Short Stack Strategy
Being short stacked in a poker tournament is an uncomfortable situation. Any hand you play could be your last, and you can’t just wait patiently for monster pocket cards because the blinds are going to erode your short stack even more. If you chip stack is 10x the blind or less, you are in a precarious position. At only 5x the blind, you have no leverage at all. When you are short stacked, you must focus on the goal of doubling up through another player at the table or to accumulate some chips through a multi-way pot. Here are some tips for playing a short stack: * Avoid betting a portion of your casino chips that gives opponents the right price to call. Instead pick a reasonably good hand and shove all your chips pre-flop to narrow the field of opponents. * Do not call an all-in bet unless you are holding a very strong hand. * If you get dealt an Ace or pocket pair, it is worthwhile to shove all-in if you are first to enter the pot. * Look for other short stacks to target with all-in bets. * When below 5x the blind, then even marginal, speculative hands are worth shoving all-in if you are first to enter a pot and late position. * Look for multi-player pots that you can pursue with live cards, like suited connectors. Most likely your hand is not best pre-flop, but it could return the most value for your poker chips, rebuilding your stack again. This is where you should make the do-or-die decision.
