Double or Nothing Sit n Go Strategy

There are an increasing volume of Sit ´n´ Go games which are designated as “Double or Nothing”. This is a ten player SnG where the final five players double their entry stake, and an excellent option for players who regularly play well in other SnGs, but lack the short game knowledge to frequently win them.

“Double or Nothing” games are invariably played ultra-tight at the start. Players are very cautious about committing too much too early, and often you find that it is a very slow game to begin with, until the higher blind levels are reached. You may even find a number of players sitting out during the early stages of a game, but this can be counterproductive and is not recommended as you may miss some very good hands and opportunities. It also allows other players in good position to steal your blinds, and when you do join the game, you are handicapped by a lower chip stack.

The most successful way approach these games, is to play even tighter than you feel is necessary and get into a good position by stealing a few blinds, winning a few small hands and knowing when to fold – particularly if players close to elimination start to risk all when they have nothing to lose. As tempting as it may be to speed up the conclusion to the game, you should not match their bets without a very good hand, as losing at this time will weaken your position and strengthen theirs. Your focus does not need to be on winning, just remaining in the top half of players, and if you are a fair poker player, you should be able to do that provided you apply a little discipline. If you have worked your way into a good position early on in the game, you should not find yourself needing to take chances late on, and assure yourself of one of the top five places.

The basis of success in any ultra-tight game is to play only the very best hands, and this means that you should not be involved very much in a “DoN” game, allowing you to play several tables at once, win small amounts frequently and generate a larger amount of rakeback.

Double or Nothing Sit ´n´ Gos are still relatively new and therefore there are many players trying them out who are unfamiliar with an ultra-tight table. If you find these players within your game, you should take advantage of their inexperience to guide yourself into a “safe” position at their expense. Players who perform consistently well in DoNs also succeed in Multi-Table Tournaments and, if you relish further challenges of this nature, you may want to consider the latest 6 handed variant of the game – Triple or Nothing!