When taking part in a sit-and-go the last thing you want to do is start off hell-bent on playing every hand, winning every pot and generally acting like a maniac. It amazes me how often I join a sitand- go and see people going all-in (and consequently all-out) in the first few hands of the game, when the blinds are low and not worth stealing.

So take it easy and hope that you run into the maniac. If you do, the best way to play him is to let him steal the small amounts at the start and wait for the chance to win all your money back and more when the blinds go up. By which time you’ll also have lulled him and the rest of the table into a false sense of security with your tight play.

What sort of hands should you play at this stage? A lot of people argue you should get in with hands like suited connectors, as you can often fill a big, even nut, hand, which is disguised enough to pay handsomely. However, when you get action with your 8-9 suited you could find yourself in serious trouble. Consider tackling hands like J-J on a flop featuring a J-10 or even something like a Nine-high. The bottom line is there’s no reason to make moves at this point and play too many hands. Instead, play tight, avoiding any big confrontations unless you’re sitting on a made hand.