SNG Strategy - 10 Early Game Tells

1-table tournaments are hugely popular on the web, and involve some significant strategy adjustments in comparison with a standard poker money game. With the later stages, and specially the 'bubble' (when only 1 more player needs to bust prior to the paying places) so important, it is key that you predict how different players will react during this stage of the game.

Below is a list of 10 vital things to look out for during the early stages, when chips are plentiful and the pressure low - along with what these signs can tell you about a particular players late game and bubble strategy.

- Early Game: Take note of any hands which players call raises with, this is an enormous clue regarding kind of hand they will appear with down the road at the bubble.

- Check-Raises: Look out for check-raisers, some players use this more often than not when out of position and others check and then fold. Exploiting a serial check-raiser is very easy, you get to simply take free cards in some situations and these players will often help you build a big pot too! Check-raisers are used to playing backwards, so expect more late game bluffs too.

- Unusual Bet Sizes Early / Mid game capsa susun: Note players who make 4x or bigger open raises, this is often the mark of an inexperienced on line player or can be a hint that they have a hand they cannot really want to view a flop with, such as a mid-pair. Inexperienced opponents tend to call 'light' at the bubble.

- Open Limpers: Again, inexperience often leads to too much limping into the pot. These players are unlikely to be following a tight-early / push late strategy and can make classic bubble errors. Watch for players who frequently raise then suddenly limp-in, this is often a big hand.

- Super-Tight Players: Make a note of those that play hardly any hands for the first few levels, they can easily be good players having a 'Pushbot' form of strategy.

- Shows: Whenever a player gets a walk in the big blind and shows his trash hand, bets and then shows a bluff or shows a strong hand after everybody folds the turn - you should absolutely make an email. Again there exists a high likelihood that this player is inexperienced, especially showing rags in the blind and revealing bluffs. Experienced grinders know that SNGs are too short for such non-sense and have seen enough of pokers variations that they do not need to show you their cards.

- Bluffing Dry Side Pots: Most players in SNGs will check a hand down whenever a player is all-in. People who bet when there is no second pot to win (only the one that the all-in player can win) and then show a weak holding usually are inexperienced... provisionally assign them the 'Push too tight, call too light' bubble ranges.

- Bubble Calls, Hopefully this one is obvious, when you see a call at the bubble which looks 'light' immediately have a note that will help you put this player on a better range of hands the next time around.

- Bubble Raise / Folds: When you see a player with 12 blinds or less raise 3x after which fold to a re-raise you can be pretty certain they don't understand the details of prize-pool equity (based on the fact that they don't really understand pot-odds! ).

- Push-Bots: This term refers to players who are pushing all-in at almost every opportunity, often good players! You can assign these types a massive range, however, you know you still can not call without a premium hand, right!