What do you think of Colin Moshman’s book?

I’ve recently re-read Colin Moshman’s book, Sit 'n Go Strategy (I got me the Paperback edition) and I was reminded how much this little thing helped up my SnG game. Although maybe not the definitive book on Sit N Go, HoH credibly has a case for that, but remains a tossup maybe, Colin’s book covers everything one needs to know when going through basic through intermediate-level SNG play.

I like how Sit 'n Go Strategy is logically divided into progressively more advanced sections, from Low Blind Play, Medium Blind Play, and High Blind Play, and then there’s the chapter on Sit `N Go Career Play. It’s like it’s sucking you in teasing with concepts for each level that makes you want to go and play the level to try out the theories and the examples.

Once I got the book from the store, I tried out the playing using the things Colin illustrated on Low blind play on the micros, and I found I was winning about 3 out of every 6 games – 50% is not bad, not bad at all. That was on small $.50, $1.00 & $2.00 games SnG's. Half a day into reading it and playing with it, it already covered for itself on the price, petrol, and the burger I bought on the way home.

My take is that if anyone is serious about playing SnGs, then this book should be on your bed stand, under your pillow, on your coffee table, in your bag – basically just keep it with your until you are able to master the concepts it has outlined.

Of course, there are other great SnG and other poker books available, like Phil Hellmuth's Texas Holdem and Idiots Guide to Texas Holdem which you should read, but for SnG, if you are already into poker, it’s a great read. It’s a very good book for beginners and has some great content for advanced players too. If you plan on moving to SnGs, then read this first, you won’t be disappointed.

I was already quite deep into SnGs when I first read it and some of the things there I was already doing, but as I read on. Things got more and more interesting and dare I say, valuable. The middle blind play and high blinds play sections were to me the most compelling and where I got the most out of the book.

It’s true that experience is the best teacher in poker, and some would argue that using the price of buying the book could be spent for a buy-in already, to get hands on experience. But it’s been the experience of a lot of playing that reading this book pays off more that what you shell out.

The setmining dilemma in Sit and Go Tournaments

I read that set mining can be really profitable for sngs, but right now, I really don’t think that it is feasible beyond a certain point, or beyond a certain level, or for certain situations. I think that set mining is a good thing to add to the arsenal but might be really a limited weapon you should or can use.

I don’t have any hard and fast rules about when to do set mining, but I do follow some personal guidelines when playing sit and go tournaments. If I get to see the flop free, I sometimes check behind other players. I won’t do set mining if I don’t have at least 40 to 50BB. If I’m under 40BB’s I tend to not do set mining unless it’s the best move. I also choose to set mine more in the micros or in the lower stakes as the potential for losing BR is lower – more psychological as I feel micros are not that big a deal to lose, at least not for a very long downswing, which can add up.

I think that it is horrible to call a raise just to set mine, that’s where I usually draw the line. It might not be horrible during the first 2 levels. Also, if I’m short stacked and I get pocket pairs, I’m shoving. No point in set mining if you have only a handful of BBs left. You’d essentially just be slowly pissing it away.

I don’t know the actual poker math and odds behind it but I know that the odds of hitting a set is somewhere between 7 and 8 percent. Since we hit it one in every seven or eight only, it’s not profitable to put more than maybe 10% of your stack just to set mine. Better to play than set mine.

I think I would be willing to set mine if I think my opponent has a high pocket pair, but makes min bet to entice other players. It’s a good chance people would push their unimproved AK, Ax very hard even if they don’t improve their hand post flop. If I hit my set here at the flop, even low sets can bet a PP A kicker.

Basically, you just have to temper it. Of course, if you get pocket pairs, even low ones, there’s enough of a chance there that set mining for a fair amount of small pairs can be a profitable enterprise. If you fold all of your small pocket pairs 100% of the time, then you’re losing out on potential earnings. The key is knowing the instances when to set-mine.