Mid-levels of Sit N Gos always present us with a huge dilemma, often raising can use part of our stack that would be more useful (in terms of keeping fold-equity) at the bubble... yet we would commonly like to increase our stack.
Push or Fold?
When the blinds are around 10% of your total amount of chips and 6 or 7 opponents are still at the table pushing from late position can be an effective way to get "risk free" chips. This article will analize the common circumstances in which a player can try this particular move.
Always remember that poker is not a perfect science especially at Sit N Go tables. You have a stack of 1200 chips and are on the dealer position (button)... the blind is now 150 (more then 10% of your chips) and you see 2 limpers before you. So this could be a decent hand to try. You take a look to your cards hoping to a decent hand like Ace-Jack or TT. Instead of making a normal raise here you easily shove all-in. If the limpers simply fold you just get free chips (525 in this particular case), if someone decides to call you have a solid hand to show. This opportunity can help you to double up your stack. The sum of these different factors giving you a good positive expectation on this move. In order to understand the math behind this mid-level Sit N Go strategy every player needs to answer 2 simple questions.
1. How many possibilities there are to have a caller? (not counting the particular cases of 2 crazy callers for simplicity)
2. If we are called what are the possibilities against the hands which might limp and after our raise call an all-in?
Find out more in the next part of our online poker tutorial...