The part of sit n’ go strategy that I particularly thrive in is when the game goes short handed. This is the area of sit n’ go strategy where the good players separate from the average and really add to their bank role. The reason for this is that the shorter handed table gives you more opportunities to successfully steal some blinds, bluff a plot after the flop, and hammer away at your opponents. What I love about the short handed sit n’ go strategy is that you can tell the players who paid attention to their opponents early on in the tournament versus those who didn’t. This is where even a small shark who got unlucky once or twice can turn a small chip stack into a huge advantage.

Once you go short handed you should have a good idea of what type of player your opponents are. Some of the key hands that you need to know how to play now are big slick (A-K), A-Q, and A-J. First off, always raise with these hands short handed. A great rule for good short handed sit n go strategy is: “If you’re not willing to raise with it, you shouldn’t call with it.” With less players, there is far less chance that someone hits a giant hand, so if you have one of those ace hands, raise before the flop, and I always raise after the flop if I miss.

These types of hands miss the flop completely almost 70% of the time, so that means if you have A-Q and miss, there’s still a chance your opponent has J-Q and also missed. So good sit and go strategy now is to bet pre-flop and bet after the flop. I can’t begin to count all the times I took down a pot with a raise when I had ace high. Even if there is a scary flop, like 5-6-9 all spades, raise anyway. Flushes statistically do not come around often, and most likely everyone will fold–a timid player may even fold a straight. If someone re-raises, then I make an easy fold, but I take this pot using this method often enough that it pays off for me.

Short handed, I like to raise any ace pre-flop, and if the table is weak, I’ll raise any king pre-flop. Often times you can take down some pots pre-flop, which once the blinds get high enough, make this a profitable play, and if you keep raising after the flop you will get the most out of kings and aces you hit, and the other players will see you take enough hands that they will fold out more often. I like to be the player that makes other players groan when I get into a pot, the kind where they decide, “If he raises, I’m out.”

I also remind myself, though, that even if aggressive is good, don’t get carried away. If I have Q-9 suited, and someone goes all in, it’s not worth risking half my chips for that, especially with high blinds and especially if I’m the one bullying the table. Why give away half my bullying strength? Let someone else eliminate this person, unless you have something like pocket A’s. Also pay attention to style. Good sit and go strategy is like any type of good poker strategy: if you play a sit n go game, you want to exploit your opponents’ weaknesses to build the bank roll.

Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website squidoo.com/sit-n-go-strategy/ squidoo.com/sit-n-go-strategy/. Please visit for information on all things concerned with squidoo.com/sit-n-go-strategy/ Sit N Go