In the online poker world, there is no more popular form of the tournament that single-table no-limit hold ‘em tournaments. These “sit and go” (or SNG) tournaments are everywhere and they offer such a variety of buy-ins that there’s a game for every no limit player out there.

We’re going to assume that you’re playing at ten-handed tournaments with a payout structure of 50% to first pace, 30% to second, and 20% to third place. If you’re playing at a winner-takes-all SNG, then you’re going to need to play much more aggressively than what this article suggests.

At the beginning of any SNG tournament, you should be much more willing to see a flop and you can limp into the games with hands that are normally considered not worth the time, such as 33. You should, of course, raise when you hold very strong hands (KK, AA) but check to see flops if you’re holding something like J10. In tournaments with lower buy-ins, there’s a lot of bad players that you can pummel with this strategy and push with a strong hand.

The pots are going to go up and thus your play should tighten preflop. Toss away that 44 or 67 suited and focus more on stealing blinds and taking out other players with the cards you’re actually holding. Outside of a very few circumstances at the table, you should raise if you are the first to enter to pot after the blinds. One of these circumstances if you’re holding pocket rockets: you may want to lull the other players into a sense of complacency before using your AA to take them down.

Later in the tournament, most of the action will occur preflop. if you’re short-stacked, you’re going to need to get more aggressive and aim for blinds whenever possible. That’s the only way you can build your chip stack effectively and start preparing yourself for actual confrontation. Your goal should always be to win, not place, so once you’ve shored your chips up and are ready to take on the leaders, go for it!

Hopefully, these tips are going to help you pay better poker at SNGs. There’s a reason they’re so popular among pros and amateurs alike, and mastering them can prepare you for bigger events that can really pay off.