Online SitnGo Poker Strategy.info

Best Poker Articles

Hi!  All of these sit n go poker strategy articles, authored by R. Steve McCollum, have been published by Ezine Articles.com, the web's foremost article publisher. 

But, I also chose to publish them here because I can exercise more freedom in formatting and text linking.  Thus, the articles, containing more white space and relevant text links, are easier to read and even more informative.

Instructive and Supportive

I hope you will get as much benefit out of these articles as I do.  You see, even though I wrote every word of every one of them, I still re-read them from time to time.  Especially when my game is off, my articles are the first place I turn to for help. 

Although, some of these articles are going on three years old, they are as instructive and supportive now as they were the day they were published.  You would be correct to say, that I wrote them not only to help you, but also to help myself. 

Based Upon Real Life Learning Experiences

As I continue to learn and improve my sit n go game, I work through all of my many problems by keeping lengthy notes (now into 100's of pages).  I constantly revise and organize my notes.  And, eventually a collection of notes will become an article.

All of these articles are thus based upon real life learning experiences, mine.  They are not theoretical un-proven concepts, nor or they difficult to understand.  They are the real thing.  They reflect exactly what works, and what does not.

And, to underscore their real-life applicability, many of the articles incorporate shared concepts found in business, sports, games, politics, martial arts, and war.  In other words, here you will find universal poker truths - the strategic, as well as the tactical.

Something Here For Everyone

And, their real beauty is that not only are they fundamentally correct, they are are also evolving.  As my experience grows, and my insights deepen, so too do my articles.  Meaning that there is something here for everyone, regardless of your skill level. 

Whether you are a beginner struggling with fundamentals, or an experienced player seeking to take your game to the next level, there is something here that will aid you in your quest.

Poker Takes A Lifetime To Master

Nevertheless, it continues to surprise me that something I wrote - and then, naturally, would forget - can still help me today.  Even though, I am a far more experienced player today than when some of these articles were conceived.

There is a well known quote by Mike Sexton,  "It (poker) takes five minutes to learn and a lifetime to master."  Truer words have never been said.  It seems that poker learning, and at least in my case re-learning, never ends.

Sign-Up For Email Notification

The process of notes becoming articles continues.  So, check back often for new additions.

Or, use the email sign-up box, found near the middle of the right column - directly opposite this line of text.  You can sign-up for monthly email notification of my new articles, new book reviews, and other important announcements. 

Your privacy will always be respected.  And, you will never be spammed.

My Other Poker Websites

I also hope that you will check out all of my other poker websites.  Where you can find just about everything you need to know about how to win a sit n go poker tournament.  In all, there are literally 1,000's of winning tips, tactics, secrets, statistics and strategies. 

Links to all of my poker websites can be found in the right column - directly opposite this line of text.

My Membership Poker Website

At the top of the right column, you will find a Buy Now button for my membership site, Sit n Go Holdem Secrets.com.  Think of the small $27 one-time membership fee as an investment. 

There are well over 200 pages where concepts and strategies are broken down, examined, and tested.  And, in much greater detail than in these articles.  Since, I am always adding and updating content, it is like a poker encyclopedia that is never out of date, and is always expanding. 

You can think of this website as a gallery of some of the very finest of paintings.  They can be instructive, even insipring.  But, for a deeper appreciation, it is only at my membership site where you can learn the brush strokes.

Click this link for complete information about Sit n Go Holdem Secrets.com. 

Help Me Help Us Both

Just below, you will find a place for you to provide me with your comments.  I would really appreciate hearing from you.  Especially, if you have a request or an idea for an article that I should write.  Or, if you have questions or suggestions about any of these articles. 

In fact, there is a place following every article for your comments.  When you leave comments, we both start thinking a little deeper about your poker subject.  And, that is a good thing for both of us.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

____________________________________________________________________________________

Article Review: Intuitive Sit 'n' Go Bubble Play

Hi!  There is nothing I hate worse than becoming the bubble boy.  I mean, you play as hard as you know how to get to the bubble.  Then, through some miscalculation or misfortune you are eliminated.

