180-Man Bubble Strategy 180-mans are going to technically have two bubble situations. One will be from 19th to 18th place known as the money bubble and the other will be from 10th to 9th place, also known as the final table bubble. Again, I don't have a large enough sample size to give you an ITM%. Multi table SNG (MTT) – will range in size and common MTT sizes will be 18 players (2 tables), 45 players (5 tables), 90 players (10 tables) and 180 players (20 tables). They work in exactly the same way as the single table SNG with the only difference being that as players are eliminated, tables are closed and the number of tables slowly reduces until you are just left with the final single table who fight it out.

In this final installment of our 180 man guide, we will be discussing how to make it to the final table and hopefully win. This part will cover some very fundamental, yet important topics that will spread across many arenas in poker. Most of the information you learn today can be applied to other types of tournaments and SNGs. This will be how you make most of your money and is something that should be a staple in your poker strategy.

If you haven’t read the previous articles of this 180 man SNG strategy guide series yet, do that first here:

• SNG strategy early stage (part 1)
• SNG strategy mid stage (part 2)

What will be covered

To start we will be discussing the ever so crucial bubble and how to abuse it. Next we will talk about the final table and end with the final 3 players.

The Bubble

There are a few bubbles in the 180 mans, but the actual money bubble-where players make it into the money, happens when 19 players are left. We’ll get into the various other bubble situations in a second. For now let’s focus on the importance of the money bubble and how to spot and abuse those who are playing like little girls. (No offense ladies)

Once we are down to 19 players you will start to see players tighten up hoping to make that little bit of money. This is what makes the 180 man’s so unique in that a min cash is not worth going after 99% of the time. You only receive your buy in plus a little extra back for spots 18 through 10. Therefore, we should not be focusing on squeaking into the money, but punishing those who are looking to do so.

You can easily spot these players by finding the short stacks and the ones who aren’t playing many hands. At this point in the tournament you should have a decent size stack by playing aggressive. You can use this stack to make some light calls and bully the weak players at the table.

I’d love to be able to give you a definitive range of hands to play, but this just isn’t going to happen. However, the cards won’t matter all that much at this point and you should be looking for good spots more than good cards.

This means you should be looking for opportunities to steal pots with little risk. A good example of this would be as follows.

Let’s say we have 30k in chips and the blinds are 200-400. We have well over 10 big blinds and can afford to go after some small pots and losing versus a small stack will not hurt us all that much.

We are on the button with 2 random cards and the blinds both have around 4k in chips. Remember, we are on the bubble and players are trying not to bust out rather than try and win at this point. This is a perfect spot to shove all in if it’s folded to us on the button regardless of what we have. Even if they call, we are getting 2-1 on our money and losing 4k will not cripple our stack. Most6 of the time they will fold and just give you their chips with no resistance.

This is just one example, but I think you now understand what to look for.

Calling

Since we have a big stack, we can make some light calls. Many times we will be getting 2-1 on a call so any 2 cards will be a profitable call. For the record, any 2 cards are no worse than 2-1 against an opponent’s 2 random cards. Even 7-2 is no worse than 2-1.

Assume the blinds are 200/400 again and we have the same 30k stack. We are in the blinds with 45 and the small stack button shoves for 2k. The pot is now 2600 (Big Blind 400 + Small Blind 200 + All in 2k = 2600)

Since we already have 400 out there, we only need to call 1,600 more to see the flop and there is no chance we can be bluffed of the pot since our opponent is all in. Our call will make the pot 4200 so we are getting well over 2-1 on a call here. Even if we lose it changes nothing in our eyes and this call will be profitable over time.

This will also show the other players that you don’t care what you have; you’re going to call with junk. In their eyes, you will seem like a loose and reckless player whom they will likely not try to bluff often. But in reality, we are playing perfect poker.

Bottom line is you should be playing a very aggressive style when you have a big stack on the bubble. This is where you can build your stack up and go for the win. Most of these 180 mans are won during this stage. The one who can mass a pile of chips during the bubble will be the one who often wins.

Playing the short stack

I’m gonna keep this short and sweet. If you’re a short stack on the bubble, don’t even worry about squeaking into the money. You should still be looking to chip up any way possible by. Unless there is another player or 2 on a real short stack who are almost guaranteed to bust out, you should be looking to go all in and double up to give you a chance at making the bigger payouts.

The Final Table Bubble

I mentioned that there are several bubbles, and the final table will be the next one. There is a slight money bump, but it’s tiny at best and has no bearing on how we play as far as money goes. However, too many players, this bump in payouts will matter and even making the final table is a huge deal for them.

I’ll admit that making any final table is cool, but winning the most money I can is even cooler. I think we can all agree on that. Again, you should play the final table bubble the same as the money bubble-Aggressive!

Once at the final table, you should start to see things tighten up a bit. You will have a mix of short and big stacks. Your job is to stay away from the big stacks and pick on the little ones. No one wants to be the first to bust out.

