SAGE: The Sit and Go Endgame System

How many times have you found yourself heads-up in a sit-n-go? First place pays you 50% of the prize pool while second place leaves you with only 30%. In order to be a winning SNG player, you must make sure that you're winning more than your fair share of heads-up contests. But surely this is not something that can be taught, right? Experience is the best teacher and until you've managed to play a number of heads-up contests, you can't possibly be expected to take home the lion's share of a SNG's prize pool. Right?

Wrong! Experience is a great teacher but won't necessarily translate into a greater return-on-investment on your SNG play. If you want to make more money than the next guy (or gal), you should instead look to the Sit And Go Endgame (SAGE) system.

SAGE is a heads-up strategy developed by Lee Jones (author of Winning Low Limit Hold'em) and James Kittock (a math professor and all-round brainiac). What can SAGE do for you? In a nutshell, SAGE is a solid and unexploitable heads-up strategy that can help you overcome weak and strong players alike in a heads-up, no-limit hold'em situation. What does this mean for you, the lowly sit-n-go player? More money!

In order to use SAGE properly, the following conditions must exist:

1. You are in a heads-up, no-limit hold'em situation.
2. The ratio of the smallest stack size at the table divided by the current big blind is less than ten (10).

For example, if you find yourself heads-up with a stack size of t3000 against your opponent's stack size of t10500 with blinds of t300/t600, welcome to SAGE country! Why? You're current ratio is:

YOUR STACK / BIG BLIND = t3000 / t600 = 5

Ok, so it's time to use SAGE. How does it work?

SAGE works in two steps:

1. You assign a power index (a calculated numeric value) to your current two-card hold'em hand.
2. You compare this numeric value against the SAGE JAM/CALL TABLE (detailed below).

Determing your hand's power index is simple:

1. Assign each of your cards a power number based on the card's rank. For face cards, assign the following power numbers: J = 11, Q = 12, K = 13, and A = 15.
2. Determine the power index of your hand by doubling the power number of the higher ranked card in your hand and adding the power number of the lower ranked card.
3. If you're holding a pocket pair, add 22 to the current power index.
4. If your cards are suited (or s00ted), add 2 to the current power index.

Determining your hand's power index is crucial to using SAGE correctly, so let's go through a few examples.

Example #1: K♣ T♣
First, we assign the power numbers to the cards: K♣ is worth 13 points; T♣ is worth 10 points.
The power index is equal to twice the value of the higher ranked card (2 x K♣ = 2 x 13 = 26) plus the power number assigned to the other card (T♣ = 10 points): so, your power index = 26 + 10 = 36. And since your hand is suited, we add 2 points to the current power index: 36 + 2 = 38.

Example #2: J♥ T♦
Assign the power numbers: J♥ = 11, T♦ = 10. Double the higher ranked card's power number and add both cards power numbers together: power index = 2 x 11 + 10 = 32. Since the cards are neither suited nor paired, the power index remains at 32.

Example #3: A♥ A♠
How good are rockets in terms of the SAGE power index? Each ace is worth 15 points. Double the power number for one of the aces which gives you a power index of 45 (2 x 15 + 15). And now, add 22 points to the power index since you are holding a pocket pair: 45 + 22 = 67! Nice...

Now that you've got your power index, how do you use that information to crush your heads-up opponent? In the table below, there are three columns:

1. Ratio: This is the ratio of the smallest stack at the table against the big blind.
2. Jam: If you're in the small blind, you should Jam (ie. push all-in) with your entire stack when your hand's power index is greater than or equal to the power index listed under the Jam column in the row corresponding to the current Small Stack/Big Blind Ratio.
3. Call: When you're in the big blind, you should call all-in or push all-in when your hand's power index is greater than or equal to the power index listed under the Call column in the row corresponding to the current Small Stack/Big Blind Ratio.

SAGE JAM/CALL TABLE

Ratio	Jam	Call
1	17	(any)
2	21	17
3	22	24
4	23	26
5	24	28
6	25	29
7	26	30

Let's go through some examples just to make sure that we all understand how SAGE works.

Example #4:
Blinds 300/600

HERO (t11000)
SB (t1500)
BB (t1000)
Hero is dealt J♠ 8♠

Answer: Ok, this was a trick question. There are still 3 players left so SAGE does not apply in this situation. Although, for what it's worth, this is an easy push by the Hero.

