Playing to Make the Money in Sit and Go's

Many players that just want to make the money usually play fairly tight, not taking many chances in till they are actually in the money.  They tend to avoid the action early on unless they have a monster.  So if you notice one of these players, make sure you think about what they may be holding before your commit a lot of chips against them.

Players that play for any place in the money typically sit back and watch others knock each other out.  Then once they get in the money they will either loosen up, trying to double up often or they will continue to play tight and hope that the other two in the money will knock each other out before they get eaten by the blinds.

What is the best strategy to use if you’re just trying to make the money?  The best strategy is to play very tight throughout the sit and go tournament.  In most that you enter, you will catch enough hands early on to give you a chip stack to last you.  So play tight until the money, but once you’re in the money is where some people vary.

You should really loosen up your game.  Keep in mind that you are already in the money, so if you can double up once or twice, possible even knock a person out, then you are in position to win it all.  Obviously this won’t happen all the time, but it’s not a big deal since you’re already getting paid.

Remember that first place finishes are very important, because first place receives 50% of the prize pool, over double what third place gets (20%). Because of this, once you are in the money you should be playing for first place, not second. Make sure to be aggressive, steal blinds when possible, and look for opportunities to steal pots or possibly double up.

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