Sit And Go Poker Tournaments-Online vs. Vegas

Sit and go poker tournaments in Las Vegas are quite different from the online sit and go games that you may be used to. These differences call for a change in strategies if you want to win.

The main differences are:

• Pay Out Structure: The pay outs online are usually for the first three places in a single table ten player tournament. In Las Vegas the pay outs are usually for first and second place only.

• Early Level Blinds: On the internet the blinds usually start out low (10/20), in Las Vegas they normally start at a much higher level (25/50).

• Starting Chip Stack: The number of chips that a player starts with online is much greater in relation to the blinds than it is in Las Vegas. Online you start with around seventy (70) times the big blind. In Las Vegas your starting stack is about twenty (20) times the big blind.
  

• The Number of Hands per Hour: On the internet there will be about sixty(60) hands dealt per hour. In a Vegas card room expect about thirty(30) hands per hour. This means that the blinds will go up just about every full circuit of the button in the early levels of the tournament.
  

All these differences mean that playing strategies have to change somewhat between online and live card rooms.

The first change has to be how you play the early levels of the tournament. Online you want to play very tight early on. In a live Las Vegas game you can't do this as the blinds are so much higher in relation to your chip stack. After the first level you will be short stacked if you haven't added some chips. This means that your starting hand requirements have to be somewhat lower than online.

The next change has to be how aggressively you play your hands. Remember the other players are in the same boat as you. When you have a good starting hand and position you have to push it to gain chips.

In short, you have to play as if you are at mid level from the start.

Good Luck

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