SNG
TournamentAliases: SNG, Sit and Go, 单桌赛, 单桌锦标赛
An SNG is a small tournament that starts as soon as enough players are seated, usually 9-10 or 6 players. One of the fastest paths for learning ICM.
An SNG (Sit and Go) is a small tournament that starts as soon as a fixed number of players sit down. Common formats: 9-10 player single-table, 6-player single-table, or 18-180 player multi-table SNGs.
Detailed Explanation
Core differences between SNG and MTT:
| Dimension | SNG | MTT |
|---|---|---|
| Start time | When seats fill (no fixed time) | Scheduled start time |
| Players | Few (9-180) | Many (dozens to thousands) |
| Duration | 1-2 hours | 4-12 hours |
| Prize structure | Flat (typical 50/30/20) | Top-heavy (1st takes a large share) |
| Variance | Medium | High |
| ICM learning | Very strong | Strong but slower in sample |
The classic 9-player SNG with 50/30/20 means making the top 3 pays. That makes the bubble (4 players left) a natural ICM-training scenario — you practice bubble decisions repeatedly across events.
SNG strategic phases:
- Early 9-handed: conservative, avoid big variance — wait for blinds to rise and opponents to make mistakes
- Mid 5-6 handed: blinds up, medium stacks — windows for stealing blinds and isolating limpers
- Bubble (4-handed): maximum ICM pressure — short stacks push/fold, big stacks attack medium stacks
- In the money (3-handed): cashes are locked, play closer to chipEV
- Heads-up final: heads-up skill decides 1st vs 2nd
SNG bankroll management: 50-100 buy-ins to start; aggressive players can go to 30 with higher bust risk.
Common Use Cases
- Beginner tournament training: low buy-in, fast pace, dense ICM practice
- Push/fold training: short-stack phases repeat, ideal for applying Nash charts
- Fast experience accumulation: 1 hour per event, 10 events = 10 complete tournament arcs
- Transitioning to MTT: after SNG fluency, MTT logic is the same with more metagame layers