Stealing On The Bubble In SNGs

As 20% of the prize money is usually up for grabs for coming third in a Sit 'n' Go (SNG) it is important to make the money. However, there are still opportunities to steal those blinds...

By Philip Tuck 18 September 2007

"When you're a short stack you must be prepared to die in order to survive"
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The strategy for playing the bubble in single table tournaments or Sit ‘n’ Gos (SNGs) differs quite radically compared to multi-table tournaments (MTTs). In single table tournaments the lowest prize places are still large percentages of the prize pool (in a PokerStars standard nine man SNG 3rd place receives 20% of the prize pool). Compare this to the very low figures in the early prize places in multi-table tournaments (sometimes lower than 1% of the prize poll). This means that making the money is much more important in an STT than an MTT.

This means that the "get rich or die trying" style of play that will yield good results in MTTs (see 'Stealing On The Bubble In MTTs') is not appropriate in many situations of the STT bubble - the high return for simply making the money is good enough to warrant a more conservative style of play. Here we will look at appropriate playing styles and opening requirements depending on the stack sizes on the bubble of a SNG.

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The table big stack on the bubble of an SNG should continue to raise a wide variety of hands from all positions - short and mid stacks alike will be loathe to become involved in a pot with a player that can easily cover them. This also ensures your best chances at taking first; the 50% of the prize pool that first wins is well worth pushing hard for when on the bubble.

Mid stacks should try and attack the small stacks if the big stack has folded. Mid stacks should only play powerful hands when either the big stack is yet to act or the big stack has entered the pot. Put simply, you want to bully any stack that cannot knock you out, while avoiding any stack that can knock you out/cripple you (unless you are holding very powerful hands, of course).

Short stacks have the hardest job of all on the bubble of SNGs. They are faced with two un-appealing choices. If they raise frequently and try and get a stack back they leave themselves open to being knocked out early (after all, it could be a mid stack will get knocked out a few hands down the line). If, however, they try and fold to the cash they will probably be blinded away and still knocked out before the money.

Of these two I believe the raising option is best - you will probably make the money just as much (blinding away is just not profitable) and sometimes you will actually re-build a stack and go on to get first or second place.

The best strategy as the table short stack is to play hands only when one of the following two criteria is met: Firstly, if you have a strong hand that can be played from any position (A-K, A-Qs, A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J). In this spot just shove all the chips in regardless of action before you.

The second situation is where the action has been folded around to you and you have any form of hand worth playing (any ace, any pair, any two high cards or even suited connectors if the blinds have been tight) - in this case just go all-in and try and pick up those vital blinds.

The bubble is a time to try and accumulate chips even when you are struggling to keep afloat - always remember when you're a short stack you must be prepared to die in order to survive. Whatever stack size you have try and up the aggression unless the table is playing very loose. Most of the time on the bubble the players are just looking to keep their heads down and survive - try and take advantage as much as you can.

26/02/08

In a single table tournament don't miss an opportunity to steal those blinds