Learn Texas Holdem

It is often tricky to figure out how to play a draw, but the sit-and-go presents some specific challenges with regard to this type of play. How you will play a draw, or if you will play one at all, will depend on the strength of the draw, your position in the hand, and the size of the blinds.

Draws Early in a Sit-and-Go

Early in a sit-and-go you should generally be avoiding drawing situations. Hands like suited connectors should be played rarely in the early stages, when chips are at a premium. Even draws like KJ suited should not be played for a raise out of position. If you flop a strong draw, you should usually try to see if you can hit your draw cheaply, rather than semi-bluff. A semi-bluff in a sit-and-go will often mean committing all your chips, something you don't want to do early in a sit-and-go.

Draws in the Middle Level of a Sit-and-Go

Here is where you may want to experiment with draws. If you have one of the larger stacks, this can be a good time to play aggressively, which can mean betting and raising with drawing hands. Opponents with shorter stacks will be starting to think about how they can make the money, and are less likely to want to challenge a stack that can eliminate or cripple them. Just as in the early going, you want a strong draw. Instead of semi-bluffing with the 9 high flush draw, try to wait for the K or A high flush draw.

Draws Late in a Sit-and-Go

How you play draws late in a sit-and-go will depend largely on your position. If you are a middle stack, you should generally stay away. You will be tempted to commit many chips and if you don't hit, you may be eliminated or crippled when there are other short stacks that would have been feeling the pressure had you not made your move. Even if you've committed some chips on the flop and you miss on the turn, it's okay to abandon the hand to a bet if you can leave yourself with more chips than the stack or stacks that are in danger of being bubbled.

If you are a short stack, you should adapt your sit-and-go strategy, and probably be looking to move your chips in pre-flop so draws should not be an issue. If you happen to flop a draw because, for example, you got a free look in the big blind, this is a good time to move in and hope you win the pot uncontested or hit your draw to double up if you are challenged.