Short stacked play on tournaments

Many players are faced with this situation!!! What we do? play with all cards or Wait for a Premium Pair ?

write your experience and what are your suggestions !!!

If all the short stacks at the need to look more tight players and take their blinds, that's the whole strategy at the beginning of the tournament, and then play it on the map and try to open a bluff opponents

pairs or suited connectors or any ACE. Coin flips have to be won.

The best way to get practice short stacking is with late registration.
Coming in with a CSI of 3-5 and study the "push/fold" charts.

When very short this becomes the "best" approach to maximize value, but also increases variance (since your unable to fold when you run into big pairs/etc.)

if you short, you must play all-in or fold. Dont limp, dont raise. Just all-in or fold. If you think you can be doubled all-in.

SuzdalDEcor said:

if you short, you must play all-in or fold. Dont limp, dont raise. Just all-in or fold. If you think you can be doubled all-in.

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While generally shove or fold is the best strategy, there are others that can be more effective.

The problem with shoving is that you lose ways to take down the pot. You can win by a pre-flop fold or by winning at showdown, that is it.

The general consensus is to shove with any Ace, if you get called, most of the time you are dominated. If you have something like a pair of 88 and get called you are going to be in a coin flip.

I personally feel that the better line is to raise many times, here is why.

Lets say I have 10bb. I know that I need to double through because I'm short. I have every intention of picking a hand and going with it. I'm in middle position with AA. I shove, everyone folds, I went from 10bb to 12bb (blinds plus the antes). Now, lets say I have AA in middle position and even though I'm short I 3x the bb and get called by the bb. Of course I'm going to shove regardless of the flop, but simply by getting called I'm going to add quite a bit more to my stack.

Realistically, I will have less than AA or KK. So back to the small/middle pair scenario. I could shove with 88 and take down the minimum. Getting called I will most likely be in a coin flip. Or I could consider raising. Lets say I get called by AJ. The flop is K 2 9. I shove. Most of the time I'm going to get a fold, or I'm a big favorite. So now I'm winning with a pre-flop fold on a tight table, at show down, or with a post-flop fold. If I have 88 and the flop is A K Q, I still have the option to fold out of the hand and still have 7bb to shove on a different hand.

Taking different betting lines often leads to positive results. I'm not suggesting you do this every time, but it should always be an option, especially with tight tables or close stacks. Never get stuck with just one option.

Today did good on some tourney I typically just sat tight waited for some decent hands and also played some bad mediocre hands while playing the players the whole time

karl coakley said:

While generally shove or fold is the best strategy, there are others that can be more effective.

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The problem is that for a normal game you need a stack of 30 BB +. All-in gives us 2,5bb fold equity + equity of your hand. If you raise 3BB with a10bb stack, the bank becomes 6,5bb + and you are left with 7bb, any raise on the flop or the turn binds you in mathematics to the bank and you can not throw away with at least some equity (eg AK on the flop T92). In addition, if you get a flush draw on the flop, and the opponent gets to the top pair or second pair and makes the raise in the floor of the POT, so your all-in 7bb in the pot 9.5bb gives him a great chance to deliver 4BB to the POT 16.5. In other words, you are depriving yourself of fold equity on post-flop playing. Your the All-in knock out hands like 79, 86, 9J, JT, QT, which are well fall into the flop and can beat well to aces if they got a straight draw, or two pair.

One strategy I like to use is if I have 8 bbs and I'm semi bluffing I'll raise 6 or 6.5 make people wonder why I'm such a tight ass and don't put the other 10 or 20 percent of my stack in the middle XD and normally if someone calls I'll just shove the flop
Today I played 3.30 300 guaranteed and got low chip stack at the beginning like anywhere between 2-5 bb a long time just sitting tight folding the blinds waiting for good cards to double up on or waiting for good situations to shove and steal/semi bluff after a while I started getting more and more bbs before I know it I've got over 100k chips...low key pissed and heated because just played 4 hours against 144 entrants to get knocked out in some bs way....
I have 56 opponent has j9 we both call min bet (bb) which was 6k the flop came j56 he raise half I re-raise and before I know it I'm all in with 2 pair up against 1 pair but he caught another jack on the river for three of a kind!! (I got knocked out 9th but the player who got lucky (#123) is still in the game) :upset face:

Short stacked is the best play, you are almost out so you cant be depressed you either have a way out by doubling up or getting busted

You’re probably going to be short-stacked in every poker tournament you play, which makes short-stacked skills a must for every player to acquire. The first, and most obvious concept about playing a short stack is that it requires patience and discipline to wait for the right situation in order to try to double through an opponent and get back in the poker tournament.

When I am short stacked on tournaments , then it's time for all ins to steal blinds from weak opponents , to make some fold as long as I have some fold equity and try my luck in some flips to double or triple my stack and start playing again normally . Of course if it's possible , with big hands , as KK AA , as sb said and I agree , I try to trap some players , I might not shove as everyone might fold , but in position I might raise , play it against 1 or 2 max . If I have very few chips , in position shove ATC . Generally , there are some charts to help sb with what cards and in what position/how many blinds to shove , they are good , they save you from the trouble to think if you're right or wrong in your decisions

For it's better to wait for the Premium Pair!!!! Good luck to you!

When playing with a short stack, you need to consider your position.
For example, with a stack of 4-7 BB from the middle position you need to push a lot of hands - you can not let blinds pass through you. For each circle the stack decreases by about 2.5 BB. It's better to bet all 4-7 BB, even with a low hand, to get a chance to double or take the pot pre-flop, getting a bonus in the form of an ante and blinds.

In my opinion, short-stacked play is the most important aspect of tournament poker.

wait for Prem map ?)) it happens that it never happens , then what ???

I would wait high pair or AK...AT to bet. If you are in hand then must be agressiv.. no checking or limping

If You can wait for good hands, wait , But if you have a stack less than 10 BB push / fold Play