Short Stack Poker Tournament Strategy
- Winning Poker Strategy
- Short Stack Poker Tournament Strategy Against
- Short Stack Cash Game Strategy
- Short Stack Poker Tournament Strategy Bracket
If you’re playing a lot of tournament poker, you need to get good at playing with a short stack. Some players only think they have two options in such a situation:
Short Stack Strategy A short stack strategy in Texas Hold’em isn’t usually going to be advisable. The exception to this rule will arise when you don’t really have a choice. For example, if your stack in a tournament has taken a beating, or even if it’s simply late in the event, you’ll be forced to maneuver a short stack. Super-Short Stack Strategy. To kick off our strategy discussion, we will begin by talking about super-short stacks in tournament poker. Since these super-short stacks only have 10 big blinds or less in them, there is not a whole lot of flexibility to be found here.
- Go all in
- Fold
Poker pro Faraz Jaka discusses some of the factors to take into consideration when playing a short-stack in a tournament in this poker strategy video on Card Player TV. To play according to the short stack strategy you need to play at full tables (7-10 players). If the number of players at the table is less than 7, you should leave it and join another one. There should be as many players with full stacks (more than 50BB) as possible. When you join a table your stack should be 20BB.
But more advanced players know they have more options than that, and learning how to navigate those options effectively will help you win more money playing poker in the long run.
That’s what this post is about, how to play good poker when you’re short-stacked in a tournament.
What Is Short-Stacked and What Isn’t?
Some players think you’re only short-stacked if you have the smallest stack of chips at the table. But really, the size of your stack is relative to the size of the blinds. It’s entirely possible to be at a table full of short-stacked players in a multi-table tournament.
You measure the size of your stack as a multiple of the number of big blinds you have. For example, if the big blind is 20, and you have 4000 chips, you have 200 BBs.
The ideal situation is to have 30 BBs or more. Anywhere below 30 BBs is shorter stacked than you want to be, but you’re not really short-stacked until you have fewer than 10 BBs.
When You’re Just Starting to Get Short-Stacked
When you get below 30 BBs when playing poker, you need to start making adjustments based on the size of your stack. You’re not short-stacked, but you’re not where you need to be either.
In this case, it means tightening up. You don’t have the chips to try to win straight draws or flush draws, because most of the time, you won’t fill your hand. And when you run out of chips, you’re out of the tournament.
It’s still okay to play from late position with middle pairs, though. That’s an easy fold if you miss the flop, and a big profit when you do hit your three of a kind.
Also, you shouldn’t be bluffing unless you have a big stack. Some people think that a bluff is just a big raise or bet pre-flop and an easy fold from his opponents. You need to stop thinking of bluffs that way.
Instead, think of a bluff as a series of bets—a bet pre-flop, a continuation bet on the flop, and possibly even another continuation bet on the turn.
With only 30 BBs in your stack, you just don’t have enough chips to try this. If you’re facing an opponent with a large stack, he’ll sometimes just call you down just to eliminate you from the game.
You also don’t need to worry about defending your big blind. When you have a big stack, it can make sense to call a small a raise from the big blind just to see the flop. After all, you don’t want to just give away your blinds.
But when you start getting low on chips, you just need to become willing to sacrifice your big blind and wait for a better hand.
When Your Chip Stack Gets Even Smaller
Winning Poker Strategy
When you get down to around 15 or 20 BBs, you need to adjust again. At this point, give up on the small and middle pocket pairs. The chance of hitting your three of a kind on the flop is only about 1 in 8, and you just can’t afford to get your cards all in with a small or medium pair at this point.
Don’t limp with anything once your stack is this low. It’s tempting to try to get into a hand cheap and see what develops so that you can dig yourself out of this hole, but that’s a mistake. You need to be able to double up or better, and you can’t do that by limping.
At this point, you should only be playing the best possible starting hands—big pairs, or AK or AQ suited. You also need to get more aggressive preflop. You don’t have to shove preflop every time you get something worth playing, but you should probably double the size of your standard preflop raise.
