Ultra small stack play

If there's one aspect of the Full Tilt / Titan pay games that does surprise me, it's the way people play when they are very short stacked. Every week I see players calling 200 or 400 bets when they've only got 500/1000 chips. Then if they dont hit flop, they tend to fold leaving them in a hopeless position. In this situation there's 2 options (in my opinion!) - fold or all-in. If there's any chance your All-in bet will get opponent to fold, this has got to be the option as opposed to a call.

n.b - this is not meant to be an attack on my esteemed opponents, just the opening of a discussion piece. I'm interested to hear opposite views.

Limping a 400 blind with a stack of 1000 chips means that you're already pot committed. If you're pot committed, you might as well do it right - go all-in. Is your hand not good enough to go all-in with? Then don't limp, fold it right away.

Yeah, no disagreement from me there.

I put this type of play in the same category of the 2xBB raise, what's the point. I've done it myself but it's rare and usually cause I'm distracted by something else. When you're that short stacked, the all-in or fold is really the only acceptable play.

if i have about 1000 and the bb is 400 i would limp in with hands like AA ak qq to atract more players.Couse if i win i would probably make 2500 or more wich can help me get right back in the game

TJ Cloutier and Tom McEvoy point out that in some cases the best strategy with a short stack is to put in a small raise before the flop then go for it post-flop.

This strategy works against blinds that might not call an all-in bet when you have a hand but will call a small raise. Even if they fold after the flop you've picked up more chips.

It also works against some blinds that will call an all-in bet (since they want to "protect" their blinds) but will not call an all-in bet post-flop if the flop doesn't help them.

Of course if I have to put in half or more of my chips just to call or make a small raise I'll just stick them all in there.

Two situations in which a call is okay:

1. As a slow-play, might as well let somebody hit a pair if you have AA or KK.

2. Stop and go. If you have KQ or similar and flop is something like 892 with two of one suit; an all-in bet that gives your opponent pot-odds of 3-1 or less will force a good online palyer to fold.

I do agree that in the overwhelming majority of cases pre-flop all-in vigorish is essential to successful short stack play.

The play that you are referring to is called a stop-n-go (call or min-raise preflop then push on the flop if you think your opponent missed)

Calling with half of your stack is a MISTAKE...I see players all the time do this, miss the flop, then fold to a bet... If you are under 5BB you really need to push and hope you double up, you are simply losing chips if you limp hands.

In a situation like this a limp is far more suspicious to a halfway decent player than a push would be.

Being an ultra small stack I wouldn't worry about them folding by pushing all-in, because you would expect the small stack to make a move at some point or another, and not always with the greatest of hands. I am more likely to get several callers w/ an ultra small stack than a moderate size stack. I agree with the idea that if you wouldn't call a raise or all-in with your hand, then don't get into a hand with it.

Too many people give up if they are too short stacked, but the old adage "a chip and a chair" rings true! I can't tell you how many times I have come back from next-to-nothing and won or placed; the smallest stack being about 20 chips. My advice: DON'T GIVE UP! PLAY SMART!