Secrets of Sit'n'Gos: Winning Strategies for Single-table Poker Tournaments illustrated edition

"Secrets of Sit'n'gos" is the ultimate guide to one of the most popular forms of poker. Sit'n'go tournaments are single table events usually starting with nine or ten players and paying prizes for the top three finishers. All serious poker websites and casinos offer Sit'n'gos - a fun and profitable way to get started in poker without having to risk a lot of money or make many difficult decisions.This book will teach you everything you need to know whether you are a beginner or an experienced poker player, including: how to go from being a novice to a winner using basic all-in or fold strategies; how to apply more advanced Sit'n'go concepts such as ICM to become an expert player; how to use computer programs effectively in making critical decisions; how to play optimally when heads-up (one-on-one) with high blinds; and, how to buiild a $200 bankroll to $100,000 in one year purely in Sit'n'go events. Phil Shaw will guide you through the early, middle and late stages of play, with clear explanations of the strategies required for success at each. Phil Shaw is a hi-stakes poker player who has played all levels of Sit'n'go tournaments successfully, including high stakes games with a buy-in of $5,000. He's a regular contributor to "Inside Poker" and "Poker Player" magazines and is an instructor in Sit'n'go play and mixed games for CardRunners.com.

You must read this before you play another sitngo.'Dave Woods, Editor, Poker Player Magazine'Essential reading for any serious sitngo player.'Rick Dacey, Dennis Publishing

Introduction		13	(1)
What is a sitngo?		13	(1)
Why play sitngos?		14	(1)
How much money can I expect to make?		14	(2)
Pre-Game Strategies		16	(8)
Prepare yourself		16	(1)
Game selection		16	(1)
Assessing your opponents		17	(1)
Structure implications		18	(3)
Turbo vs. standard speed sitngos		21	(1)
How much should you expect to pay in entry fees?		22	(1)
A note on multi-tabling sitngos		23	(1)
Other Considerations		24	(8)
Introducing position		24	(1)
Introducing hand ranges		25	(1)
Introducing EV (Expected Value)		26	(1)
Introducing ICM (the Independent Chip Model)		26	(5)
Harnessing the power of ICM		31	(1)
The Early Game		32	(19)
Introducing the early game		32	(1)
How well do you 'play poker'?		32	(1)
Playable hands in the early game		33	(4)
What type of game are you in?		37	(2)
Limping vs. raising		39	(1)
Playing in the blinds		40	(1)
Calling raises, reraising and moving all-in		41	(1)
ICM considerations for early game play		42	(3)
How your strategy changes as your chip stack increases		45	(1)
How your strategy changes if your chip stack decreases		45	(1)
Thoughts on tight vs. loose play in the early game		46	(1)
Postflop play in the early stages of sitngos		47	(4)
The Middle Game		51	(8)
Introducing the middle game		51	(1)
Introducing effective stack sizes		51	(1)
How preflop hand selection alters as your stack size diminishes		52	(1)
A note on blind stealing in sitngos		53	(1)
A note on the size of your opening raise as the blinds increase		53	(1)
Reraising and flat calling a raise in the middle game		54	(2)
Being reraised		56	(1)
ICM considerations for middle game play		56	(1)
Defending the blinds		57	(2)
The Late Game		59	(12)
Introducing the late game		59	(1)
The all-in zone		59	(2)
Playable hands in the late game		61	(4)
Assigning hand ranges to all-in players		65	(2)
Playing against limpers and limping with high blinds		67	(1)
ICM considerations for late game play		68	(1)
A note on antes		69	(2)
The Bubble		71	(42)
Introducing the bubble		72	(1)
The sitngo player's dilemma - hang on for third or play to win?		72	(1)
ICM considerations for bubble play		72	(2)
Moving all-in on the bubble		74	(2)
A note on assuming optimal opposition, and accounting for suboptimal opposition		76	(1)
Assessing stack sizes, blind structures and seating positions		76	(1)
When all stacks are similar in size		77	(2)
When you have a dominating stack		79	(2)
When one of your opponents has a dominating stack		81	(1)
When you have a short stack or micro-stack		82	(1)
Attacking your nearest rivals		83	(27)
Making your own assessments of non-standard sitngo structures		110	(1)
When a level is determined by number of hands rather than time		111	(1)
A note on button movement when a player is eliminated		111	(2)
Miscellaneous Topics		113	(16)
The limitations of ICM		113	(4)
Other ICM considerations		117	(1)
Sitngo tools and resources		118	(2)
Bankroll considerations based on ROI and variance		120	(4)
Moving up!		124	(1)
From $200 to $100,000 in one year (and 5000 sitngos)		125	(3)
The future of sitngos		128	(1)
Sitngo Quizzes		129	(88)
Introducing the quiz section		129	(1)
The early game		130	(21)
The middle game		151	(16)
The late game		167	(12)
The bubble		179	(21)
In the money (playing three-handed)		200	(6)
Heads-up (one-on-one)		206	(11)
Non-standard sitngos		217

Phil Shaw is a hi-stakes poker player who has played all levels of Sit'n'go tournaments successfully, including high stakes games with a buy-in of $5,000. He's a regular contributor to Inside Poker and Poker Player magazines and is an instructor in Sit'n'go play and mixed games for CardRunners.com