I don’t recommend trying to steal blinds with a stack this size, at least not in the early or middle stages of the tournament. If you’re getting into the later stages of the tournament, it might be worth it to get aggressive and start stealing some blinds.
I have a buddy who loves to emphasize how important position is, but when you’re running out of chips in a tournament, position isn’t as big a deal. At this point, selective aggression is the plan. Just know when to use aggressive play and when aggressive play may not be the best option.
When You Really Are Short-stacked
When you get down to 10 BBs, you really are short-stacked. At this point, your strategy becomes a lot simpler. You can either go all-in pr-eflop or you fold pre-flop. That’s it.
If you have 10 BBs, it’s probably still a good idea to try to wait for a premium hand to go all in with. Some patience here is still a good idea.
Also, at this point, your decision to go all in should also depend on what the players who act before you have decided to do. I want to be the bettor or the raiser in this spot; if someone else has already shown strength by raising, I’m less likely to go all-in.
But once you get down to 5 BBs, it’s time to gamble. ANY playable hand needs to be played aggressively, regardless of what your opponents do or don’t do.
Playable hole cards at this point include any pair, any suited connector, or any ace or king with any small card.
Conclusion
The lesson I hope you’ll take from this post is that short strategy in a Texas holdem tournament is more complex than just fold or go all in. There are different levels of being short-stacked, and the easiest way to define those levels is to look at how many BBs you have in your stack.
You’re starting to get short-stacked once your chip stack drops below 30 BBs. You’re getting to what I think of as “more short-stacked” when your chip stack drops to fewer than 20 BBs. But you’re in all in or fold mode once your stack gets down to 10 BBs.
Even in serious short stack mode, there are gradations. There’s a difference in strategy between having 10 BBs and having five BBs.
No matter how short-stacked you are, you need to remember that selective aggression is the key to winning at poker. It’s just that when you’re short-stacked, you need to be more selective and more
aggressive than usual.
Basics of Short Stack Play
Three basic principles apply to short stack tournament strategy. Your position, reputation, and hand quality are most important.
Short stack poker is about moving all-in at the right time. Because you have so little chips it’s really important to pick your bluffs wisely. There will be no calling at this stage unless your hold premium cards. Either you’re all-in or not playing the hand. You also want to be the player who initiates the all-in.
Short Stack Poker Tournament Strategy Against
Stack Size Importance
Keeping your stack size above a certain level also plays a vital role. Most pros say you can still have strategy when your stack is 8-10 times the big blind.Anything below that you have no bluff value in your bets and will likely be called every time.That’s not what we want unless you hold big cards.
When your stack size is below 8 times the big blind expect a call so try and do it with at least Ace hi. If your main goal is to win the tournament then calling or moving all-in when pot odds are large could also be a good strategy. That’s only if your sole purpose is to win the tournament and not place 2-10th or whatever it may be.
Always look for an opportunity to push all-in when you’re on the brink of becoming super short stacked. Our objective is to pick up the small and big blinds. Like we said above, short stacks are not always likely to get called but super short stacks run the risk of calls.
Short Stack Position
Table image comes into play when deciding on when to push all-in. Players who give off a tight image can push in earlier positions while looser players should wait until late position. Personally I always like to push in late position. Some of the tighter players have great success pushing in early position because their opponents will put them on strong hands because they pushed in early position.
Your opponent’s style is another important factor. If the players are loose you don’t want to push in early position unless of course your hand is very strong. At tighter tables you can push in earlier position.
Picking up Cards with Short Stack
Your strategy with short stacks is to pick up the blinds and hope to not get called. Previously you usually held junk or semi-weak cards like A-X or J-10. Obviously in those positions you’re looking for the best way not to get called when you push.
So let’s say you do pick up a big hand like QQ. Again, we want to minimize the field and isolate it down to heads up against one other player. At this point I continue to push all-in. I don’t want someone calling me and being forced with a tough decision after the flop when an Ace hits.
Short Stack Cash Game Strategy
So remember, short stack poker is about picking the right times to bluff with marginal hands. I’ve seen many people win from short stacks because with a bit of proper strategy and luck it can become a winnable situation.
Short Stack Poker Tournament Strategy Bracket
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