Online poker has been around for a long time, and when playing you have lots of games to choose from. This abundance of options might make it hard for you to decide which poker game to go for.
Best Sit N Go Poker Sites
- Ignition Poker – Claim Bonus
- Bovada Poker – Claim Bonus
- BetOnline Poker – Claim Bonus
- Americas Cardroom – Claim Bonus
- Intertops Poker – Claim Bonus
This is especially true if you are new to the game. Well, if that’s the case, you might want to try out sit n go poker aka SNG’s as they are also called. Sit n go’s are poker tournaments that start only when a specific preset number of players are present. SNGs vary widely in the number of players, blind level duration, bonus distribution, buy-in amounts, and more.
When online poker exploded in the early 2000s, it became an essential part of the poker industry. SNG tournaments are sometimes played in live arenas, most notably at the WSOP. Since waiting for a scheduled match to start can be a hassle, the online site featured SNG as the perfect choice, and the SNG grinder was born.
Different Types of Formats – 2 / 6 / 9 Person
In theory, SNG poker tournaments are not limited by the number of players. Since it is a tournament with no fixed start time, it will start when needed players join. But, even on the most famous and most significant sites, the limitless number of player formats won’t work. Instead, online SNGs are best suited for tables with a maximum of 45 players. With that said, let’s look at some of the more popular SNG formats available for you to play.
2 Players: These are heads-up SNGs, where one player wins the prize. This is a popular niche, and many players work exclusively as HUSNG experts. Some of the biggest buy-ins only apply to these games. They can also be quite profitable if you are an agressive player.
6 Max SNGs: Standard format is to pay for two seats, 65%/35% or 70%/30%. You can find these on just about every website, and they’re widespread across a range of buy-ins. They are extremely fun and also profitable once you have the right strategy in place.
9 Players: This is the standard for three places to pay 50%/30%/20% of the prize pool. These are expected to be the busiest games on almost any online poker site. The only downside to this format is that they can take awhile to finish. You might want to multi table this format if you give them a go.
Now that you have a solid idea of SNG poker, let’s explore the top 5 poker sites to play sit n go poker right now.
1. Ignition Poker
Ignition Poker is one of the newest poker rooms in the United States, opening in 2016, offering various options for actual poker players. The site is part of Paiwangluo Network, an independent ecosystem previously operated under the Bodog brand. Ignition Poker is exclusively for US players and is active in almost every state in the US.
Some states are exceptions because Ignition complies with local regulations and is unavailable in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Nevada players. These limitations haven’t stopped Ignition from climbing to the top of US player traffic, where it currently holds the No. 1 spot in terms of total players.
The stakes for sit n go’s start at $1 and go up to $200. You can enjoy heads-up, six-handed, and nine-max sit-n-go poker tournaments. Omaha Hi and Omaha Hi-Lo are offered up to $100. They also offer sit-and-go satellites which allow you to win entry to big multi-table tournaments especially when major tourney series are scheduled to run, such as the Super Millions Poker Open which is a newly branded series they released in the last couple of years.
You can also try Double-Up events, which is what Ignition calls Double or Nothing SNGs. You’ll also encounter Triple-Ups, which pay out triple the buyin to one-third of the field, but they don’t feature reduced fees. Ignition provides. Bottom line is their is a lot of good stuff to check out. You can get started on Ignition Poker here.
Pros
- America’s Highest Poker Traffic
- Responsive mobile Android and iOS software
- US players get a 150% deposit bonus of up to $1,500
- Web-based poker software for instant play
- Accepts cryptocurrencies and FIAT banking methods
- Awesome mobile software
- 4 tables at a time on mobile
- Some of the Fastest Bitcoin Withdrawals
- 24/7 customer support
- Many similar players to play against
Cons
- Rewards program could be better
- USA & Australia players only
- Limited to 4 tables at a time
2. Bovada Poker
Bovada has been present in the gaming industry for a long time. It was established in late 2011 when the Bodog brand exited the US market. Morris Mohawk Gaming Group spun off from Bodog and formed Bovada. Combining its history with the Bodog brand, Bovada has over ten years of experience serving players with excellence. Over the last decade, Bovada has made its reputation through exceptional customer service and consistent player payouts. While initially licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission awhile back, Bovada later shifted its jurisdiction to Curacao eGaming, maintaining its position as a leading name in American online poker.
