The sit-n-go or single table tournament has fast become one of the most popular poker formats.  Games are constantly available online and are being increasingly offered at many brick and mortar poker rooms. Although many people play these games, they are often unaware of the impact of the structures and have misconceptions about the attainable long term results.

Players often have a lot of trouble trying to gauge how well they are performing. It can be very difficult to interpret results due to the many inevitable streaks and swings that come within poker. It’s also incredibly hard to know how you stack up with the competition. Are you a terrible player? Average? One of the best?

The reason many players have no idea how well they are doing is simple. They do not accurately keep records. Even when players do document their results, many of them do not know how to use the information correctly.

There are several important numbers you can track in order to help you assess your poker Sit’n’go performance.

Place Finished
The position you finish in the SNG tournament is important because it can help you to analyse and adjust your game. The information can be very telling. How often do you finish 7th through 10th? This may indicate that you get involved in too many marginal situations early. How often do you bubble (4th place)?  You are probably playing way too tight, trying to squeak into the money.

ITM – In The Money
ITM is percentage of games played in which that player won a prize and cashed. This can be calculated by taking the number of times a player finished in the money and dividing it by the total number of games played.

Tracking ITM allows players to see how frequently they are cashing and can act as a gauge for comparison. An ITM of 40% is considered good. An ITM of 45% or more would be considered great!

ROI – Return on Investment
ROI is the percentage of profit a player makes per tournament. Every time players put up money to enter a tournament, they are making an investment. The money they make, subtracted from the initial investment, is profit.  ROI can be calculated by taking the total profit and dividing it by the total amount paid to enter all tournaments.

For example, consider a player who entered 200 $20 9-player SNGs and had the following results:

This player paid $4400 to enter tournaments and won $4860 for a profit of $460. The player made $460 by investing $4400 for a return on investment of 10.5%.

A ROI of 7% would be considered good. A ROI of 10% or more would be considered great. A players’ ROI decreases as he increases the stakes he plays. For example, a very good player may be able to sustain a 15% ROI at the $10 level, but almost certainly couldn’t come close to that long term at the $100+ level. AT higher stakes, an ROI of 5% would be considered good and 7% or above would be considered outstanding.

To honestly gauge a player’s poker skill at a given level and in order for the statistics to be relevant, a large number of SNG results are needed. A minimum of 200 tournaments is necessary before stats become meaningful. A player’s stats will become increasingly more accurate the more SNGs he plays.

Not all SNGs are Created Equal
There are several factors that effect SNG playability. Both the payout structure and the amount taken as a fee can have a significant impact on your results.

The Prize Structure
The standard payout for a SNG is the top three spots. First place typically gets 50% of the prize pool, with the second place getting 30% and third receiving 20%. However, some tournaments only pay two spots or are “winner takes all”. These obviously result in fewer ITM finishes as well as much larger bankroll swings. The fewer places paid, the more likely you are to experience long dry spells without cashing.

The Rake
The standard fee to play in a SNG is 10% on top of the cost of entry. For example, a $50 tournament will generally have a $5 fee, As you move up stakes, the fees often drop. It is common online to see $100+$9 and $200+$15.

Some poker rooms (casinos) charge enormous fees for single table tournaments. Fees above 10% cut into your profitability. This can actually make many live SNGs unprofitable in the long term, even for top players.

Understanding the numbers behind your play can be instrumental to your development. Remember, it’s important to get lots of practice, but it’s just as important to work on your game away from the felt.

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