how do you play with 15 big blinda in tournaments ?

[Leandro6803]

when you're short-stacked, calling to see the flop is not a good strategy, because most of the time you won't hit the flop and you'll still lose chips.

The best strategy is to use your fold equity to make opponents fold or call your all-in, logically you will all-in hands with showdown value

EX: A10+, KJ+ and top pairs

 

[freedom4L]

At that point mostly looking for hands to open shove with, very little min raise folds and some min raise call-all in hands. From the big blind you actually can call more wide when short stacked (actual GTO thing) but dont do it against early opens

 

[jordanbillie]

when you're short-stacked, calling to see the flop is not a good strategy, because most of the time you won't hit the flop and you'll still lose chips.

The best strategy is to use your fold equity to make opponents fold or call your all-in, logically you will all-in hands with showdown value

EX: A10+, KJ+ and top pairs

Very similar to 20BB, except I rarely open hands I wouldn't call a rejam with.

I don't open jam 15BB often, I find standard open is better as it can entice attempts at 3 bet jam steals.

Edit: This obviously varies depending on the phase of the MTT (i.e. bubble or ITM or whatnot)

 

[dreamer13]

As soon as you have less than 15 big blinds left in your stack, you move to the high blind stage - the last stage of the tournament. Now you have to play a lot of hands to keep your stack from melting. Because just about any raise is a significant portion of your chips, all you have to do is go all-in. With a 5BB stack you can let the blinds run over you and you still have 3.5BB left to retain at least some fold equity. Therefore, if you have chips between 3 and 5 big blinds - this is the “critical point”, you can no longer go below it.The blinds in the final phase of the tournament will already be very large in relation to your stack. And every round your stack will be reduced by another 1.5 blinds (+ ante if any). Because Since there are few players left at this stage, you have very little time before your stack melts if you wait for the right card.

 

[BelFish]

Here are some push/fold charts for different positions in the First-in case (when you open an action in the hand):



When you act after someone, you need to play much tighter. Maybe someone has such charts? I haven't found it anywhere yet...

Moreover, in some cases, such "icm-penalties" can be applied that the spectra will be narrowed by several times compared to those recommended by the usual icm model. Especially in the case of calling other people's pushes near the bubble and with big jumps in payouts in the prize table.

P.S. But in general, it is more correct to start using the push/fold strategy with an effective stack size of 12BB or less.

 

[dregan]

With 15 BB I still enter the flop to see it and with 10 BB I start all-in.

 

[fundiver199]

Very similar to 20BB, except I rarely open hands I wouldn't call a rejam with.

I don't open jam 15BB often, I find standard open is better as it can entice attempts at 3 bet jam steals.

Edit: This obviously varies depending on the phase of the MTT (i.e. bubble or ITM or whatnot)

Exactly. Just want to add, that in BB we almost always want to have a calling range regardless of stack size, especially when facing a small raise like a min-raise or 2,2BB. With 15BB the play will then often be to check-jam the flop, if we connect decently well like top pair or an 8+ out draw.

 

[BelFish]

Exactly. Just want to add, that in BB we almost always want to have a calling range regardless of stack size, especially when facing a small raise like a min-raise or 2,2BB.

Even if the stack is for example 7-8BB?

 

[sulzerrt]

From my side, need to make shoves with A,K,Q high, and pushing opponents, usually everyone is tight so need to take advantage and steal some chips.

 

[jordanbillie]

Exactly. Just want to add, that in BB we almost always want to have a calling range regardless of stack size, especially when facing a small raise like a min-raise or 2,2BB. With 15BB the play will then often be to check-jam the flop, if we connect decently well like top pair or an 8+ out draw.

I agree with this.

 

[jordanbillie]

Even if the stack is for example 7-8BB?

For me, if I am in the BB with only 7 or 8 BBs and I am facing a min raise I am always either folding or jamming.

 

[garpsc]

wait for a premium hand or any pair and shove, easier said than done

 

[makisaa]

Yes, it is a good strategy to go all in, generally in this situation, and also with other ineresting cards.

