Sit & Go Poker Sites Guide
The best way to start a guide to Sit & Go games is to actually define what they are. Sit ´n Go´s (sometimes abbreviated to SNGs) are poker tournaments that do not have a specified start time, but get underway when a predetermined number of players have entered the event.
The predetermined number can be anything from 2 players (Heads-Up Sit ´n Go´s or HUSNGs) to 990 players, although the most common way in which Sit & Go games are played is in single table format (sometimes abbreviated to STTs for Single Table Tournaments).
There are many different types of Sit ´n Go´s that you can play – both in the discipline of poker (Texas Hold´em SNGs, Omaha SNGs, Stud Poker SNGs, etc.), the format (Double or Nothing Sit and Go´s, Knockout Sit and Go´s, etc.) and the speed (Regular, Turbo or Hyper-Turbo).
Sit ´n Go´s can also be satellites to major tournaments, or be part of a Steps program in which you ascend a level each time you win a Sit & Go game. This guide to Sit and Go games expands on some of the different types available and the nature of player to whom they might appeal.
Heads-Up Sit ´n Go´s
Heads-Up Sit ´n Go´s are often considered the domain of high stakes players but, on many sites, games are hosted from just $0.50. HUSNGs are a great way for new players to develop endgame strategies; although it pays not to play too tight as the blinds increase.
Jackpot Sit and Go´s
Jackpot Sit and Go´s are a relatively new addition to the online poker portfolio. Usually three-player hyper-turbo games, the prize pool is determined by the spin of a wheel prior to the start of each game. Although potentially lucrative, they are considered to be a bit of a lottery by most players.
6-Max Sit & Go´s
6-Max Sit & Go´s can be played in a number of formats and speeds. As a rule there is no hiding place in 6-Max games, so they tend to suit the more aggressive player. If you manage to beat 6-Max Sit & Go´s, you should be playing in every Steps promotion you can!
Double or Nothing Sit ´n Go´s
Double or Nothing Sit ´n Go´s are usually played 8-handed or 10-handed with the top half of the field doubling their buy-in when the game comes to a close. A variation on this type of Sit & Go game is PokerStars´ “Fifty50”, in which the top half of the field cash according to the size of their chip stacks.
Full Ring SNGs
Full ring SNGs are usually played 9-handed or 10-handed, with the top three players in each game winning a prize. Depending on the speed of the game, full ring Sit ´n Go´s can be ideal for new players to experience all the stages of a poker tournament – the early game, the bubble and the endgame.
Best SNG Poker Sites for Full Ring Games
Full ring Sit and Go´s are an ideal place to begin your online poker experience, as you pay a fixed amount to join the game and – in the worst case scenario – that fixed amount is all you can lose. You can learn a lot very quickly by playing full ring Sit & Go games and, compared with tournaments, you will not be playing each game for hours.
I have selected my best SNG poker sites for full ring games based on the volume of Sit & Go traffic the sites receive. In my opinion there is no point registering for an online poker account with a site at which tables take an eternity to fill up. At the best SNG poker sites for full ring games, you are assured of getting a game almost immediately.
Multitable Sit and Go´s
When you move up from Single Table Tournaments to multitable Sit and Go´s, you are entering a slightly different variety of game. The more players in a multitable Sit and Go, the more they start to resemble full blown poker tournaments.
The number of players in a multitable Sit and Go is usually a multiple of the number of players a site seats at a full ring Sit ´n Go game. Therefore, if you play on a site that hosts 9-player full ring SNGs, you are likely to have the choice of playing in 18-player, 27-player, 45-player, 90-player or 180-player Sit ´n Go´s.
By their nature, multitable Sit and Go´s tend to take longer to fill up than Single Table Tournaments, however the prizes can make the wait worthwhile. A typical 90-player Sit n Go will pay 25x the buy-in to the winner and usually pay twelve places deep.
Sit n Go Promotions
It is always worth keeping an eye out for Sit n Go promotions as these can be potentially lucrative. Sit n Go promotions can take many formats – leaderboard competitions, “Golden Sit & Go´s” or prizes for running up a sequence of wins.
Unlike many cash game promotions in which you have to contribute x amount of rake or play in x number of hands, Sit n Go promotions generally reward the best players for demonstrating their skills at the tables.
If you feel confident of demonstrating your poker skills in Sit & Go games – or would like to develop your poker skills in Sit ´n Go games – head on over to one of our best Sit and Go poker sites and register for your account today.