Sit'n'gos

A sit'n'go, is a one table tournament. You sit down, play, and go on to other stuff afterwards. Partly different than a multi-table tournament where you: sit down, play, play, play, and might be to tired to go on and do any other stuff afterwards. Sit'n'gos can be abbreviated to SNG, or called something like: mini tournaments or single-table tournaments (STT).

Most common are full sized tables (9 or 10 players for Texas Hold'em). Shorthanded, heads-up, and 2- or 3-table sit'n'gos also exists. Different online poker rooms offer different variations on this theme. A freezeout structure is always used, players may not acquire additional chips beyond the original buy-in. The tournaments are played until one player has all the chips. With one full sized table, the top three finishers are paid. The winner gets 50 %, 2nd place gets 30 %, and 3rd place gets 20 %.

Another reason that this tournament structure is called sit'n'gos are that they are usually readily available. To play in a multi-table tournament you might have to wait an hour or two until you find a tournament to your liking. A sit'n'go in your favorite game type, with the betting structure of your preference and a suitable stake is often ready to start much faster than that. To play, just take a seat at a SNG-table and wait for it to be filled, then the tournament starts.

Good results in cash games do not necessarily equate to good results in SNG's and the other way around. That is because in a SNG you do not only have to be able to play good straight forward poker, but also handle tournament specific strategy, short handed play, as well as heads up play.

Pros and Cons with Single-Table Tournaments

In contrast to a multi-table tournament you do not have to outlast hundreds of players in order to come in the money. And you can play this kind of tournament almost any time you feel like it. Be it a subject of what your favorite game is; STT of NL Texas Hold'em $10 + $1 are far more common than FL Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo $1000 + $90.

That it is easier to win money in SNG's than MTT's also makes it easier to have consistent profits from SNG's. There will never be any spectacular wins, but first places are achievable. There will not be any profit, just occasional wins, as long as you not understand that you are playing in a tournament though (when you/they are out of chips, you/they have lost).

An added value to playing in SNG's is that it closely resembles the finishing stages of a MTT. It is like ending up on the final table every single time. The experience on playing short handed and heads up can be immensely valuable when it comes to performing at the end of a long MTT.