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Posted by: Mudsill
« on: January 28, 2013, 10:08:04 am »I can't even count how many time I've been short-stacked in a multi-table tournament. I've literally played thousands of games over the years and been chipped down to a tiny little pile of chips in the majority of those games at some point or another, often multiple times throughout the tournament. Unless you're fairly new to tournament poker, you've probably also been sitting on a short-stack more times than you can remember.
First, before I share my short-stack MTT strategy, keep this in mind. This is the strategy that works for me. If it doesn’t work for your style of play, don’t use it. While it is a mathematically sound strategy, you may take a more passive or a more aggressive approach, and my strategy simply not be conducive to your style of play. And keep in mind that I don’t play to place. I don’t play to finish in-the-money (ITM). I only play to win. For the money. And for the glory. I would rather finish on the bubble every single time I play than to intentionally settle for anything less than 1st place just to make a little money.
Second (if you decide my short-stack strategy is right for you), you should put yourself into the mindstate that becoming shortstacked in poker tournament is not a bad thing. It's simply a part of the game. You get a starting stack. The blinds increase regularly. The field decreases. Suckouts happen. Bluffs get called. Big hands crash. Stacks get short. These are all elements of everyday multi-table tournament play. So unless you've figured out some way to win 100% of the tourneys you play in, you will end up with a short stack at some point in many, and I mean many, of your MTTs. You have to accept this as a part of the game.
If you start a tournament with 10,000 in chips and the blinds start at 25/50, you have a general idea of your betting strategy at that point. If you start a poker tourney with 1,500 and the blinds start at 25/50, you likewise start with a general idea of your betting strategy. Why should it be any different if you have a stack of 5,250 with the blinds at 400/800? Of course your strategy would differ in each of these scenarios, but you would still have a general idea as to what your betting strategy is going to be at that point.
Third, stay off tilt. I'm well aware that's easier said than done, but do it. I don't give a **** if the blinds are at 500/1000, and you were just sitting on a 100K stack when you got them in best and lost when he hit a (vomit) 2-outter on the river to knock you down to 8K in chips. Forget about that 92K. It's gone. Get over it. Get up and walk away. Pour yourself an ice-cold glass of Dr. Pepper and come back to the table. Or turn off your tilt by pretending it was you who just won that pot. Or try doing what works for me; I "start" the tournament in my mind. I think of it like a late reg. I just got to the table with a starting stack of 8K, and the blinds are at 500/1000. What betting strategy am I going to use at this point? Make it strictly mathematical. You won't do this on tilt. So do whatever you have to do to get the **** off tilt, and "re-enter" the game from a completely mathematical standpoint.
Fourth, remember, you can't get knocked out unless you are all-in. Every time you go all-in, it presents an opportunity for a double-up, but it also presents an opportunity to get felted. A handful of stolen blinds via uncalled preflop raises will also equate to a double-up without the possibility of getting knocked out. Every all-in shove is another potential knock-out you have to survive.
Therefore, and finally, get that classic 10-big-blinds-is-short-so-look-for-Ace-10-or-better-and-shove-all-in strategy out of your head. If you have 8 to 15 BBs, you can still stick out a 3-blind prelfop raise at the right opportunity to attempt to steal the blinds. If it works, you chip up (without the risk of getting knocked out). If it doesn't work, you are still left with at least 5 Big Blinds. Now you can refer to the 4 to 7 Big Blind strategy and make a comeback. I **** you not when I say this; I have literally, literally, been knocked down from 1,500 to 30 chips in the opening round with the blinds at 5/10 in a field of over 200 players to then come back and make the final table. I have made more money in tournaments where I have had to overcome a shortstack than I have in tournaments where I was never under 30 blinds until I was out.
Though this strategy may not work for you, I can guarantee that it works very well for me. You may want to give it a try for a few dozen tournaments and measure the results in terms of an increase/decrease in your average finishing position, ITM/FT/Win percentages, and ROI.
So here it is, in a nutshell:
When I’m down to 8-15 big blinds, I’ll begin looking for my move. The "move" is not necessarily an all-in shove. A reasonable preflop raise can work just fine in the right situation. The “move” involves pushing the action, and definitely not calling an all-in with anything shy of a premium hand. The “move” is not based so much on starting hand selection as it is on situational awareness and taking advantage of opportunities presented by opponents. If, for example, everyone folds to you in late position and the players all left to act have been playing super-tight, an reasonable preflop raise (or an all-in move) will work more often than not to take down the blinds and antes and buy yourself another orbit around the table. Likewise, if there is a loose raiser at the table, re-raising him, especially if you have established a tight table-image, is a great way to add a few extra big blinds to your stack by forcing him to fold.
When I’m down to 4-7 big blinds, I am at that point going to continue my 8-15 BB strategy, but at this point I’m also willing to shove or even call an all-in with:
Click here to test your poker tournament skill at Aced Poker
First, before I share my short-stack MTT strategy, keep this in mind. This is the strategy that works for me. If it doesn’t work for your style of play, don’t use it. While it is a mathematically sound strategy, you may take a more passive or a more aggressive approach, and my strategy simply not be conducive to your style of play. And keep in mind that I don’t play to place. I don’t play to finish in-the-money (ITM). I only play to win. For the money. And for the glory. I would rather finish on the bubble every single time I play than to intentionally settle for anything less than 1st place just to make a little money.
