Play A Sit-and-Go With Me

I deposited $50 to see how the SNG's on Full Tilt Poker run. I watched Entourage last night, and played just one after that. This is that SNG. Now before I get into this, let me start by explaining how I play one of these. For those that know normal strategy, that's what i'll be talking about and you can skip right to the hh's. These single table tournaments are a great way to build a bankroll. I believe you have the lowest variance out of the big 3 types of games(Cash, MTT, and SNG). They are very easy to beat, but a lot of people really don't know how to play them properly. Generally speaking, you should be playing an ULTRA tight game. Only really playing premium hands. You can play more than the usual hands if you want, but make sure you play them well or it's really just a waste.

Your first goal should be to make the money. That's all you really want to do. Once you get there, then you can worry about winning. Because anything other than 3rd and your going home with nothing but a waste of time. As long as you make the right decisions there is nothing you can do about the cards not going your way.

There is a lot of great instructional material in this one. It shows me being tight, what happens when you try and outplay people, and the crucial bubble play. I was actually thinking of another sng on Pokerstars to do this with last week, but this one is perfect. Lets get to the SNG.

Level - 15/30.

1) JJ - I picked up JJ in mp and limp. I don't need to raise here at all because most of the time I'll be faced with multiple callers and usually an overcard will flop. Generally with pp's early, I'm looking to flop a set or fold.

Both the sb and bb are in the hand with 1 limper. The flop comes A 4 4, and I fold to a flop bet.

Stack: 1470

2) 77 - Well we get another pp and I limp again. We're faced with a mini raise to 60 and its an easy call. The flop comes AKQ and I fold.

Stack: 1410

3) Kh 8d - Fold
4) 2d 4d(bb) - Fold - Stack 1380
5) 9c 4h(sb) - Fold - Stack 1365

6) Qs Jc - Now here is a great hand to illustrate how tight you have to play. I played this hand as bad as you could. I really dont even need to play this at this point. There were 2 limpers ahead and I had the QJ on the button. I try to pick up the pot pre-flop with a raise to 100 but both limpers and the sb call. We see a flop of..

8 3 5

Now for some reason on such a dry board and into 4 people I bet 120 into the 390 pot. I get 2 callers. We all check the turn which brought a Ten. A 7 comes on the river and they check to me and I fire 325 into the 750 pot. The oringal limper is the only caller and flips over A3 for bottom pair with no draw. This just shows what they are going to call you down with. So instead of 1335 chips, I'm down to 830. Now I really can't limp with hands to try and get a quick double up.

Level - 20/40

7) Js 3h - Fold
8) Js 4c - Fold
9) Ac 4h - Fold
10) 6s 7c - Fold
11) 9c 6d - Fold
12) Kh 8d(bb) - I get a walk - Stack 830
13) 8d 6s(sb) - Fold

14) 4d 9h - The levels were about to go up so I stole the blinds. - Stack 890

Level - 25/50

15) Kh 3s - Fold
16) 3h 7h - Fold
17) 4h Jh - Fold
18) Ac Th(bb) - I get a walk - Stack 935
19) Ad 2d(sb) - Fold - Stack 915
20) Qh Td - Fold
21) Td 9s - Fold

Level - 30/60

22) 4s 6h - Fold
23) 5c 5d - Fold - Raise in front of me and I don't have odds nor the stack to call.
24) 4d 7s - Fold

25) 2d 7d(bb) - Ok utg limps and utg+1 goes all in for 105 total. The sb folds and I have to call 45 with 255 in the pot, which is an easy call. Hopefully I'll catch something or I'll check it down. We did indeed check it down and the board bricked and utg+1 triples up. Stack 810.

26) Ad 3s(sb) - This was an extremely marginal spot. I have 13x the bb and have A3s. If I raise and fold to a shove I would be in push/shove mode. I just decided to shove and pick up the pot here as I only had to get through the bb. Stack 870.

