180 Sng Strategy
180 Sit And Go Strategy - Levels 5, 6 and 7 – BB150 Ante 15 and BB200 Ante 20 and BB250 Ante 25 At this point in the 180 SNG there will be a decided shift between post-flop play and pre-flop play. While you can still raise, it is less likely that there will be chips left after a flop bet unless both people in the hand have above average stacks! Casinomia Casino Poker Strategy 180 Sng is a relatively new online casino platform that was established in 2019. The Casino accepts Canadian players and has multiple special offers to. A 180 man SNG can run from start to finish within three or four hours. The proper strategy for 180 man SNGs is basically the same as for normal multi-table tournaments. You will want to start out playing a tight game and then slowly increase the aggression as the blinds increase.
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.
180 man sng strategy series (part 2)The Top 0 56 Percent Episode 1. There are also multi-table variations of the SNG with 18, 27, 45, 90, 180 and 360 player SNGs available for your bankroll building pleasure. The prize pools are fixed at the buy-rates as the numbers of players are restricted to the maximum number. Obviously the swings can get wilder as the number of players increase in each type of SNG.
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:
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.
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.
180 man sit and gos have become quite popular in recent years because they offer players a chance to win lots of money without having to spend all day long in a massive, 4,000 person tournament. A 180 man SNG can run from start to finish within three or four hours.
The proper strategy for 180 man SNGs is basically the same as for normal multi-table tournaments. You will want to start out playing a tight game and then slowly increase the aggression as the blinds increase. There’s more to it than that, of course, but that’s the basic idea.
Early Stages of a 180 Man
The early stages are the easiest to play. All you have to do is play a solid, tight game and look for big hands. When you are in late position, you can play drawing hands like suited connectors and small pocket pairs if other people have already limped in in front of you. Do not play small hands when the pot has been raised. The stacks are not deep enough to justify you calling raises with speculative hands.
When choosing which hands to play, always consider your position at the table. You should play an extremely tight game from early position, a pretty tight game in middle position and a somewhat tight game in late position. In early and middle position, stick with hands that can win pots without help from the board. Hands like the big pocket pairs and AK – AQ are perfect.
Stealing isn’t really necessary in the early stages because the blinds aren’t big enough to justify the risk. The early stages are fairly loose so your steal attempts will not work very often anyway. Your focus during the early stages should be to play a tight game and look for legitimate opportunities to double up.
Middle Stages of a 180 Man
The middle stage of a 180 man SNG begins around the second hour when the blinds are about 50/100. This part of the tournament is a major turning point. Many of the weak players will have been knocked out by now and you’ll now have to start padding your stack with well-timed blind steals.
You cannot rely on hand strength in the middle stages because the blinds are too high for you to sit and wait. You need to get active at this point and start taking some blinds. Otherwise, your stack will be chipped away to nothing before you know it.
It is crucial that you do not let yourself become too short stacked. Fold equity will be your main weapon for the rest of the tournament so you can not let your chip stacked be whittled away to nothing. It is better to push all-in and be knocked out than it is to let yourself get blinded down so low that you have no fold equity.
The Bubble of a 180 Man
The closer the tournament gets to the bubble, the more certain players will tighten up. Those are the players who don’t care about winning the tournament so much as making it to the money. Those are also the perfect players to steal from. While they are huddling down and praying to survive, you can steal blind after blind from them. At this point, the blinds will be quite significant so the extra padding will help a lot.
Be careful who you steal from, because many players are familiar with the strategy of stealing during the bubble. These players may pull the occasional re steal against you. You can combat these players by doing the same thing: stealing their steals.
Remember that the prizes in 180 man SNGs are heavily weighted towards the top few players. You won’t make any money by barely squeaking past the bubble or even making it to 10th place. You need to go for that 1st place finish every time for you to have a long term positive win rate in 180 man SNGs.
The Final Table of a 180 Man
It’s great that you’ve made it this far but you still have a lot of work to do. The final table is probably the most difficult and stressful part of the entire tournament. The remaining players can just about taste the prize money so you can expect them to bring their A-games to the table.
During this stage, you need to play solid, aggressive poker. Pay close attention to each player’s style and steal any time you can get away with it. If you catch a strong hand preflop, play it the same way you would a stealing hand. Come in with a raise like normal and hope someone thinks you’re just trying to steal. If you show down a strong hand after raising with it, people will think twice before re-stealing your steals.
When it gets down to heads up play, you should really turn up the aggression. You want to be a nightmare for your opponent. Don’t be afraid to go out in 2nd place by playing too strongly. As you get more experience, you can fine tune your strategy but for now, know that it’s better to go out pushing than it is to go out calling.
Summary
Start out tight in the early stages and increase the aggression as the blinds increase. You can play drawing hands during the early stages but only if you can get in cheaply in late position.
In the later stages, you’ll have to rely more and more on stealing to stay alive. The best opponents to steal from are the ones with medium-sized stacks because they are the ones that are holding on to their chips the tightest. The small stack and big stack players are not as afraid to make those big calls.
180 Sng Strategy Examples
Now that you know how to play 180 man tournaments, learn how to play 180 man turbo tournaments.