It is a bitter pill to swallow.  Just as you are about to achieve your objective, instead you lose your buy-in, lose your time, lose your effort, and lose your chance to earn a financial reward.

After all of that hard work, and getting so close to victory, you end up with nothing.

If you keep having more than your share of trouble at the bubble, then you are in luck.

I have written an article, Intuitive Sit 'n' Go Bubble Play, which will help reduce some of the miscalculation and misfortune often encountered in bubble play.

Intuitive Bubble Play is a common sense approach for predicting opponent behavior.  You will quickly learn that every opponent will behave very predictably when in bubble play.

Then, as you begin to recognize behavior patterns, and thus become able to predict opponent behavior, your life on the bubble will become much more pleasant.

Bubble play will still be difficult.  After all, that is the most emotionally and mentally taxing stage of the game.  But, with an understanding of behavior patterns, you will have an important new weapon in your arsenal.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

Article Review: Fifteen Tips For Purchasing Online Poker Software

Hi!  There is an abundance, even a proliferation, of online poker software available for today's player. 

Some are very useful, and several are even indispensable.  But, many are basically worthless, and a few are just outright scams.

So, how do you wade through this modern maze of options, avoid wasting your time and money, and pick suitable, reliable, legal poker software? 

If you are just starting out, it really can be a daunting task.  There could be hours and hours of research at a number of different websites.  And, despite good research, mistakes can still be made.

Having run this guantlet myself, I wrote an article, Fifteen Tips For Purchasing Online Poker Software, to offer a few fundamental guidelines that one should consider before making an investment in poker software.

Then, you should pay a visit to my site, Internet-Poker-Software.info, for a complete briefing on many other important considerations.  There, you will also find a directory of many recommended software and freeware products.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

Article Review: Sit 'n' Go Poker Tournament Glossary

Hi!  Do you know the difference between an actual and a virtual deck of cards?  I'll bet you think that is an easy question to answer.  But, do your also understand how that difference can effect your evaluation of a particular situation during a hand?

Here are some more questions. 

Do you feel better after telling your bad beat story?  You might feel better, but did you know that dwelling on a bad beat can signal a lack of discipline, and more importantly, a basic lack of understanding of the game?

And, one more.  Did you know that it is not only not cheating, but it is also mandatory to sometimes cooperate with another player?

The above is a small sample of the type of information you will find in my Sit 'n' Go Poker Tournament Glossary. 

The glossary is not, by any means, exhaustive.  But, for several of the common and even some of the not-so-common sit n go themes, I have added a lot more explanation than you are likely to find in most sources.

Mainly, I try to uncover the hidden meanings, expose the nuances, make the unseen connections, and render the difficult concepts a little easier to understand.  So, you will find in my glossary much more than a closet full of skeleton definitions. 

There is some real meat on these bones.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

Article Review: Taking a Break From Poker

Hi!  We all need breaks from strenuous mental activity.  That is why we get weekends-off and vacations from work.  And, why we get summers-off from school.  All work and no play makes for a dull mind.

But, when it comes to poker, we never want to take any time off.  We would play all night and all day, every day if we could.  At least, I would.  And, probably you would, too.

Even though poker is play, it is also strenuous mental work. 

Poker is a tough, demanding mental sport.  And, with 24/7 access to poker, it is easy to over tax our minds.

The problem with becoming dull-minded at poker is that we are too dull to realize that we have become dull-minded.  It is sort of a viscious cycle.

Of course, we can depend on our bankrolls to issue their early warnings.  Which is okay, if we are alert enough to heed the warning.  But unfortunately, we often are not.

I have written two articles on this subject, Taking a Break From Poker, and its follow-up, My Poker Break - the Before and After Story.  

Sometimes, you just have to force yourself to take a break from poker.  These articles will provide some necessary convincing.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum  

Article Review: How to Come Back in a Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament

Hi!  I really enjoy books about high-altitude extreme mountain climbing.  The stories of endurance, survival, and achievement against all the odds really grab hold somewhere deep inside me.  The vicarious journey is thrilling.

