SNG Strategy - 10 Early Game Tells

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

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

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

- Check-Raises: Keep an eye 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 take free cards in some situations and these players will most likely help you create a big pot too! Check-raisers are used to playing backwards, so expect more late game bluffs too.

- Unusual Bet Sizes Early / Mid Game: Note players who make 4x or bigger open raises, this is the mark of an inexperienced online player or can be a hint that they have a hand they don't 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 a lot of limping into the pot. These players are unlikely to be carrying out 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 people who play hardly any hands for the first few levels, they can easily be good players having a 'Pushbot' kind of strategy.

- Shows: Each time 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 definitely 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 also have seen enough of pokers variations that they do not have to show you their cards.

- Bluffing Dry Side Pots: Most players in SNGs will check a hand down each time a player is all-in. Those that 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 take a note that will help you put this player on a better array of hands the next time around.

- Bubble Raise / Folds: When you see a player with 12 blinds or less raise 3x and 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 cannot really understand pot-odds! ).

- Push-Bots: This term refers to players who are pushing all-in at nearly every opportunity, frequently good players! You can assign these types a huge range, though you know you still cannot call without a premium hand, right!