4:37am: Well, I’m in between matches, and regulars keep registering before I do, so I thought I’d take some time to tell you guys about what I call “hinge games”. Hinge games occur any time you’re playing an odd # of games broken down into sets, segments, sessions, or whatever else you choose to call them. Hinge games are games that when you head into the final game of the set, it will determine whether or not the set was a winning one or not.

For example, if you’re playing three game sets, and you’re tied 1-1 going into the third match. That match is now considered a “hinge game”. While every match you play is important, you must put much more emphasis into winning this one in particular. The goal is to have more winning sets than losing sets, and a good portion of the time the set will be determined by one game and one game only (the last one). If you have been playing less than satisfactory the first two games, make sure you get it cleaned up for the all important hinge game.

The last thing you want to happen is at the end of the night, look back at all the times you went 1-2 and thought to yourself, “man for every hinge game I lost, it cost me $200″, which is true in my case.

This is not to say you should do anything different, per say. It’s just to make sure you’re at a heightened level of awareness. Your concentration should be harder, your reads should be more accurate, and most importantly: you need to want THIS match more than your opponent - AT ALL COSTS.

Just focusing on improving your hinge games can make a huge difference in your winning percentage in heads up sit n gos when it’s all said and done. Every time you lose a hinge game, you have to win two more matches in the future just to get back what you forfeited by losing the match. So next time you play, remember the all important “hinge game” and how it could affect your profit.

Start a Clean Slate at a New Room, a New Sharkscope, and Keep HFL Free in the Process