So, what does high-altitude mountain climbing have in common with playing in a sit n go poker tournament?  A lot more than you think.  In fact, I believe these two sports have more in common than any other physical sport-mental sport match-up.

There are many parallels.

One of the more compelling ones is the survival of a disaster.  This is the ultimate test, when there is only one goal - making it home alive.

In a sit n go tournament, there will be disasters - those times when we lose the big hand, and we are left with only a handful of chips.  How we then handle ourselves will largely determine whether we make it home alive.

In my article, How to Come Back in a Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament, I provide the strategies a player will need to survive a disaster.  I know they work, because they are the same ones I have used successfully many times.

The single most important disaster survival strategy - in life, on a mountain, or in a tournament - is simple, just never give up!

 

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

Article Review: Creating Chaos in a Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament

Hi!  Some folks are fond of authoritatively proclaiming that poker is life.  Meaning that much of what happens at the poker table has parallels in our daily lives.  That observation is a stretch, but holds a few grains of truth.

But, to the extent that war is an absoulte part of life, then to a larger degree, poker is indeed a lot like life. 

Because, poker is war. 

And, that is the pure and simple truth - poker is war, and war is part of life.

Okay, enough of the philosophy lesson.  Suffice it all to say, that if you don't approach poker as a war game, then you still have a lot of learning ahead of you. 

Still not a believer? 

Where do you think the word strategy came from?  Look it up.

In war, psychology is a weapon as potent as any soldier, or any explosive.  Psychological warfare is an extremely important component of war. 

In my article, Creating Chaos in a Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament, I list ten ways that we can conduct psychological warfare at the poker table.

Do yourself a favor. 

Learn to create chaos with these ten, and then find ten more.  There is hardly anything in life more satisfing than totally destroying an opponent.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

Article Review: Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament Drawing Analogy

Hi!  Are you still chasing draws in a sit n go tournament?  If so, that is a bad habit you should have stopped a long time ago.

I know, you look at your calculator and see that your pot odds are a whopping 7-to-1.  You would be a fool not to see the flop with almost any two rag cards.  So, you see the flop with your decent 7-8 suited hand.

And, an almost near-miracle happens. 

You hit top-pair with your seven, have a board high card with your eight, and have straight and flush draws.  You have tons of outs, plus you might even hold the winning hand.

You really do hold a good hand - it is a made hand that can improve.  So, you play it hard, and all the way to the river. 

Along the way though, you begin to feel that your sevens are beat. 

But, you are pot committed, and cannot stop.  You are mostly just hanging on, hopeful that your hand will improve.

At showdown, it turns out that you were beat in two places - pocket tens, and a set of sixes.  You were behind all the time. 

Your feelings were right, but you had ignored them.  And, now you have 40% fewer chips than when you started.  Great odds, but fewer chips.

Does this scenario sound familiar? 

There are many other chasing and drawing scenarios, but they all usually have the same ending - fewer chips. 

In a sit n go, fewer chips can mean disaster.  And, that is the message in my article, Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament Drawing Analogy, where I use the game of Russian Roulette as an anology for chasing a draw in a sit n go. 

Check it out, it is a fun read.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

Article Review: Draws, Redraws and Drawing Dead in a Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament

Hi!  Chasing draws in a sit n go tournament is bad business.  I know that sometimes we get struck in a hand, and have little choice but to see the hand to its conclusion. 

But, I also know that we are sometimes tempted to make the chase.  There are few things in a sit n go more thrilling than to destroy an opponent with a river suck-out.  Especially, when our stroke of luck has  the appearance of a perfectly planned, expertly executed move.

Why is chasing in a sit n go bad business?

Simple.  Because the card odds are always against us.  And, because when we lose (which will be most of the time), we cannot reload.  Consequently, the venture can result in becoming short stacked, or even in elimination.

Sure, if we get lucky, we can win a big pot.  Or, maybe even double-up.  But, there are many less risky methods to accumulate chips.