The first few hands, you should sort of sit back and see how the players are reacting. It’s amazing how the final table changes how everyone plays. Some may feel so relieved and satisfied to make it this far that they don’t care if they bust out and you will see a free for all of all ins. Other times, the player’s assholes pucker up like a fist and only play AA. This will be up to you to decide how the table flow is moving and adjust accordingly.

The final money bubble

In the beginning of this series I mentioned that the only spots that actually pay some decent money are the top 3. There’s a decent jump in money from 4^th to 3^rd and you will see another bubble effect kick in. The remaining 4 players will have some competence and realize this as well, so will see players tighten up once again.

You should have a good idea of what type of players you’re up against and should be able to tell who you can pick on and who won’t fold a hand. All the information you gain leading up to this point will start to pay off. Use your best judgment to decide what your plan of action is. You should be raising almost every button when it’s folded to you and 3 betting from the blinds should be another constant so long as the button is an aggressive player. If they haven’t played a hand in 3 rounds, you should just fold anything but premiums.

Many times it will be a bit of a crap shoot when you hit 4 handed. The blinds will be so large relative to stack sizes that you will be forced to play weak hands. You should never be letting yourself get blinded down, which can happen quick and without warning if you aren’t paying attention. The blinds will hit you every other hand and start to dwindle your stack if you don’t try to keep it stabilized.

If there is a shorter stack in the mix, you can bully everyone at the table while keeping the short stack in. As long as that short stack is alive, no one will want to bust out. They will be hoping and waiting for them to bust. This is your prime time to build your stack up.

Final 3

Now that you’ve made it this far, you need to rely on a bit of luck and knowledge. Sadly, many times luck will be more of a factor. That’s just the nature of these games. But, a solid player makes his own luck.

You will notice a theme of being aggressive and it won’t change at this point. Stick with what got you here and do anything you can to keep your stack alive. I can’t tell you how many times I made it to the top 3 with a big stack and thought I could let the other players battle it out and coast to a victory. Was I ever wrong.

You will be amazed at how fast and how often your big stack will be the short stack if you aren’t active. My errors are now your lessons.

Conclusion

The 180 mans Sit and Go’s are a tricky game, but if played with an aggressive, all or nothing style, you will see nice results. It’s also important not to get frustrated during these. You can go through periods of no cashes or wins and some bad run of cards. The important thing is not to get down and out.

If you look at it like this it will help.

If you play 100 of these and only win 2 you are just about break even. The buy in for 100 of these is a little over $200. If you win only 2, you would have made a little over $200.

To go even deeper and to solidify why you should not be trying to simply cash let’s look at this example.

If you play 100 and cash in 50 of them, you are losing money. A min cash will only get your money back plus a buy in. You should be break even, but if you add in the fees to enter the tournament, you are losing money. You can see how huge a difference this is. You made money in 48 more in this example, but we are losing money versus only winning 2 of them. Pretty fuckin cool in my opinion.

And this why we play super aggressive and don’t give 2 shits about cashing unless it’s a big cash. Now get out there and start making some money!

Sit and Go Poker Tournament Strategy

It’s said there are two kinds of poker players in the world: those who play cash games, and those who play tournaments. There’s a lot of truth to that. Cash games are great for people who are on the grind, trying to build up their bankroll with as little variance as possible. Tournaments are great for people who like to win, and who dream of making the big score.
Why not do a little of both? If you play Jackpot Sit and Go poker tournaments at Ignition, and apply some of the Sit and Go strategy advice below, you can build your bankroll like a pro while also enjoying the fun of the tournament format. This is how many of the top players you’ve heard of got their feet wet playing online poker. It’s the best way to learn the game when you’re just starting out – so let’s see what these Sit and Gos are made of, and how to get the most out of them.

What is a Sit and Go Poker Tournament?

A Sit and Go is a special kind of tournament with a predetermined number of players, usually between two and 180. Instead of a scheduled start time, Sit and Gos begin as soon as the required number of players have entered; once that happens, the game plays out much like a regular tournament, with the prize pool distributed among the longest-lasting survivors, and the largest prize going to the winner.
The 1-table Sit and Go is the most common way to play these events. The table in question could be heads-up (two players), 6-max (six players) or full ring (nine players). The full-ring Sit and Gos take roughly one hour to complete, and the top three players will finish in the money; 6-max Sit and Gos are quicker, with the top two getting paid, and the super-fast, heads-up Sit and Gos are winner-take-all.
You’ll also find the new Jackpot Sit and Go format at Ignition Poker. These are 3-player tournaments with a random cash prize of up to 1,000X going to the winner. They’re also the fastest Sit and Gos of them all, using the Hyper Turbo structure with the blinds going up every three minutes. Turbo Sit and Gos have blind levels of five minutes, while standard Sit and Gos use 10-minute levels. The longer the levels, the longer it will take to finish the tournament on average – and the more skill you’ll need to beat the game.

