How to play short stack in a tournament ?

[Dobbler1]

My humble understanding: The shorter your stack, the later your position, the wider your open/reraise shove range. If you've got 10+ big blinds, you've got some fold equity, and if you don't have much fold equity, you need to get lucky and double up. It's rare to be much more than a 2 to 1 dog in a hand preflop.

I often seeing people with 1.5 BB total stack fold to a raise when they're in the big blind (they only need to call .5 against a pot of 4). There's no hand where you don't have more than 12.5% equity preflop. It makes me sad for them. It also makes me wonder why I don't win more often... but that's another discussion.

Edit: you're 11.98% AA vs 23off when the suits of the aces are the same as the suits of your 2 and 3... so while I think my point is fair, what I said isn't technically correct.

 

[dlam]

Under 10BB there is no fold equity.
It’s not good situation to go all in and there several large stacks on the table that call all in and play passively until the river to eliminate you
At 20 BB there is fold equity. So depending on the situation. It’s usually all in or big bet and push all in at the flop if it a call

 

[Roller]

Look for the right spots and either use push fold charts or exploitative play. You win some you lose sum, it's as simple as that. Focus on not becoming short stack and problem solved, well we all know that's not completely possible, we can reduce the times were in a short stacked situation.

 

[ghitocarcia]

when you are short stacked you just have to fold or go allin, you can't play against the deep
because they are going to enter paying more so basically it is push or fold and of course it has to be with the good ones. You have to try to apply a solid strategy and take risks.

 

[VGShaa]

There is a simple but important strategy - the shorter your stack, the tighter you need to be, and first of all by reducing our opening range of suited connectors and small pocket pairs because, as a rule, they need to see both the turn and the river in order to to realize their equity, so these hands become much weaker with a short stack. With stacks of 13bb and below, we will essentially be playing shoves/folds.

 

[tycutz007]

Open/Shove in LP or Raise/Shove from blinds after LP open.

 

[mushthebush]

I have made comebacks for 0.6, 0.3 BB and I make these comebacks quite frequently. I usually end up a short stack around the bubble and I almost always get to the money.

This is no advice, but I play tight, wait for very good hands and if I get near the blinds with a less than 1BB stack (seems wrong to even call it a stack) I just cross my fingers and pray to the gods of poker for some luck when I'm all in. And it simply works for me. And no, I don't win many tournaments but I rarely get out of the money and if I do get out before the money, I usually get out with aces or kings against random lucky junk and don't mind it.

You can argue as much as you like about any kind of strategy. I play tight with a balanced aggressiveness. I also see nothing wrong in passive play in freerolls as many like to donate with a low pair.

To me, it's really important to play relaxed, even if that means playing 5 hands or 50 throughout the tournament. I like to have easy decisions. I get ITM, I go to sleep happy and if it happens to get to the final table or even the top places, well, happy days, if not I take my 30-40% profit and sleep well.

 

[PuletJelek]

Waiting for better cards or even the best...
If the blind is high when i have low stack and in position if there is no raiser, i'll play aggressively when holding any pairs, Ax, KJ+, QJ+, J10suited...

 

[dlam]

Sometimes you can’t wait for premium cards SS. I was medium stack waited for AA and lost half my stack (all in preflop). Then I was SS. The waited for KK and all in preflop and lost Both situations was against just one caller who was way behind Got lucky at the river. If I can get BB or limpers to laid down and get the chips without showdown I rather have that

 

[dlam]

Sometimes you can’t wait for premium cards SS. I was medium stack waited for AA and lost half my stack (all in preflop). Then I was SS. The waited for KK and all in preflop and lost Both situations was against just one caller who was way behind Got lucky at the river. If I can get BB or limpers to laid down and get the chips without showdown I rather have that

 

[Rachidao]

Like 19 BB or less I play only shove, you can't really play poker with that amount, you have to double. The way I do it is analysing the agressive players in table and don't have fear of them, i go with AJ or plus with that. With tight players or too many calls or re-raise I play tighter than that, high pairs, AQ+ and try to double or bye. You really can not play poker low stack in my opinion.

