PokerStars Steps SNG Strategy
PokerStars Step SNGs are sit and go tournaments that are sort of like miniature satellite tournaments. In a step SNG, you begin by playing in an inexpensive SNG in which the top 2 or 3 prizes are free entries to the next level up. A typical step tournament looks something like this:
1st and 2nd Place: Free entry to next level
3rd and 4th Place: Stay at the same level
5th and 6th Place: Move down a level
7th and lower: Knocked out
The “move down a level” option is only available after reaching a step higher than Step 1. Keep in mind that not every step tournament uses this exact payout structure. You’ll see all kinds of variations for different series of step tournaments.
If you manage to win your way up to the last step, the final tournament will be free but it will offer prizes worth thousands of dollars. Many times the final stages in PokerStars step SNGs give away major prize packages to live events around the world.
How to Win Step SNGs
The biggest difference between step SNGs and normal SNGs is that steps are played like satellite tournaments. In tournaments in which only the top 2 people advance, there’s no difference between finishing in first place or second place. Because of that, your strategy will veer slightly towards survival near the end stages of the tournament.
The early stages of a step SNG should be played in the same manner as any other single table tournament. Even though the blinds are small, you should only play premium hands during the early stages of a step SNG. The stack sizes aren’t big enough to make it worth playing marginal hands in the hopes of getting lucky.
As the tournament progresses, you will need to increase the aggression and start stealing chips. When the blinds get to about 50/100 or so, they become worth stealing. At this point, you will want to focus on finding opportunities to add to your chip stack by stealing chips. Look for the tightest players and steal their blinds as often as you can.
Near the late stages of the tournament, your strategy will change based on your chip count. If you have a large chip stack, you can slow down a bit and coast in to the top two places. Be careful, though, because the binds will keep increasing and you don’t want to be caught off guard.
Many times you’ll enter the late stages of the tournament with an average or small stack size. In that case, you will need to really increase the aggression and add to your chip stack. The bubble presents a great opportunity to add to your chip stack because the players will be tightening up and hoping to coast in without risking any more chips.
Once you get your chip stack up to a large enough size to be able to coast into one of the final two places, you can slow things down. Unlike traditional SNGs, you don’t need to take first place in step SNGs. The prize is the same for first, second and sometimes even third place. Instead of constantly adding chips, you can now get away with just maintaining your chip stack.
About the Bubble
In step SNGs, you need to be constantly aware of your stack size, the stack sizes of your opponents and the payout structure. Take all those things into consideration as the tournament progresses. Remember also that a big chip stack doesn’t guarantee anything. Sure, you can slow down and avoid risky situations but don’t forget that the blinds will continually increase and the average stack size will increase as the players knock each other out.
