Where To Play Sit& Go Tournaments - Part 1 - The Expert View

I played in my first Sit 'N Go Tournament in 2001. Back then I played all my poker at Paradise Poker and although the Sit&Go tournaments that I entered were small: $10 and $20, I found them tough to beat. I had very little knowledge of poker in terms of theory or strategy, and my heart would start pounding every time I went up a level. Playing a $50 Sit And Go at Paradise was a major event, and when I took   third and doubled my money it was nothing short of exhilarating. I still feel that Paradise Poker is a very good room for a novice to learn the ropes of tournament poker. There are good players swimming around but more than enough fish to make it worthwhile, at least at the lower stakes levels.

I then moved on to Poker Stars where the standard of play is generally far higher, and the games are tough to beat unless you are a very strong player. I would recommend my poker journey to any aspiring player simply because I now make a healthy amount of money from Sit&Go tournaments and obviously experienced enough along the way to get to this point. However, it is also difficult for me to recommend poker rooms where I did not do well - Poker Stars is one of those rooms. My advice is to go there armed with a lot of poker knowledge and skill, and to tackle their big money tournaments. It is simply too difficult to make a daily living there playing Sit 'N Go's. It can be done, but if you have that amount of discipline and knowledge why not go elsewhere and make twice as much money playing the same poker?

The first poker network where I enjoyed a lot of financial success and which I would recommend to all intermediate players is the Cryptologic Poker Network. The poker rooms that use this software include Sun Poker. This is an online poker room where some knowledge goes a long way, and where good players can really thrive. I played at limits ranging from $20 to $400 here at both Sit & Go and Multi-Table tournaments, and won regularly. The software is basic and spare, the players are mostly European (it seems to me), and the potential for profit is great.

Once I found my feet and knew that I could make a consistent income from Sit And Go tournaments I started to play at PokerRoom.com. They have an incredible number of these tournaments, and their blind structure and time levels make it very appealing for players who know what they are doing. You cannot eradicate luck from poker but you can minimize the role it plays, and Pokerroom's sit&go's give highly skilled players the greatest opportunity to win. Their multi-table tournaments tend to be a little manic and unpredictable but their high-stakes ($100 - $500) sit and go tournaments are very fair and represent a great opportunity for strong players.

I have not shown a profit at every poker room, nor did I start out winning at online poker. It has been a process for me, and one that is still ongoing. I have enjoyed a measure of success and that I owe to sit & go tournaments (my bread and butter). My favorite rooms might well not suit you or your style of play. Lately I have played at Full Tilt Poker, Prima Poker Network (like Wild Jack Poker), and Doyle's Room, and done fairly well at all three. But for me on a personal note I still prefer multi-table tournaments on the Cryptologic Network and single table events at Pokerroom.com. You have to find a spot where you can relax and bring your best game, and it also helps to bump into old foes that you recognize.

Beyond all that the key to Sit And Go's is the experience you gather playing these tournaments. When the time comes to play in live-game tournaments against professionals for a lot of money you will be amazed that the lessons learned in S&G's apply at the highest level, and that's the best reason of all to play in as many of them at as many rooms as you can!

The novice view from Ryan to follow shortly.