Finishing Well – Late Game Strategies for Sit and Go Poker

A wise man once remarked that what’s really important is not to start strong but to finish well. Since you’ve made it this far in the SnG poker game already, here are a few guidelines to help you end your game well. After all, you wouldn’t want all your hard work to go to waste at this point, now would you?

If you thought that the pressure was bad enough in the middle portion of the Sit and Go (SnG) game, wait till you get to the end game. By now, there should only be a few players vying for the pot, so it’s time to adjust your play style once more.

Don’t Hold Back

If you’ve been keeping that aggression all pent up until now, the late game is the time to release it. Seriously, though, the blinds are now high enough to warrant this kind of aggression from players, save those with exceptionally huge stacks. Conservative play is for the early part of SnG. Even if others should fold and play more passively at this point, go for gold!

Just because you’re playing more aggressively doesn’t mean you’ll play mindlessly, though. Before you call, make sure that your hand is very, very strong for the flop. Your hand needn’t be as strong for a raise, though, as players tend to fold then.

Keep Your Opponents Guessing

In any kind of competitive game, it pays to be unpredictable. Patterns could be your undoing, so try to keep things interesting by becoming even trickier than you were in the middle game.

For example, if the flop isn’t terrible, check. In all likelihood, your opponent will bet. This will result in a considerably shorter stack for him or her after the preflop raise. The tendency now is for him or her to attempt to get the pot, even if he or she doesn’t hit. When your opponent goes all in, call and boot him or her out of the game. If you had re-raised preflop instead, your opponent may have been able to escape.

Train Your Opponents’ Brains

The trick still involves making your opponent think the way you want him or her to think. Feign weakness when you’re actually strong and you can effectively hit two birds with one stone – you’ll end up knocking your opponent out and getting a much bigger pot for yourself in the process.