As a poker player, it’s important to choose the stakes you play every carefully – especially in sit and go’s. Failure to find the proper limits will either cut into your profit margins or leave you losing money against superior players. That being said, let’s take a quick look at how you can find the right stakes for the sit and go tournaments you play.
Expected Winnings
Expected winnings is as simple as it sounds: how often do you expect to win or place in the money? If you expect to finish in the money in nearly every sit and go you play, then you should move up a limit. If you only place in the money in 2 out of every 10 sit and go’s you play, then this is probably too high of a limit. A good goal to shoot for with expected winnings is to be paid in 4 out of every 10 SNG’s you play.
Payouts
In addition to looking at expected winnings, you also need to determine what your average payout will be. For instance, if you’re placing in the top three in 40% of the $5 + $0.50 sit and go’s you play, you would probably be winning between $60 and $70 for every 10 SNG’s. Since the total cost of ten sit and go’s would be $55, you would easily be beating the stakes you are playing. Make sure that your profit is exceeding the amount of money you’re paying in buy-ins before moving up.
Bankroll
Tournaments offer inconsistent results so it’s hard to predict when your next payout is coming. You get your average from a range of tourneys so even a player who cashes in 40% or more of their SNG’s will go for 10 tournaments without cashing. That’s why your bankroll needs to be big enough to allow for 50 or more buy-ins at the limit you’re playing. So for the $5 + $0.50 sit and go player, your bankroll needs to be at least $225.
