Sit ‘N Goes are a great way to build your poker bankroll. Once you learn proper strategy you can play 10, 20 or even more at once with a minimal ROI (Return on Investment) loss. You’d go broke pretty quickly if you tried doing that with 6-max no limit tables.
There are two basic types of Single Table Tournaments: Standard SNGs and Turbos (we’ll sidestep super turbos for now). Each SNG type has its advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the pros and cons to help you decide which type of Sit ‘N Go you want to play.
Standard SNGs
Standard Sit ‘N Goes have a relatively slow blind structure, and are popular on just about every online poker site, but are especially common on Poker Stars. The exact time between blind increases varies from site to site. In fact, a Standard SNG on one site might be considered a Turbo SNG on another. Generally, however, the blinds raise every 6 to 10 minutes in a Standard SNG.
Pros
- The slower blind structure allows players more time to wait for good hands and pick their spots. Good post-flop players will have a little bit more of an edge in this game because the slow blind structure gives players more time with a larger stack.
- The return on investment for Standard Sit ‘N Goes is usually higher than it is for Turbo Sit ‘N Goes.
- There are more new players in Standard Sit ‘N Goes. When new poker players decide that they want to play Sit ‘N Goes, they usually try Standard Sit ‘N Goes first so good players should have a significant edge at the lower and middle limits.
Cons
- Standard SNGs take about 10 to 20 minutes longer to play than Turbo Sit ‘N Goes which can have a significant impact on your hourly rate.
- The slower blind structure means players will have many options available to then in a given situation (bet, check/raise, slow play, all-in, etc.). More options means more decisions and the more decisions you have to make, the fewer games you can play because you’re spending more time analyzing important moves.
Turbo SNGs
Players used to think that strong poker players had a higher edge in Standard Sit ‘N Goes than they did in Turbo Sit ‘N Goes but that’s not necessarily true. The two games favor different skill sets. A superior post-flop player will do better in a Standard Sit ‘N Go, but someone who can play perfectICM (independent chip model) strategy can have a significant edge in Turbos, especially on poker sites which are known for fishy gambling type players, like Party Poker.
Pros
- Turbo Sit ‘N Goes are much faster than Standard Sit ‘N Goes. The blinds usually raise every 3 to 5 minutes. That means you can play a lot more Turbos per hour which can increase your hourly win rate.
- It’s easier to massive multi-table Turbos because your decisions are usually limited to shove, fold or call a shove. There’s very little post-flop play once you’re 15 – 20 minutes into the tournament.
- A lot of inexperienced Sit ‘N Go players try to play Turbos without a solid understanding ofICM. These players try to play their normal Sit ‘N Go game and get destroyed by players who make unexploitable shoves.
Cons
- Turbo Sit ‘N Goes generally have a lower ROI than Standard Sit ‘N Goes. You’ll have to decide if the ability to play more games per hour is worth the hit your ROI will take.
- It’s difficult to exploit other players who studyICM. It basically comes down to who is better at putting his opponent on a range.
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Neither SNG is “better” than the other. They just favor different kinds of players. If you’re good at playing post-flop, you’ll probably have more of an edge in a Standard Sit ‘N Go, but if you can spot unexploitable shoves that others miss, Turbos might be the way to go for you.
Experiment a little and compare your ROIs and hourly rates. Your profits will ultimately tell you which Sit ‘N Go is best for you.