You can think of chasing as a form of passive poker play.  In a sit n go, passive play is a sure road to losing play.

In my article, Draws, Redraws and Drawing Dead in a Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament, I present the arguments to help a player understand the unique meaning of odds, outs, and draws as they apply to a sit n go. 

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

Article Review: The Dance of Poker

Hi!  Timing and balance in a sit n go poker tournament - two qualities that can make or break a player.  But, how do you define timing and balance?  And even more difficult, how do you practice something that you have trouble defining?

Timing and balance - they are genuinely important to success, but are hard to describe.  I know this much, though.  If my timing and/or balance is off, I play lousy.  If I happen to win a sit n go under these conditions, you can mark it up to pure luck.

I try to put the concepts of timing and balance into context in my article, The Dance of Poker.  I think I do a fair job, but there are no step-by-step instructions.

I think one can learn timing and balance in only one place - the school of hard knocks.  In other words, with enough practice and experience, you will gain good poker timing and balance. 

If you do not eventually develop good timing and balance, well don't quit your day job.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum 

Article Review: Eight Unique Opportunities For Sit 'n' Go Chip Accumulation

Hi!  Lately, I have been suffering from card deadness.  It is a common poker disease.  It comes and goes, and sometimes stays.  It strikes without warning.  And, it is totally incurable. 

I hate when I am card dead.  It takes all the fun out of a sit n go.  I have to start thinking and playing real hard.  And, usually even that is not enough.  Because, after all that work I usually still end up with nothing.  I really do hate being card dead.

Fortunately, your opponents cannot see your cards.  So, they do not know that you are card dead.  Now, isn't that an interesting thought?  Your opponents do not know that you are card dead!

That means that you can keep on playing as if you were catching monsters.  Of course, you do not want to over do it, and arouse suspicion.  But, essentially you can just keep on playing regardless of the two cards in your hand.  Those two cards really do not matter.

Because, you and your opponents mostly react to bets and raises.  If you are aggressing, they are reacting.  And, often enough their reaction is to fold.

And, therein is the underlying message of my article, Eight Unique Opportunities For Sit 'n' Go Chip Accumulation.  You see, there are many opportunities in a sit n go to accumulate chips. 

And, most of those opportunities do not require that you hold any better than just two random cards.  The only requirement is that you act. 

When you act, often enough the pot will be yours, even if you are card dead.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

Article Review: Control Points in a Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament

Hi!  Control points in a sit 'n' go hold'em tournament?  What are control points? 

You probably already have several, but perhaps have never thought about them consciously.  Remember how you and your opponents tend to start stepping on the gas when the big blind hits 100 chips? 

That is a control point - a commonly occuring event in a tournament when you should take inventory of your situation and standing.

There are several other possible control points.  Some are obvious, like the start of short table play, or the start of bubble play.  But, many of the important ones are much more subtle.

You can think of control points as sign posts. 

Sometimes they inform.  Sometimes they remind.  Sometimes they warn.  And, sometimes they point the way.  But, mainly they just serve to help keep you alert and ready.

Read my article, Control Points in a Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament, for more about this important subject.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum 

Article Review: Playing Big Slick in a Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament

Hi!  In my article, Playing Big Slick in a Sit 'n' Go Hold'em Tournament, I try to offer some general advice for the most profitable play of big slick (A-K) in a sit n go tournament.  But, if you are looking for a formula or for a set of rules, well get ready for disappointment, because there are not any.

I have played A-K when I thought I should not have, and won.  I have played A-K when I was certain I had the best hand, and did, but lost.  I have folded A-K and was proven right.  I have folded A-K when I would have won.

And, I have watched 100's of other players play A-K every imaginable way.  Their success rate is about equally divided between winning with A-K and losing.

Undoubtably, big slick is the most frustrating hand in sit n go poker (for both the winner and the loser).

Sometimes, I think that when one catches big slick, they should just push all-in, and let the chips fall where they may.  I am not sure that there is any better or more scientific approach.

