After all: How to make money playing Spin & Go?
When this game was launched in the biggest poker room in the world, it was very well received by the community.
The target of praise and criticism is that it remains standing as a game that was successful in PokerStars.
Played between three players with 500 starting chips and 3 minutes of blinds (hyper-turbo structure), this is a game that requires strategy, skill, luck and patience to be profitable.
When released it was questioned by several players who accused the PokerStars of destroying poker, reporting that with the variance contained there it was impossible to be profitable.
Daniel Negreanu was a big supporter of the new game. There were allegations from the PokerStars that the format was not new, but that they were following a popular model. The same model already existed on the iPoker network (Twist) and on Full Tilt (Jackpot).
In one year, the model has already awarded around 3 billion dollars! That's a lot of money going around there!
It's no wonder that when you sign up, it takes about 1 second for 2 others to sign up with you. In our quick-thinking, no-draft line, we can get an idea of the volume of players signing up every minute, hour and day at various limits (not counting those who play up to 5 tables). The ends justify the means!
The game draws attention due to the size of the prize, which can be a multiplier of 2x, 4x, 6x, 10x, 25x, 120x, 240x and 12,000x the buy-in value.
Between the paid amounts of $0.25 to $100 dollars (discounting some temporary promotion formats that may have buy-ins of $0.50 $10 and $25 that are not usually on the common grid), we can reach extraordinary gains in the short term.
At the limit of $0.25, for example, you can reach up to $2,500 in prize money. At the limit of $1, you can reach $10,000 and so on, multiplying up to a maximum of twelve thousand times the amount paid.
See the full prize table here.
Is it possible to be profitable in Spin & Go?
So, can you make a profit with Spin & Go? Yes! It gives you the opportunity to win in both the short and long term.
In the short term, profit obviously comes from winning a large prize. Depending on the value (which belongs to multipliers above 120x) the prize can be divided between the three players, for example:
With a prize pool of $120,000, $10,000 is reserved for 2nd and 3rd place and $100,000 for first place.
The biggest prizes are the hardest to win, but until the big prize comes, the player should get used to playing basically with prizes that vary between 2 and 6x the buy-in value.
Note here the first mistake players make regarding the prize amount (revealed before the game starts). When the spin stops at 2x the buy-in amount, players tend to play looser with a range up to 80% larger, which can be advantageous when you have good cards or a good set formed on the flop. However, when it stops at 4x or more, they play more controlled. This is your first impression that should be taken into account!
You should not neglect when the prize pool drops significantly to 2x, since this is the multiplier that comes out most frequently. You should therefore follow a standard and pre-defined strategy for each prize that comes out. Playing spontaneously just because the amount is lower is one less buy-in from your account.
Game strategies
The game usually lasts a maximum of 10 minutes (with the exception of big prizes).
Initially, everyone starts with 500 chips and it seems to be common and more frequent to be aggressive or go all-in at the beginning. Even if your card is higher than your opponent's, there is no favoritism since anyone can win a game using any of their cards with great frequency (hence the high variance). Those who play Spin & Go know very well what reality is like. Many end up blaming bad beats. However, it should be taken into account that due to the format of the game, these actions are more common. There is no favorite card or favorite player in the short term. The margin is minimal.
A player can have 40 chips and still come back to the game and win. The game is only over when all 1,500 chips are with you. Never claim victory before that!
Going all-in early on may seem tempting and ideal, but don’t be fooled! The game requires a lot of luck when it comes to all-in. The chance of you winning is between 40 and 60% depending on the cards, the rest is up to your opponent. This means that for every 10 all-ins, you will win about 4 to 6 times. Do you think you can be profitable just by shoving all the time?
Here we will see a 72o beat an AK more often than in regular tournaments and SNGs. Remember that Spin & Go is more like a Heads-Up than a 6 or 9 player Hyper-Turbo. So use a strategy that more closely resembles HU!
What is the ideal strategy?
Be aggressive most of the time. This will put pressure on your opponents and could result in a lot of blinds. Avoid going all-in early in the game. Min-raising is a great way to intimidate and still add value to a pot when you hit a hand.
Be potentially aggressive when you are on top with more chips and be more controlled when you are on the bottom.
Often, no good cards will come your way. If you think you are behind, you can be sure that the opposing players are in the same situation as you most of the time.
Therefore, a Q2o on a 5QJ off-suit board, for example, tends to be very strong. Kickers here don't usually count as much as they do in normal SNGs and MTTs. In Spin & Gos, two cards aren't usually used to close a play. One already gives you enough chances to win the pot. Ties, on the other hand, happen frequently. It's normal!
Bluffing is a common occurrence, as most players make mistakes when playing their hands. Be careful when bluffing and smart when catching one!
Player Style
If a player is usually aggressive, he can put pressure on you. Be calm and call at the right time. Against safe players, you should put pressure on by raising and C-betting frequently.
The faster the blinds increase, the more aggressive you should be!
Open raise table at early levels:
22-AA, A2o+, K9o+, K2s+, Q9o+, Q5s+, J9o+, J7s+, T9o+, T6s+, 54s+
Players often value bet with the lowest pair on the board. This means that if you have a middle or high pair, you will be ahead most of the time. Insisting on a bluff can be bad. Keep this in mind.
Pocket pairs don't usually play to be tripled on spins, but they are strong hands to go all-in with.
Chasing flushes is not a good idea in Spin & Gos. But when you do hit one, you should make the most of it with those hands.
Does playing high volume increase profitability?
The mode allows you to open up to 5 tables at the same time, no more. Therefore, unless you are an expert in game volume, it is not a good idea to overdo it, because the game requires real attention, and since the game is fast, this requires quicker actions. It can end up being tiring and your attention may be reduced, consequently reducing profits.
The chance of hitting a bigger prize by playing high volume also increases, of course. But again, don't focus on the bigger stakes and forget about the smaller ones. Take advantage of your opponents' disappointment in the lower prizes and nail the SNG to be profitable in the long run.
Remember a very important tip when the prize is bigger: never get carried away by emotion. Try not to play too excited about the value, as this can drastically hinder your development. It can be frustrating if you end up losing. An opportunity that slipped through your fingers. But feeling comfortable even in these moments is essential to being profitable!
Meet all the $1,000,000 Spin & Go champions
- October 26: “barrakuuda4” (Estonia): Spin & Go of $100
- October 25: “prophethicks” (England): Spin & Go by $5
- October 22; “wrawras” (Brazil): Spin & Go of $100
- October 21: Samara “Samara Lucio” Brito: Spin & Go of $5
Article (adapted and revised) by – Anderson0001
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