Poker Stars 180 Player SNGs Part #1 – Facts and Figures

Comprehensive Guide To Poker Stars’ 180 SNGs Including Payouts, Buy-Ins, Blinds And Time Taken

Pokerstars 180 Player Sit N Go Tournaments – Updated!

Since the original article was written the Pokerstars 180 Sit N Goes have become more popular then ever, with a range of buy-ins available and 'steps' plus 'turbo' versions too. Best of all, 180 Player SNGs are still a great way to grow your poker bankroll while building valuable tournament experience. This article is in the form of a 180 SNG 'Frequently Asked Questions' - we provide links to other resources along with way for those players serious about improving their game.

Side Note: Full Tilt Poker have also introduced 180’s – including an hourly $8+80c (which runs regardless of whether or not the maximum 180 players register). These are covered in a separate article on Full Tilt Poker 180 Player Tournaments.

Poker Stars 180 Player SNG Tournaments – FAQ

This article looks at the facts and figures for Pokerstars 180 Player SNGs. Part #2 to follow will look at 180 SNG strategy for these games and look at opponents tendencies during the different blind levels.

Firstly here are a few facts and figures concerning the Poker Stars 180 Player SNGs.

180 Player SNG Tournaments - How Much Do They Cost?

There are a total of 6 buy-in levels available plus two for 'steps', split between Turbo and Standard blind levels:

Standard (15 Minute) blind levels: $4+40c, $10+$1 and $20+$2
Turbo (5 minute) blind levels: $2+20c, $11+$1 and $33+$3
180 Player Steps SNGs: $7 + 50c, $25+$2

3 of these are available on the main ‘current tournaments’ list on the main Poker Stars tournaments tab – ensuring that they fill very quickly. The $2+20c, $10+$1, and $33+$3 can be found under the SNGs - Multi-Table tab and are somewhat slower to fill.

180 Player SNG Tournaments - How Often Do They Run?

During peak times there are 3 to 5 starting per hour at the $20 level and 9 to 15 at the $4 and $12 levels. The other buy-ins are slower to fill as they are not so easy to find – expect 3 to 5 an hour maximum during peak times for the $10+1 180s. Reduce the numbers running outside of weekends and US evenings (note: EU evenings are seeing significantly more traffic since the original version of this article).

180 Player SNG Tournaments - How Long Do They Take?

You should allow for between 3 and 4 hours per tournament for the non-turbo versions and just over 2 hours for the turbos, obviously you will need to ensure you have the time available to reach the final table before signing up.

180 Player SNG Tournaments - What Are The Payout Structures?

The top 18 get paid, 10th to 18th place receive double their buy-in while the winner receives 57 times the buy in. The final table payout for the $4+40c level is as follows.

180 Player SNG Tournaments - What About The Quality Of The Opposition?

This varies from very weak recreational players to low-stakes ‘pro’ players who use these tournaments as a means of building a SNG bankroll. The generally poor quality of the opposition make the 180 person SNGs a profitable opportunity to gain MTT experience. Expect particularly weak opponents in the $10 and below 180s and only marginally better in the $20+$2 and $33+$3.

At the time of writing there are an increasing number of 'grinders' at the $12 Turbo 180s, which have become popular with players looking to quickly accumulate tournament leaderboard points. Fortunately the number of inexperienced players willing to give away their stacks are still very high!

180 Player SNG Tournaments - What Return On Investment Can A Good Player Expect to Make?

This, as always, depends on many factors including having a large enough sample size to draw conclusions from and how many tables are played simultaneously. The following are estimates for various skill levels of players.

Top 5% Skill Group vs Opposition: 120% ROI +
Top 20% Skill Group: 80% to 100% ROI +
Above Average Player (non specialist) 40% to 50% ROI +

There is the overview – part #2 of this series looks at many aspects of 180 SNG Strategy to help you move to the most profitable skill group.

SNG Planet Rec: If you have not yet found out for yourself why Pokerstars the world’s most popular internet poker site by such a wide margin then you are already missing out! With a 100% bonus which can be claimed over 3 separate deposits (if required!) you can get that bankroll off to a fantastic start in the 180's. Use Marketing Code PSP3108 (when you register) and bonus code STARS600 when you deposit to claim this. Find out now what makes Pokerstars and the 180 player SNGs a great place to play!