Example #5:
Blinds 400/800

HERO (t5000)
BB (t8500)
Hero is dealt K♠ 2♦

Answer:
Since Hero is holding the short stack, the ratio is calculated as t5000/t800 = 6. The SAGE JAM/CALL TABLE lists a power index of 25 in the Jam column and 29 in the Call column in the row corresponding to a Ratio of 6. The Hero is in the small blind, so we are going to compare the Hero's power index to the value shown in the Jam column: 25. Hero's power index is (K♠ x 2) + 2♦ = (13 x 2) + 2 = 28.

According to SAGE, Hero should push all-in with K♠ 2♦ in this spot.

Example #6:
Blinds 400/800

SB (t5200)
HERO (t8300)
Hero is dealt 9♠ 8♠; SB pushes all-in for t5200.

Answer:
Ok, so our Hero has a choice to make: call the all-in or fold and wait for a better spot. Let's go through the process:

• The current ratio is t5200/t800 = 6.
• Hero's power index is (9♠ x 2) + 8♠ + Suited Bonus = (9 x 2) + 8 + 2 = 28.
• The Call column shows a power index of 29 when the Ratio is 6.

Since the Hero's power index of 28 < 29, Hero folds.

Example #7:
Blinds 500/1000

HERO (t3500)
BB (t9000)
Hero is dealt T♦ 2♣

Answer:
Well, our Hero is getting pretty low here but how desperate should he be? Let's see what SAGE tells us:

• The current ratio is t3500/t1000 = 3.
• Hero's power index is (T♦ x 2) + 2♣ = (10 x 2) + 2 = 22.
• The Jam column (recall: Hero is in SB) shows a power index of 22 when the Ratio is 3.

Since the Hero's power index of 22 >= 22, Hero pushes.

Example #8:
Blinds 200/400

SB (t700)
HERO (t12800)
Hero is dealt Q♠ Q♣; SB pushes all-in for his remaining t700.

Answer:
The quick answer: call! Let's double-check SAGE and see if our unexploitable strategy agrees with our snap-decision:

• The current ratio is t700/t400 = 1.
• Hero's power index is (Q♠ x 2) + Q♣ + Paired Bonus = (12 x 2) + 12 + 22 = 58.
• The Call column shows that a power index of "any" is required to make the all-in call when the Ratio is 1.

Since the Hero's power index of 58 blows "any" out of the water, Hero calls.

Before finishing up, there are a few more things that should be noted when it comes to using SAGE.

Although SAGE is an unexploitable strategy, it is not always the optimal strategy. As the Ratio of the small stack to the big blind increases past 7 and even beyond 10, SAGE starts to break down. If you find yourself completely out-matched when it comes to heads-up play against your opponent (e.g. you're playing heads-up with Chris Ferguson), feel free to use SAGE no matter what the Ratio. By resorting to a fit or fold strategy, your opponent will not be able to outplay you; although, you'll most likely find your opponent folding hand after hand until finally picking up a monster and putting you out of your misery.

On the flip-side of the coin, if you completely outclass your heads-up opponent, feel free to stick with what's working for you. Although you'll be hard-pressed to beat the results that SAGE will give you, you may not want to gamble for first prize when you're almost positive that you can take out your opponent using conventional methods.

In general, you should try and play poker when the SAGE Ratio is above 7: doing so will give you some heads-up experience and, frankly, it can be rather fun to outplay your opponent after a hard-fought SNG battle.

One word of warning: SAGE is incredibly easy and incredibly powerful. If you were to play your very best heads-up game against an opponent using SAGE, I would not like your chances. SAGE works by completely stifling your opponent's creativity and poker abilities. It is a claustrophobic, suffocating feeling to be on the receving end of an opponent using SAGE. When you decide to bring SAGE to the table, don't be surprised to find your opponents folding hand after hand as you continue to push your entire stack into the pot. Surprisingly, this happens an awful lot and is immensely satisfying: imagine being handed first-prize money without having to play a single hand!

For those of you who take your poker seriously, I have just given you the blueprints to one of the greatest weapons you will ever use in a sit-n-go (or multi-table tournament) endgame. I guarantee that you will find that your first place finishes will greatly overshadow your second place finishes if you stick to using SAGE whenever heads-up.

I'd very much like to hear the success stories of my readers who've employed SAGE to great success, so please feel free to comment and let others know how well the SAGE system has worked for you.

Enough talk - go make some money!