Similar to Ignition the stakes for sit n go’s start at $1 and go up to $200. You can try heads-up, six-handed, and nine-max sit-n-go poker tournaments. Omaha Hi and Omaha Hi-Lo are offered as well. They also offer sit-and-go satellites which allow you to win entry to big multi-table tournaments especially when major tourney series are scheduled to run, such as the Super Millions Poker Open which is a newly branded series they released in the last couple of years.
You can also try Double-Up events, which is what Bovada calls Double or Nothing SNGs. You’ll also encounter Triple-Ups, which pay out triple the buyin to one-third of the field, but they don’t feature reduced fees. You can get started on Bovada Poker here.
Pros
- Sleek, clean look with the feel of a Las Vegas poker room
- Just click and drag to resize the table
- Accepts all types of cryptocurrencies
- Fast cash out and withdrawal options
- Easy access to account management, poker credit balances, and hand history
- Available in 4-color decks and other customizable options
- User-friendly interface, effective lobby filters, gaming tables, and betting options
Cons
- Player tracking software is limited
- USA players only
- Rewards program could be better
- Limited to 4 tables at a time
3. BetOnline Poker
BetOnline Poker is an online poker site whose gaming platform uses Connective Games software. It is primarily a sports betting site, but many players try poker tournaments and cash games. BetOnline Poker has many soft players because it is associated with sportsbooks, live dealer casinos, and bingo sites. They also have a great mobile poker app for playing games on the go.
The sit n go selection on here is also diverse. While the traffic for playing sit n go’s will be a little bit less than on our first two choices the competition on here is overall very fishy. The most traffic sit n go for BetOnline tends to be either the 6 person or heads up formats. The good news is both of these are extremely profitable if your a sit n go grinder. You can also check out some big multi table tournaments as well. You can get started on BetOnline Poker here.
Pros
- Many soft players
- Accepts cryptocurrencies for payment
- Great rewards program for players
- Fast cash outs and withdrawal options
- Access to other adjacent sportsbooks
- Mobile app is sleek and works great
- Large withdrawals allowed
- Offers welcome bonus up to $1000
- Strong cryptocurrency support
Cons
- Customer service needs improvement
- Traffic could be better
4. America’s Cardroom
Due to their commitment to giving poker experiences that all players enjoy, America’s Cardroom listens to feedback. It regularly adds new features to its software to create an experience that players worldwide love. They host what are called On Demand tournaments, which start when a specified number of people register, like many other sit-n-go, but they then allow more entrants to join, like a multi-table tournament. The poker site sometimes runs SNG step tournaments to award seats into major live events in different places throughout the world. Most notably the WSOP. They even one of the biggest online poker tournaments in the world the Venom which currently has a prize pool of over 10 million dollars. You can get started on Americas Cardroom here.
Pros
- US-focused global supplier
- Some of the biggest tournaments in the world
- Accepts players worldwide
- Fast cash out and withdrawal options
- Awesome mobile app for multi tabling
- Up to a $1,000 Welcome Bonus for Poker Players
- Various poker games and variations to try
- 60+ cryptocurrencies and traditional payment methods
- Fast Payouts and withdrawals
Cons
- Some concerns about robots
- No mobile app is available
- Rewards program could be better
5. Intertops Poker
Intertops Poker is a huge US online poker site for a vibrant community of aspiring players. The site has been online since 1996 and has helped advance online poker as part of the Horizon Poker Network. The only downside is traffic for playing on here can be low at times. Peak traffic for playing sit n go’s will be on late night and weekends. You can get started on Intertops Poker here.
Pros
- Offers extensive deposit/withdrawal options
- Large GTD prize pool in tournaments
- Mobile software runs and works good
- Avatar options available
- The optimized version of the instant game works well on mobile devices
Cons
- Withdrawals are sometimes slower than usual due to good KYC
- Lower traffic compared to other options
- Rewards program could be better
- Limited multi table tournaments
Different Types of Sit N Go’s
Shootouts
Shootouts are larger-scale tournaments involving multiple tables. Each table plays down one winner, and then the winner of each table goes head-to-head to determine who is the best player. Shootouts can be fun and exciting because these tournaments involve a process of elimination, and there is only one winner. So you don’t have to worry about sharing those juicy payouts.