 

[Gritz18]

when you're short-stacked, calling to see the flop is not a good strategy, because most of the time you won't hit the flop and you'll still lose chips.

The best strategy is to use your fold equity to make opponents fold or call your all-in, logically you will all-in hands with showdown value

EX: A10+, KJ+ and top pairs

My strategy when I'm 15BB or less is to open minraise with premium hands like AA,KK,QQ, because I'm usually playing freerolls and players at these levels are usually weak and will call. If I shove straight I run the risk of not paying. But with hands like AK+, AQ+ and others, I open all-in straight. Good luck at the tables everyone.

 

[fundiver199]

Even if the stack is for example 7-8BB?

For me clearly yes. With a stack this short we typically cant expect folds, if we move in preflop. So why not just see a flop for just 1BB and then decide, if we want to go with our hand or not? Often the best play in this situation is the stop-and-go. Lets say for example we have JTs. If we jam preflop, we likely just get called, and we are usually behind even to hands like A3 or K5.

If however we just call and flop comes 822, maybe we can actually get the opponent to fold hands like A3 or K5, if we jam the flop. Or if it comes J92, then we likely have the best hand, and we can jam for value and equity denial. Or we can check, let him do his C-bet, and then check-jam. If on the other hand the flop is bad for us and good for the opponents range like A82 or K73, then we just check-fold, and we only lost 1BB more, than had we folded preflop.

 

[GIB]

As always, this issue cannot be considered in a vacuum. Depends on the stage of the tournament, opponents, your position at the table and even your image (whether you can see your statistics or just notes on you). You can argue a lot, but I think it depends on the ISM pressure (when you are close to the bubble, already in the cash or at the final table). The stronger the ISM pressure, the tighter the style of play. The weaker the opponents, the stronger the aggression.

 

[jordanbillie]

For me clearly yes. With a stack this short we typically cant expect folds, if we move in preflop. So why not just see a flop for just 1BB and then decide, if we want to go with our hand or not? Often the best play in this situation is the stop-and-go. Lets say for example we have JTs. If we jam preflop, we likely just get called, and we are usually behind even to hands like A3 or K5.

If however we just call and flop comes 822, maybe we can actually get the opponent to fold hands like A3 or K5, if we jam the flop. Or if it comes J92, then we likely have the best hand, and we can jam for value and equity denial. Or we can check, let him do his C-bet, and then check-jam. If on the other hand the flop is bad for us and good for the opponents range like A82 or K73, then we just check-fold, and we only lost 1BB more, than had we folded preflop.

If this is a hypothetical situation where we are in the BB (7BB deep) with a moderate hand facing a min raise, I almost always elect to fold.

I'd rather save the BB for added fold equity, if within the next few hands it is folded to me and I can jam my remaining 6 BB (or 5.5 ).

I'm not too keen on playing this enlightened fit or fold technique you describe. I'd rather just save the chips and get the extra BB in on an upcoming hand where I can jam.

 

[BelFish]

I'd rather save the BB for added fold equity, if within the next few hands it is folded to me and I can jam my remaining 6 BB (or 5.5 ).

I'm not too keen on playing this enlightened fit or fold technique you describe.

Actually, it's really interesting. They say that with stacks less than 12BB it is correct to play only push/fold, and even more so with smaller stacks. What is interesting: according to the tracker's statistics, it is more profitable for him to play the described spots through the call line and then push or fold postflop, or is it still more profitable just push/fold...

 

[jordanbillie]

Actually, it's really interesting. They say that with stacks less than 12BB it is correct to play only push/fold, and even more so with smaller stacks. What is interesting: according to the tracker's statistics, it is more profitable for him to play the described spots through the call line and then push or fold postflop, or is it still more profitable just push/fold...

Very interesting indeed.

I'd be curious to know (and I admit my ignorance to trackers/solvers/anything GTO) what the long term statistics suggest.