 

[fasteddee74]

The shortest explanation is shove or fold.

 

[thetaxman1]

Try to win a hand per circuit of the table to pace the blinds. Continue to play the table. Shove into the blinds and avoid calls. And Re raise when you have the nuts.

 

[thetaxman1]

Ohh and Left shoulder shove right shoulder call.

 

[thetaxman1]

Or maybe put on Black Sabbath and play like the DEVIL

 

[JhonnyThe357]

Shove

play as few hands as necessary until the bubble bursts, then be as aggressive as possible and count on luck.
Ashsahshasa

 

[ritz_avalanche]

I generally shove for less than 10bb ,deep Stacks won't let u play

 

[dongato2]

when i'm under 10bb i go allin. it is better if it is from the late positions

 

[Pleshe]

I mostly wait for pocket pairs and premium hands, even a 9 10s sometimes to shove if I'm at 10bb or below.

 

[Tigroslav]

Just try and remember not to go crazy too early.
Watch the video posted on bottom of page 1
it has some great advice.
Remain patient until it is clear what the best play is.

 

[wavetune]

Position

Played hands

Early position (EP - first three positions):

AA-TT, AK-AQ

Middle position (MP - next three positions):

Add 99–88, AJ, ATs

Cutoff (CO):

Add 77–66, AT–A8, A7–A5s KQ, KJs

Button (BU):

22-AA, Ax, KJ-KT, K9s, QJs

Small Blind (SB):

Add K5+, Kxs, QJ–Q9, Q5s+, JT, J8s+, T9s

there are many tables for playing with a stack of less than 10 bb, but I liked this one, it is quite simple

 

[Matt_Burns88]

Hi !

What are some easy tips to take into consideration when you're running out of chips during a tournament ? Like what hands to play ? How to play them ?

As you get shorter (<30bb), high card hands go up in value and hands like suited connectors go down in value. This is because we have a hand like KJo and we hit top pair, generally we should be happy to just get it all in. Deeper, these hands can get you in to trouble and it can be a disaster to lose 100bb with top pair. You should also ramp up your aggression from later position when it folds to you, so that you can attack the blinds.
As you get shorter still (<15bb), open-shoving pre-flop becomes more and more prevalent.
I would strongly recommend searching "Jonathan Little short stacked" on YouTube. There is nearly 3 1/2 hours of quality content in the first 5 results on the subject all free!

 

[darkvick]

hello dear, there is a lot of information to consider beyond your hole cards.

You must to pay attention on your opponents and select who you can bluff or not.

if the blinds are still small, there are no big problems. Just keep seeking the best oportunity to double your chips.

but if the blinds are high you have not much time to act. So if there is a chance to steal blinds, just do it.

 

[Phyrrura]

First of all, it's crucial to learn how to play shortstack, cause that's how you'll been playing most of the tournaments.
I hardly recommend playing very agressive, and shoving most of the time. Doesnt mind the traps from the fishs, always shove ur blockers against limpers when in late positions.

 

[Raisindepth]

It's a tough one and depending on a lot of factors. How long are the levels? How many blinds you got? Agressive table? How is the ante? like big blind ante or everyone together etc.

I am very comfortable with 20+ big blinds on a medium to relaxed table and i can handle a agressive table but I would need to get a little bit lucky.

For me 1-10 big blinds doesn't depend on table, time or anything else i will just do one thing and that is shove with any ace,king or suited hand or pocket.

10 - 20 big blinds i would be a little more careful and generally play every suited ace, shove all pocket 6 and up. shove any A6 and up etc it is more depending on players though as 15 big blinds is not a bad stack a min raise on a decent table you are able to see a flop but when it connects i will go for it as i do need to double lol.

20-30 bigs I'm fine buddy that isn't a short stack really find that better suit or ace if min raised and not too much reraised try find a spot to steal, float with a decent hand defend the blind where you can. If incredibly agressive table wait for that good hand it really isn't a short stack. Especially big blind ante you get so many free hands just chill out.