You would do this early in a tournament because someone with A-J or A-Q might call.  And, even if they hold a pair, you are not a total dog. 

I have had A-K beat my A-A plenty of times.  Most recently, just last night.  Remarkably, we were heads up.  He happily won first.  And, I was sick.

Nevertheless, the proper play of big slick requires some thought.  So, read my article for some good insights.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

Article Review: Twenty Mistakes That Tell the World You Are a Sit 'n' Go Poker Fish

Hi!  Just about every poker article and book do a good job of explaining how to play the game.  They just about cover everything.  Some even go so far as to prescribe betting, raising, and bluffing frequencies.  One would think that poker is an emerging new science. 

So, in my article, Twenty Mistakes That Tell the World You Are a Sit 'n' Go Poker Fish, I have taken a different approach.  In this article you will learn some of the improtant things not to do.

You see, learning what to do is only half the story, if that much. 

Because, you also need to learn what not to do.  If your play includes a lot of good habits, and only a few bad habits, you are likely still a loser.

Furthermore, learning what not to do has multiple benefits.  First, the obvious.  You cannot become a consistent winner until you prune your game of mistakes.

And second, as I point out in my article, your mistakes will largely determine your table image.  Essentially, the better players will spot your mistakes, and will soon be exploiting those weaknesses.

The effect is sort of like compound interest in reverse.  Your mistakes will directly cause you to lose chips.  And, because of your mistakes, you will lose more chips as your opponents force you to continue to make those mistakes.

And, that is why it is so tough for a novice to gain ground against a field of experienced players.  Your mistakes will cost you chips.  And, your mistakes will open the door for more mistakes.

So, one way to help stop this viscious cycle before it starts is to read my article.  Then, at least you will know some of the mistakes not to make.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

Article Review: Laying Down a Sit 'n' Go Tournament Poker Hand

Hi!  A few nights ago I mucked my hand - pocket kings.  It was a really tough laydown.  And, as you can see, I am still thinking about my decision.

Sometimes you get confirmation of your decision.  Like when there is a showdown between your other opponents.  And, you get to see that your hunch about sets, or straights, or whatever was right.

The lingering doubt - as in the case of my kings - comes when you don't get to see your opponent's cards.

There is a poker saying about big pairs losing big pots.  It is easy to get married to a big hand, like pocket kings.  Especially, when you have been card dead, and you can feel tournament death creeping up.

You tend to ignor the warning signs.  You are so hungry to finally get a shot at winning a decent size pot that you disregard all the evidence to the contrary.  So, you end up losing to a better hand.  Possibly getting yourself eliminated.  And, becoming another casualty of a big hand losing a big pot.

Admittedly, you will not often be folding pocket kings in a sit n go.  But, there will be a few times when you will painfully learn that you had a chance, and a good reason, but didn't muck that monster.

My article, Laying Down a Sit 'n' Go Tournament Poker Hand, was written to offer some guidance for this difficult decision.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum 

Article Review: Five Tips For Training Your Sit 'n' Go Opponents

Hi!  What are the first things that come to mind when you hear the term table captain?  Do you think of a table bully?  Or, perhaps of a player on a hot streak?  Or, perhaps of a superior player?

A table captain could be any or all of these examples.  But, the label is usually not permanent.  Bullies can be beaten, and so can superior players.  And, hot streaks do not last.

There is, however, a table presence that is more enduring - a table leader.  This is the player who quitely goes about his business of exerting a little influence here, and a little pressure there.

Slowly but surely, the table leader builds for himself an image of respect, and a following.  That is, there will be a few, and at times several, of his opponents who will almost unconsciously follow his lead.

I write about the phenomenon of table leadership in my article, Five Tips For Training Your Sit 'n' Go Opponents.  There are probably many more than five instances of leading (training) your opponents.

Many of them, you may already practice.  But, you might not even be aware of your subtle manipulative ways. 

The point of my article is to raise your awareness.  With conscious effort, you can achieve some profitable results.

Thanks and Good Luck!

R. Steve McCollum

___________________________________________________________________________________