Why Sit and Go Tournaments Are Perfect for Fast, Casual Poker Play

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One of the biggest differences between live cash games and tournament play for poker players is a simple matter of time. Whether you’re playing online or at a casino, tournaments can take a long time to play.

Unlike cash games, tournament play is about outlasting a field of players. The size of the field can vary, but for big events that could mean outplaying hundreds and even thousands of players.

If the thought of investing that much time is scary, you should be aware of the perfect mix of quick cash games and tournament play. It’s called the Sit and Go tournament, and they are offered by nearly all online poker sites.

Basically, in Sit and Go tournaments you’re playing a one-table tournament. That means the prize pool is much lower, of course, but the amount of time needed to complete the tournament is also much lower.

Here’s how Sit and Go tournaments work:

Most games feature one table of six to 10 players. When the table is full, the tournament starts.
Generally, a typical Sit & Go takes about an hour to play. Some sites, such as BorgataPoker and PartyPoker, offer multi-table Sit and Gos with about 50 players, which extends play accordingly.
Most sites offer a wide range of games and stakes, and some buy-ins are very low to accommodate casual players. There are also turbo versions where the blinds rise quickly.

Here’s some basic strategy, offered by PartyPoker’s “How to Play” guide:

While you can certainly survive a bad start, the basic strategy is to play very tight at the start of the tournament. Hopefully some of your opponents—who aren’t reading this—will tank early.
The point is you’ll want a good-sized chip stack when the tournament is down to four or five players. As blinds increase, you’ll be in a better position to try and squeeze out the last few players.
The traditional payout for the tournament is 50/30/20 of the prize pool. That means you’re in the money if you make the final three. With blinds rising, you can expect some pretty wild action to close out the tournament.

BorgataPoker and PartyPoker are also currently offering a Sit and Go Leaderboard, where you can pick up some extra bonus cash for your Sit and Go play.

So, Sit and Gos are fun, fast and filled with action. They may be just what you’re looking for.