27) 5s 7c - Fold
28) Jc 6s - Fold
29) 2d 4d - Fold
30) 9c 8c - Fold

Level 40/80

Ok, now is where we start need to be making some moves. We have less than 10x the blind and need to be finding spots to shove and pick up some blinds or double up ...or go home. There is no limping, no raising AT ALL. It's all in or fold.

31) 9s 5h(bb) - Fold to a raise. *Reminder* when shoving be the first one into the pot. Unless you have a monster you don't want to be going over top of anyone or calling off your chips. If I was in the sb with this hand and it was folded to me, I would have shoved.

32) 3c 4d(sb) - Fold to a raise - Stack 750
33) 5d Th - Fold

34) Qs Kh - Folded to me and I shove. We get called by ATs and we hit 2 pair to double up. Stack - 1580.

35) 6c 6d - Raise and take the blinds. Stack - 1700

36) 5s 6s - Fold
37) Ad Th(bb) - I get a Walk
38) 2s Tc(sb) - Fold
39) Kh 6h - The bb has 120 chips total and I min raise on the button to put him all in and eliminate him with K6 vs 26. Stack - 1820.

Now we're 5 handed and approaching that bubble. You must know how to play this like the back of your hand.

40) Kd 2h - Fold
41) Ah Ts - Fold
42) 4d 4c - Fold
43) 2c 8s(bb) - Fold
44) Kd Ks(sb) - Raise and take the bb. - Stack - 1820
45) Js 9d - Fold
46) 6h 3d - Fold

Level - 50/100

47) Kh 4c - Fold
48) 2h 7s(bb) - I get a walk - Stack 1870

49) Td 8d(sb) - I try to steal and get 3 bet. I'm still able to try and steal as I have 18 bb's, and am able to fold to a shove. - Stack - 1620

50) 2d 3h - Fold
51) Ts 7d - Fold
52) 2d 7h - Fold

53) Kc 9d(bb) - Ok so here the sb limps and I make it 300. From previous hands, hes done this with a huge range, and I thought I could take it pre-flop. Only he calls. The flop comes

9s 3s Kh

It couldn't be any better of a flop. He leads into me for 400 into the 600 pot. Easy decision to go all in here for 1320 chips. He calls and shows Kd 5c and will need running 5s. He bricks and I double up to 3240.

54) 7c 6h(sb) - Fold
55) 3d Jh - Fold

56) Kh Kd - I raise it up to 300 and get called from the button who I have covered by about 85 chips. The clop comes

6d 5s 4d

This is just an atrocious flop for my hand. I fire out 300 into the 750 pot and he min-raises to 600. I really thought I had run into a set here. Then I changed my mine and thought he was trying to buy a card for the river. I decided to shove all in and he insta-calls with 99. The board bricks and I now have the chip lead with T6445.

Now is where the fun really begins. We are 4 handed and the short stack is to my right with 845 chips. The other 2 guys have 3760 and 2450 respectively. I can now pretty much shove on those 2 guys with any 2 and they HAVE to fold. There are no if's or but's about it. Unless they have AA they gotta muck. The ss wanted to cash really bad and just kept folding and folding and folding. This was great for me as I was able to chip up extremely easily.

Stack - 6445

*BUBBLE*

57) Qc Th - Raise to 350 and steal.
58) Ks 5h(bb) - I get a walk
59) Jh 6c(sb) - Shove on bb who folds.
60) Jh 4h - Shove and take the blinds
61) Qs Qd - Just shove and take the blinds

Level 60/120

62) Ah Ts(bb) - I get a walk
63) 7c Jd(sb) - Shove and take the bb
64) 8s 6h - Shove and take the blinds

65) Qd Jd - I shove and the short stack blinds down to 245 chips before he takes a stand with the monster 10-2. He bricks and we are in the money and with a commanding chip lead.

