Getting Short Stacked?

What do you do if you get short stacked?
Are you going to let it all in?
Or you're just going to wait for the big hand?

I think it depends whether that is a play money or a real money. But other players in play money tourney are being careful when they get in the top 20, 9, 3, etc. Of course they don't want to lose already playing almost 2-3 hours.
And in real money, others are still aggressive, others are careful, and still waiting for the "lucky" to come.

So what do you do when you get short stacked?

Get your money in with most aces, any pair, and broadway cards.

Once you are shortstacked, you are almost out. At this point.. being as you are in the top 20, the blinds are very high. If you wait for a premium hand then chances are that the double up will come too late and you will have less chips than you have now.

By throwing all your chips in you generate fold equity, so its better to do this when your chips are low.. but still high enough that people think twice before calling.

Chances are you will loose.. but chances are that you will also loose by waiting. If you get lucky and double up at this point then you are back in the tournament.

You may get away with it a few times and pick up a few large blinds .. again putting you back in the tournament.

The only time to wait it out is if there are a number of people significantly more shortstacked than you. Let them (well half of them) go out first. This may put you in the money.... but the trade off is that you will probably have too few chips to get any further than that point.

Totally agree with you Stu. You can't just bleed off chips, you have to pick an optimal strategy with those litttle chips to say when you have the best spot to pick it. If I have Ax suited UTG+1-MP and no one has opened I am shipping. Do I want a call!??! Of course not, but a round of blinds and antes will let you pick a better spot with a premium hand a few hands later.

i do agree with STU..., have waited too long several times over a long period and when you get the monstercards, you just win the blinnds, as everyone knows you play tight...
I am willing to risk it on the bubble with a2c as long as i have foldequity...
GL
aC

I've hit this problem a lot recently - getting quite deep into a tournament, becoming short-stacked and then having to go all-in. It's all about picking your spot.
My trigger is any pocket pair, Ax and Kx. You just hope the rest of the table will fold or you get one caller so you have a chance in a race.
In the OFC the other night, I went all in and four other people at the table then went all-in as well. My heart sank and sure enough, I was out on my ear.

I agree with all, but would like to remind that table position should be taken into consideration when choosing your moment. When you are risking it all, you should be in late position with as few people already in the pot as possible to ensure you're playing against as few hands as possible. Unless you should catch rockets or cowboys in the early positions, push all in and hope alot of people think your tilting on short stack and give you lots of action, then....hope for the best!!!!

You should have a list of hands you might want to go all-in with . EG. Ace or King with 9 or higher, any two paint, any pair, or suited connectors. When you're getting short on chips make your move when it still has value. If you wait too long to make your move , the chips you win with a top hand that you waited for might not be enough to get you out of trouble. Being first to go all-in is a plus.

that's right. the position here is also important. position does really matter. I also do All in when I'm the first one to move. haha. I sometimes made them Fold here.

[quote=Stu_Ungar;1134575]Get your money in with most aces, any pair, and broadway cards.

Once you are shortstacked, you are almost out. At this point.. being as you are in the top 20, the blinds are very high. If you wait for a premium hand then chances are that the double up will come too late and you will have less chips than you have now.

By throwing all your chips in you generate fold equity, so its better to do this when your chips are low.. but still high enough that people think twice before calling.

Chances are you will loose.. but chances are that you will also loose by waiting. If you get lucky and double up at this point then you are back in the tournament.

You may get away with it a few times and pick up a few large blinds .. again putting you back in the tournament.

The only time to wait it out is if there are a number of people significantly more shortstacked than you. Let them (well half of them) go out first. This may put you in the money.... but the trade off is that you will probably have too few chips to get any further than that point.[/quote


Intelligent as usual Stu I couldnt agree more And there is really nothin to add to it so yall thank him and move on. LOL

I agree with Stu Ungar and the rest

What I do in a tournament, is that as soon as my stack gets as low as about BB x10 I push all in with any semi ok hand. All a bit depending on table position and if we are on the bubble ofc

I think it is important to remember to not give up just because you are short stacked. Don't shove with seven deuce off because you've lost hope. Miracles do happen. Just last night in a 360 person sng on pokerstars i was in the final 20 with only 5k in chips and doubled up over and over and knocked out first place.

I personally believe that the key when short stacked is to actually pay attention to the bubble (How close to the payout you are, since ppl naturally tend to play more passive and less aggressive). Also your position on the table should be another deciding factor in making a move (Mainly Cutoff, Button, and Sb), (Yet the all-in play should only be happening when the rest of the table has'nt either raised pre to you making such a said move, and No one has limped in early positions to you, thus making you the first one in the hand).

being short stacked is the worst thing that could happens to you... the best thing you could do is to wait for a good hand like a pair or AX and push all in... chances of double your chips are high cause the biggest stacks tend to call short stacks with averige hands like q10, kj, and you will be ahead in most of the times... dont think raising is an option if you have less than 15 BB, so playing an aggresive game with good combinations will make you recover your chips in most cases...

Patients is the key. Take your time but of course if you so happen to get short stacked with insanely high blinds nothing you really can do expect push and prey.