Best Sit N Go Poker Sites

Sit-and-Go vs. Multi-Table Tournaments

When the online poker snowball really got rolling, a whole new generation of kids was exposed to the game for the first time. These were kids brought up in a high-tech world, where instant gratification reigned king. They didn’t like waiting around, and they certainly couldn’t focus on a single game for an extended period of time.

Sit-and-Go poker sites catered to this impulsivity and fragmented sense of focus. Where MTTs took hours to complete, Sit-and-Gos rarely lasted over a half-hour. Online players found that they could play their A-games more consistently in SnGs than in MTTs, thanks to this shortened game length.

And scheduling? Who needs it! Online players didn’t like to wait for scheduled tournament start times, and Sit-and-Gos addressed that. Where you’d have to build your day around a Multi-Table Tournament you wanted to enter, Sit-and-Go Tournaments were different. You simply registered where there was an open seat, and the game began as soon as it filled up. Brilliant!

Sit-and-Go Tournaments also introduced a new strategic element to the game. In Multi-Table Tournaments, the name of the game is switching gears. Often, players would have to stick to the “waiting around” gear in order to progress through the levels. In Sit-and-Gos, this element of gear-shifting is still present; but the gear shifts happen faster and more often than in MTTs.

Some players have even defined the gears in a SnG mathematically, having developed the Independent Chip Model: a strategy that reduces profitable play down to a set of equations. ICM is still useful in Multi-Table Tournament settings, but only at times; in Sit-and-Go games, it’s the be-all and end-all of strategy.

In sum, Sit-and-Go poker sites became popular by filling a gap in the online poker space. Players wanted quick tournament-style games that were grind-friendly, and they got them in the form of Sit-and-Gos.

Types of Sit-and-Go Games at Poker Sites

It’s not like there’s a single mould from which all Sit-and-Go poker sites create their games. You can apply the Sit-and-Go logic to almost any form of poker, and most sites do.

Further, the Sit-and-Go logic isn’t always the same. SnGs come in all kinds of blind structures, payout structures, and table structures, many of which are unique to specific online poker sites.

There are a few basic variations of the Sit-and-Go that are ubiquitous online. They are:

• The regular single-table Sit-and-Go. These games have seats for 9 or 10 players, depending on the site. You’ll find single-table games spread in most poker variants, including Holdem, Omaha, and Stud. Blind levels generally last 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the site. The top 3 players get paid.
•  The turbo single-table Sit-and-Go. The same as the regular STT SnG, except the blind levels increase faster. Rather than the normal 10 minutes, you’ll find turbo games that increase as quickly as every 3 minutes. The top 3 players get paid, like in non-turbo SnGs.
• The multi-table Sit-and-Go. If you’re looking to practice for MTTs, or simply want to fight for a bigger prize pool, most sites spread multi-table Sit-and-Go games. You’ll find these in mostly 20-player, 50-player, and 180-player forms.
• The jackpot single-table Sit-and-Go. These can be turbo or regular, and generally have the same structure as regular STT SnGs. The difference is that when you play on a jackpot table, you’re eligible to win a site’s Bad Beat Jackpot when you get coolered.
• The heads up Sit-and-Go: Most Sit-and-Go poker sites spread games for mano-a-mano action. Heads up SnGs are popular with micro-limit grinders trying to build a bankroll.
• The 6-max Sit-and-Go: Same rules as any other Sit-and-Go, but with 6 players to start rather than 9 or 10.
• The Double-or-Nothing Sit-and-Go: This structure recently took off, and appeals to the risk-averse. Rather than paying out the top 3 players, a Double-or-Nothing pays out the top 5. If you win, you double your buy-in. If you lose, you lose. Hence the name “Double-or-Nothing”.
• The satellite Sit-and-Go: Satellite games don’t pay out cash. Instead, they offer winners entry to larger-field tournaments where the prizes are bigger. For example many sites run Multi-Table Tournaments where the prize is a seat in the WSOP, and most players satellite into these games via satellite Sit-and-Gos.

The Best Sit-and-Go Poker Sites Online

Here’s a rundown of the best Sit-and-Go poker sites in today’s market. All of these sites offer a wide variety of SnG games, have great software, and maintain a large enough player base to keep things busy.

888 Poker Sit-and-Gos

The software at 888 Poker is superb, and the playing experience is probably the best online. The games are soft, there are enough players to keep the Sit-and-Go games running, and there’s some variety in games spread. Plus, the 888 Poker bonus gives you free cash just to test the site out. (This site does not accept USA players)

Unique offerings include:

• All-In Sit-and-Gos. These are ridiculous, but fun if you’re looking to blow off some steam. Players are required to go all-in every hand, and the winner takes all. It’s pretty much a reduced-risk version of “heads up for rolls”.
• Final Table Simulation Sit-and-Gos. These are great for MTT players who want to practice their final table skills. Each player begins with 40,000 chips, like they would in a moderately-sized MTT event. Blinds begin at 1,000/2,000 with a 200-chip ante.
• Quick One Sit-and-Gos. These are for the super-impatient. Each player begins with 100 chips. The blinds start at 50/100, and increase every 300 minutes.

Party Poker Sit-and-Gos

Party Poker is right up there with 888 Poker in terms of software quality. Games are fast, there are lots of players, and everything is stable. The players are a bit better at Party than at 888, however, so you’d better brush up on your strategy before you sit down! (This site does not accept USA players.)

Features include:

• Standard games with 10-minute levels, “speed” games with 5-minute levels, and turbo games with 3 minute levels. There’s something here for every temperament.
• Steps Sit-and-Gos. The idea is this: you buy-in for a pittance to a lower “step” and win a ticket to a higher step. Then, you repeat the process until you’re at step 6. When you win step 6, you win $2,000. A step 1 buy-in is $3, so theoretically you could win $2,000 while risking only $3. Not bad.
• Lots of qualifiers, if you’re looking to parlay a small investment into an MTT tourney score.

US Poker Rooms with Sit N Go Tournaments (Lock Poker, Bet Online and Bodog Poker) Sit-and-Gos

Sit-and-Go games abound at Lock Poker, BetOnline.com and Bodog. You’ve got all the standard fare here as well as some innovations. The software at these sites is basic in comparison to the rooms above, but does have some cool features: rabbit cam and show-one-card among them. It’s certainly a good choice if you’re looking for a Sit-and-Go poker site.

The offerings are:

• Bounty Sit-and-Gos. A “bounty” is placed on each player’s head. When you eliminate an opponent, you win the bounty. Generally, the bounty is around one half of the tournament buy-in. So if you eliminate two opponents, and then go on to win the tournament, you’re looking at some good money.
• Shootout Sit-and-Gos. These appear mostly as heads up games. A shootout is basically a multi-table tournament made up of single-table games. For example in a four-player heads up shootout, there would be two tables to start. The winner on each table would end up playing each other on a new table. So to win it all, you’d have to actually win two separate matchups. Shootouts are a fun way to test your skill.
• Satellite games for the major daily tournaments. Unlike at other sites, the majority of satellites at Lock Poker are 6-max. That means you’ve got less competition for those valuable tournament seats, making Lock Poker one of the best 6-max poker sites.