Stack - 8000

So as you can see I pretty much can do what I please with the other 2 guys while that guy is sitting there with 200 chips. Add to that I picked up 1600 in chips on the bubble. The stacks look like this now

Me - 8k
Player 1 - 3430
Player 2 - 2070

66) Qh 6h(bb) - I get a walk
67) Kh 4h(sb) - Fold - Now that we're in the money we want to play well again.
68) 5d 5c - Raise and take blinds
69) Jd 3d(bb) - I get a walk
70) 9c Th(sb) - I raise and get 3 bet so I fold
71) Kc 3c - Fold
72) Kh Js(bb) - I get a walk
73) 2h 9h(sb) - Raise and take blinds
74) 2c 3c - Fold
75) Ac 2h(bb) - I get a walk
76) 6c 7h(sb) - I raise and get 3 bet so I fold
77) 6d Jd - Fold
78) 2d 9s(bb) - Fold
79) Ah 5h(sb) - I change it up here and limp, he raises and I 3 bet all in and he folds.
80) Qd 3s - Fold
81) Tc Td(bb) - Raise and take blinds
82) 8c 5h(sb) - I raise and get 3 bet so I fold
83) Qs 8h - I raise and get 3 bet so I fold
84) Qh Kh(bb) - I get a walk
85) Kh Jh(sb) - I raise and take the blinds
86) 5d 4c - Fold
87) Kd 3d(bb) - I get a walk
88) Qc Tc(sb) - I raise and take the blidns

Blinds 80/160

89) Ah 6d - I get it all in with the ss and we chop.

90) Kd Th(bb) - After flopping top pair I get it in with the ss and he rivers a straight lol. Stack - 6410

91) 6c Js(sb) - Fold
92) 3c 7s - Fold
93) 2h 9d(bb) - I get a walk
94) 6h Ts(sb) - Fold
95) 4c 9h - Fold
96) 7d 4d(bb) - I get a walk
97) Js 7c(sb) - I raise and take the blinds
98) 5d 6c - I raise and get 3 bet so I fold
99) 7c 7d(bb) I raise and take the sb

100) 2s 8h(sb) - Fold - The ss plays AK the worst you can and busts. We're now heads up.

Stacks

Me - 6330
Villain - 7070

Heads up play is more about playing the man than the cards. I gave away some chips but learned about him as a player at the same time.

101) Qc 3s - He folds.
102) As Th - I raise, he folds
103) As 3d - He raises, I fold
104) Ac 7c - I raise, he folds.
105) Qs Th - He folds.
106) Kh 4c - I raise, he folds

107) http://www.pokerhand.org/?1339310 - Played this one weird, I thought I had the best of it.

Stacks

Villain - 8430
Me - 5070

108) http://www.pokerhand.org/?1339311 - Another bad hand by myself. He did the check/call lead here and I had to fold. If i had 2nd pair I prob would have jammed.

Stacks

Villain - 9550
Me - 3950

109) 9d Tc - He folds
110) Ks 2c - I fold
111) 2d 3h - He folds

Level 100/200

112) Ah Kd - I raise and he folds
113) Ac Kc - He folds
114) 5s 9c - I mis click and re raise, but take it down with a c bet.
115) Ad 7d - I raise, he folds

116) 4s 4d - I raise and he 3 bets to 1800. I jam and he thinks for a little and calls with A2. Somehow I hold and double up.

Stacks

Villain - 3920
Me - 9580

117) 6c 5d - He folds
118) 4h 5c - I fold
119) 3s 3d - He raises, I shove and he folds
120) 7c Th - I raise, he shoves and I fold
121) 4c Th - Very funn hand lol http://www.pokerhand.org/?1339327
122) Qs Qd - I raise to 600 and he cold calls. The flop comes

Tc 2c 4h

I bet 600 again for half the pot and he cold calls

Ks on the turn and he leads for 600, I shove and he flips over 6c 9c for a flush draw. He bricks and I win the tournament. I definitely didn't play perfect, but you dont have to, to win at this level. I hope you all learned something, and I'll see ya at the tables.