Unless you’re playing one of our All-In Sit and Gos. These “flipaments” are games of complete chance; each player starts with just two chips, and everyone automatically goes all-in on every hand until a winner is declared. No skill necessary in these fun tournaments. Otherwise, each tweak in the format will require a slightly different Sit and Go tournament strategy in order to win the game as often as possible.
And there are many different Sit and Go flavors on the Ignition Poker menu. There are Double Up (6-max) and Triple Up (full ring) tourneys, where the play stops as soon as the bubble bursts, and the remaining players each receive the same cash prize. There are Beginner Sit and Gos, which see more players finish in the money. You’ll also find Sit and Gos where the starting stack is 500 chips instead of the usual 1,500. Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo can all be played as Sit and Gos, and some of these tournaments are satellites into larger, multi-table poker tournaments (MTTs) like the weekly $100K Guaranteed and the $75K High Roller.

How to Beat Sit and Gos

While each kind of Sit and Go (SNG) has its own wrinkle, you can start attacking these games with a basic poker SNG strategy and adjust from there as required. SNGs aren’t as difficult to beat as cash games or MTTs, which makes them ideal for beginners who want to learn the ins and outs of poker; you’ll get to work with different stack sizes, and different numbers of players at the table, so you’ll be better prepared to tackle any situation you may find yourself in at the table.

Sit and Go Starting Hands

Pre-flop is the most important stage of any poker hand, and while there are many ways to approach this part of the game, beginners are recommended to stick with uniform starting ranges. Play your strongest hands from early position, then open your range as you get closer to the blinds. At the start of a Sit and Go, you’ll have relatively deep stacks; anything over 40 big blinds will allow you to open the same ranges you might at a cash game.
As your stack dwindles to 10-15bb, you’ll have to either push all-in or fold to maintain leverage on your opponents; again, this can be done with specific ranges as a default. Ideally, you’ll widen or narrow your range to account for your opponents and their tendencies, but for beginners, your best bet is to learn a standard range and stick with it until you’re comfortable. You can find recommended ranges for free on the internet – try pinning them on your wall and referring to them while you play Sit and Gos at Ignition Poker.

Sit and Go Stage Playstyle

Everything in life has a beginning, a middle and an end. So it goes with poker. The simplest way to handle a Sit and Go is to divide it into three stages: early, middle, and late. There isn’t a specific demarcation point between the early and middle stages, but you can use that 40bb threshold as a guideline, since anything shorter than that requires a change in strategy. The late stage starts when the bubble has burst and you’re in the money.

Sng 180 Turbo Strategy

You may have a deeper stack in the early stage of a Sit and Go, but that doesn’t mean you should treat it exactly like a cash game. All tournaments emphasize survival over chip accumulation, SNGs included, so don’t go broke chasing small edges during this stage. Consider opening a tighter range instead, and use this time to profile your opponents – no doubt at least one or two will be splashing around with their chips, especially in SNGs with lower buy-ins and/or shorter blind levels. Trap these players when you have a big hand, and avoid them when you don’t.
Once your stack gets below 40bb, you don’t have the same opportunities to play speculative hands that you do in the early stages, like baby pairs and suited connectors in Texas Hold’em. It’s okay to play these starting hands in small pots pre-flop when you’ve got enough chips, hoping to make a big hand, but once you’re in the middle stage, focus more on high-card value. Top pair with a good kicker (TPGK) is a potent hand during this part of the tournament, preferably top pair-top kicker (TPTK).
Even if you do make top pair, you might want to be careful throwing those chips around. Once you’re close to the money bubble, there’s extra value in playing it cautiously, waiting for someone else to get eliminated first. However, if you’re the short stack on the bubble, you’ll need to play much more aggressively to avoid missing the money. Be prepared to go all-in when you’re first to enter the pot; if you go bust, fine – just load up another SNG and try again.

After the Bubble

Getting into the money is the first step toward Sit and Go success. Once the bubble has burst, you’ll have more incentive to open up and go for the win. In a standard full-ring SNG, you have three players in the money; your strategy at this point should take into account everyone’s stack sizes. Generally speaking, the big stack should attack the medium stack, and the medium and small stacks should attack each other. This dynamic pretty much stays the same when there are more players in the money, and continues until you’re heads-up for all the marbles. After that? May the better player win.

Sit and Go Bankroll Management

Sit and Gos are fantastic for building your poker bankroll, but to get the most out of them, you’ll need to choose your buy-ins carefully. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket – diversify by splitting your bankroll into units of at least 100, and spend no more than one unit per buy-in. For example, if you start with $500, don’t play any SNGs above the $5 mark. There’s still plenty of variance in Sit and Gos; you might win a bunch in a row, or you might go a while without cashing, so keeping your buy-ins small enough will help ensure you make it through the lean times. This is doubly important when you’re just starting out, and you’re already better off avoiding the experienced players at the higher stakes.

180 Sng Strategy

Now that you have all these Sit and Go concepts in your arsenal, you’re ready to hit the SNG felt and try out some smooth moves. Play one tournament at a time to start, then gradually add more tables if you want to put in more volume – you can play up to 15 SNGs at the same time when you play at Ignition Poker. See you at the tables.