skolovy has taught me something, so thanks :)
Marcus
2008-09-29I loved this article!
drapoel13
2008-07-21Silkroad,
I would recommend staying tight since the blinds are still small. Attempt to play more hands in position than out. But one thing I tend to find in these situations is that the BIGSTACK is either a maniac (to have obtained all those chips so quickly) and he throws them around too often, or he is a decent player that got lucky a couple times and he sits back and relaxes (as he/you should, unless you get a monster hand). HOWEVER, I find that the other players, if good, become way TOO tight and the bad players become way TOO loose. For some reason, against all of them, in this situation, I have found that if I am patient and raise my marginal to premium hands at weird increments (raising to 325 if blinds at 50/100; or 125 if 25/50) puts people off their game. See the flop, normally make a continuation bet (normally even only 30% of the pot takes it down) also at a weird number and the idiot that made an improper call preflop will make a correct or hopefully incorrect fold on the flop. If you get called, size up your situation and use your head.
To Dan,
I am curious about the same question when you are heads up or 3-handed when the blinds are still small (everybody's M was 14-21). I didn't really know how to play. I ended up winning but it wasn't as nice and neat and cut and dry as we all like.
Perhaps you can use your theoretical skills to answer this question (and possibly critique my stream-of-consciousness response to Silkroad above).
Ryan
Jimmy
2008-06-29Ive read many articles relating to sit and gos online and this is by far the best, clear and concise one i have seen. Thanks for writing it.
Dave
2008-04-21Yes, I've left somewhat critical comments, but I love this series. I've been playing STTs for a year now, plus a "big" home tournament where I do fairly well, but am "on the bubble" most of the time. This guide will really help me, I think! Thanks!
TheScientist23
2008-04-16I just want to say thanks for this great guide. I read these 4 articles, without ever playing 9 player SnG's before, and in 2 days have placed ITM 6 times out of 11 of the $1 + $.25 games I've joined (The times I've lost were because of stupid early decisions by me). What's better is that every time I've gotten In The Money, I've won first place.
So again, thank you very much!
Silkroad
2008-04-03Exactly
The "short-handed while blind is low" situation happens a lot in low-limit sngs. I as a short stack didn't play well in these situations
Would appreciate if someone could propose a strategy that may work in these situations
amibeat
2008-03-24Great information given here thats def. the way to play sngs.
dustbuster
2008-03-17Good step by step break down.
one variable that i have been involved in a few times is after some early explosiveness and major 3 or 4 way confrontations, you can find sng's where there are 3 or 4 players left after just 1 or 2 levels. With this situation, a lot of things change because you basically have 3 guys with ~1500 and one monster (hopefully you) with like ~9,500.....
When this happens, and i've seen it a few times, a lot changes. Plays need to be craftier because the shove/fold theory is no longer necessary with blinds still small