My Favorite Sit n' Go Strategies, Part II

• Beginner's Tournaments are great to pad the bank.

Most sit and go tournaments involve one table of ten players, unless it is specifically a short handed game. In most of these tourneys, the top three players place. Some web sites, such as Bodog.com, also have beginner's tournaments, where the top five place. The extra money is taken from first place, meaning winning first is worth less at this type of a tournament than a normal sit and go, but all those fourth and fifth place finishes are suddenly worth money. I love these tournaments because they attract the weakest players and help ensure that even with bad luck I will almost always break even.

• Tight early.

With most sit and go tournaments I've played, you can see the bad and good players early. I've seen everything from a player who went all in with every single hand to a player who called every pre-flop raise, even with nothing. Usually less than half the players at this table are even passable poker players, much less good ones. Let the weak self destruct first. Attack only with the best hands in the best position: that's excellent sit n' go strategy.

• If you tilt, only play pocket A's & K's

This sounds overly restrictive, and it is, but if you are on tilt even a little, you will make serious mistakes playing hands. Fold everything but the best until you are ready to play. More than once I made a stupid mistake by playing after a bad beat and over bet second high pair, getting busted on a hand I should have folded.

• Never go all in after a bad beat

After you get a bad beat, many players, even very good ones, go on tilt and go all in way too soon (often the very next hand). Many players are really stretching with this and not thinking and analyzing the situation. I used to say only play good hands after a bad beat, but my concept of good hands went down to amateur status once I went on tilt (Q-10 off suit, K-6 suited, pocket 3's--yes, I know, I'm embarrassed for myself, too). Other players expect this, and so often not only will you get called, but you may get two or three calls. Unless you have pocket A's, I recommend not playing any hand immediately after a bad beat. Take the time to calm down and stabilize.

• Switch gears after the money

As soon as I'm in the money, I switch gears and become aggressive. Any ace or king is worth a large raise, as well as any pocket pair. At this point you want to jockey for position and shoot for first. You also want to run the table. I love raising with any king or ace, because not only do I tend to take down a lot of pots, but if someone re-raises me I can fold cheap. It also encourages the players to come after me even with something scary on the board--like those two tens that gave my A-T trips. Switching gears here is the right move and great sit n' go strategy.