Single Table
A single table sit n go can be anywhere from 6 to 10 players. Some of the smaller single tables will have only two players as the absolute minimum number, and this is referred to as a heads-up sit and go. These are also the most popular of the sit and go poker formats. These types of tournaments can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to complete and can begin within a matter of minutes. This is one of my favorite types of sit n go’s.
Multi-Table
Multi table tournaments offer higher payouts, but also have a lot more variance. . Like a single table sit and go, these games do not have an official start time but begin once the fixed number of entrants is met. In terms of online sit and go poker strategy and set up, multi-table sit and gos are extremely similar to big guaranteed multi table tournaments but with far less players. Online sit and go poker tournaments that follow this multi-table format will typically see a fixed number of players – with 18 to 36 players.
Satellites
Satellites allow you to buy in cheaply to get a seat to a larger payout tournament. These are mainly used for winning free tickets, but almost always cost real money to buy into. So, basically these sit and go online poker tournaments are ones where the winners can earn an entry in larger online or in-person tournaments. The buy-ins for these tournaments are pooled amongst the players. Any cash that remains at the end of the session is typically awarded to the next place position or positions.
Turbo Sit N Go’s
Turbo Sit n Go’s are now the most common type you’ll find on most sites. They feature faster blind levels – around 5 minutes between increases – and sometimes shorter starting stacks as well. A full ring Turbo might take 45 minutes from start to finish which is still pretty long. The faster the tournament, the more variance you will experience – but the more tournaments you can play per hour. This means that you can make more money per hour even though your return-on-investment (ROI) is lower. ROI is calculated by your total profit divided by your total buy-ins and is the standard measure of tournament win rate.
Double or Nothing
Standard sit n go formats have an even number of players like 6 or 10. However, the game is over once half of the players have been knocked out. The remaining players win double the amount of their buy-in. Which is actually pretty cool because it gives you more of a chance of winning. The only downside is that you will make far less money playing them unless your putting in some serious volume. Bottom line is they can be fun to add in the mix.
Benefits of Poker Sit and Go (SNGs)
There are a lot of benefits that accrue to Poker SNGs that give them an edge over the typical styles of poker games and tournaments. So, if you are pondering why you should give SNGs a shot, below are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy from playing them.
- They develop well-rounded poker players because they embrace so many aspects of poker that SNG players are forced to study how the game changes as the situation changes.
- Sit & Go is more convenient than traditional tournaments. No need to schedule your game to a specific time. All you need to do is join the game in your free time. As the name implies, you sit and have a go at the game. If you get eliminated from a tournament, you can jump straight to another. Or, if you prefer, you can Sit & Go on multiple tables, which is not possible with traditional tournaments unless you play with different stakes simultaneously.
- Single table SNGs are also much faster – you don’t have to spend 6 hours on your computer like you would with a traditional big field MTT. That raises your hourly rate and balances the difference – even the best MTT players may go months without a high score.
- They can help build your bankroll in the beginning. This is one of the most important things to understand about sit n go’s and it’s that eventually you will hit a profit cieling. At some point the smartest play to make once your comfortable is to move over to cash games. The profit for playing cash games can easily scale up and making hundreds if not thousands of dollars a day is a reality.
So, you see, many reasons should motivate you to try your hand at SNG pokers. With your knowledge of the benefits, you should also know about the formats these SNG pokers can play.
Final Thoughts
If you were looking for some of the best poker sites for sit n go’s we hope this helps you out. Over the years, poker sites have come up with many variations of sit and go tournaments. Right now you can find multiple table sit and go tournaments, six handed, and even heads up sit n go’s. One of the newer and in recent years has become very popular with a lot of variance is the 180 person sit n go. These tournaments begin as soon as 180 people join and then play just like normal tournaments after that.
While sit n go poker is a fun way to make money and build a bankroll, you should eventually move to cash games if you want to make the big bucks. Because eventually you will inevitably hit a ceiling for how much money you can make. Wherever you decide playing good luck on the virtual felt!
