A Sit and Go is a small tournament which begins as soon as all the players sit down. It can be played as Texas Hold'em as well as any other poker variation; in this article we will assume that the game is Texas Holdem, so you already need to know the Texas Hold'em rules. The Sit and Go tournament can be played online or in a brick-and-mortar casino. The Sit and Go usually awards prizes to between one and four finishers, depending on whether it is a single table or multi-table Sit and Go, or a satellite to a larger tournament. As with all poker games and tournaments, one issue you will face is how to handle drawing hands.

Comparing to a Texas Hold'em cash game

In a normal Texas Hold'em cash game, whether or not you go for a drawing hand, such as Ah Th on a board of 8h Kh Js or Td Js on a board of Ks Qd 6c, will depend on whether or not you are getting the correct odds to call. If the odds of you hitting your straight or flush are better than the amount you will win versus the amount you need to put in the pot to draw, you will call. In a normal Texas Hold'em tournament situation, your requirements will be more stringent. If losing will eliminate you from the tournament, you will often want to wait until your expected win is significantly better than your odds of hitting if you are to call.
In a Texas Hold'em Sit and Go tournament, things are a bit different. Unlike a regular tournament, Sit and Go rounds are often very short, meaning you need to amass chips early, and many fewer places are paid. For the first few rounds, when the blinds are small, it is okay to take a conservative approach and gauge the table, as other players may be panicked by the short round times and play recklessly. After a few rounds however, you will need to be aggressive and it is often correct to go for draws even if your advantage is minimal. This is especially true if the Sit and Go is winner take all.

Considering the prize structure

If the Sit and Go pays something like three places, you may want to slow down as you approach the bubble. With four or five players left, you want to give one or two of your opponents every chance to knock each other out before you go. Therefore, unless you are the shortest stack, you will not want to speculate on draws unless you think you can scare your opponent into folding. However, by this time, your opponent may have committed so many of his chips to the pot he may feel he is not able to fold. You will have to gauge this before you attempt to continue with your draw. If you do continue it is probably better to put your opponent all in on a semi bluff than make or call small bets and have to abandon the pot, leaving yourself with a short stack, if you miss. This is a general rule in Texas Holdem. For more Texas Hold'em strategy articles, check out Learn Texas Hold'em.