Second (if you decide my short-stack strategy is right for you), you should put yourself into the mindstate that becoming shortstacked in poker tournament is not a bad thing. It's simply a part of the game. You get a starting stack. The blinds increase regularly. The field decreases. Suckouts happen. Bluffs get called. Big hands crash. Stacks get short. These are all elements of everyday multi-table tournament play. So unless you've figured out some way to win 100% of the tourneys you play in, you will end up with a short stack at some point in many, and I mean many, of your MTTs. You have to accept this as a part of the game.
If you start a tournament with 10,000 in chips and the blinds start at 25/50, you have a general idea of your betting strategy at that point. If you start a poker tourney with 1,500 and the blinds start at 25/50, you likewise start with a general idea of your betting strategy. Why should it be any different if you have a stack of 5,250 with the blinds at 400/800? Of course your strategy would differ in each of these scenarios, but you would still have a general idea as to what your betting strategy is going to be at that point.
Third, stay off tilt. I'm well aware that's easier said than done, but do it. I don't give a **** if the blinds are at 500/1000, and you were just sitting on a 100K stack when you got them in best and lost when he hit a (vomit) 2-outter on the river to knock you down to 8K in chips. Forget about that 92K. It's gone. Get over it. Get up and walk away. Pour yourself an ice-cold glass of Dr. Pepper and come back to the table. Or turn off your tilt by pretending it was you who just won that pot. Or try doing what works for me; I "start" the tournament in my mind. I think of it like a late reg. I just got to the table with a starting stack of 8K, and the blinds are at 500/1000. What betting strategy am I going to use at this point? Make it strictly mathematical. You won't do this on tilt. So do whatever you have to do to get the **** off tilt, and "re-enter" the game from a completely mathematical standpoint.
Fourth, remember, you can't get knocked out unless you are all-in. Every time you go all-in, it presents an opportunity for a double-up, but it also presents an opportunity to get felted. A handful of stolen blinds via uncalled preflop raises will also equate to a double-up without the possibility of getting knocked out. Every all-in shove is another potential knock-out you have to survive.
Therefore, and finally, get that classic 10-big-blinds-is-short-so-look-for-Ace-10-or-better-and-shove-all-in strategy out of your head. If you have 8 to 15 BBs, you can still stick out a 3-blind prelfop raise at the right opportunity to attempt to steal the blinds. If it works, you chip up (without the risk of getting knocked out). If it doesn't work, you are still left with at least 5 Big Blinds. Now you can refer to the 4 to 7 Big Blind strategy and make a comeback. I **** you not when I say this; I have literally, literally, been knocked down from 1,500 to 30 chips in the opening round with the blinds at 5/10 in a field of over 200 players to then come back and make the final table. I have made more money in tournaments where I have had to overcome a shortstack than I have in tournaments where I was never under 30 blinds until I was out.
Though this strategy may not work for you, I can guarantee that it works very well for me. You may want to give it a try for a few dozen tournaments and measure the results in terms of an increase/decrease in your average finishing position, ITM/FT/Win percentages, and ROI.
So here it is, in a nutshell:
When I’m down to 8-15 big blinds, I’ll begin looking for my move. The "move" is not necessarily an all-in shove. A reasonable preflop raise can work just fine in the right situation. The “move” involves pushing the action, and definitely not calling an all-in with anything shy of a premium hand. The “move” is not based so much on starting hand selection as it is on situational awareness and taking advantage of opportunities presented by opponents. If, for example, everyone folds to you in late position and the players all left to act have been playing super-tight, an reasonable preflop raise (or an all-in move) will work more often than not to take down the blinds and antes and buy yourself another orbit around the table. Likewise, if there is a loose raiser at the table, re-raising him, especially if you have established a tight table-image, is a great way to add a few extra big blinds to your stack by forcing him to fold.
When I’m down to 4-7 big blinds, I am at that point going to continue my 8-15 BB strategy, but at this point I’m also willing to shove or even call an all-in with:
- Pretty much any ace with a strong kicker
- Any pocket pair
- Or pretty much any other hand that I feel can give me a coin-flip chance of winning.
- In the blinds, if more than half your stack is already in the pot, go all in. Seriously. Don’t even look at the cards. At that point, it doesn’t matter what the **** you have. Take your chances, and good luck.
- From early position, settle for an all-in shove or call with anything you would play with 4-7 BBs, plus any ace, any medium or higher suited connector, or any hand Q-7 or better.
- From middle position, I’d be willing to shove with anything I would play from early, but in order to go up against an early position bettor, I’ve got to have something with more promise and less easily dominated than a weak ace. Look for a strong ace, pocket pair, or a suited connector in this situation.
- From late position, since I’ve got some time before the blinds get back to me, I’ll be far more selective with my hand selection. In this scenario, I’m looking to be the first in the pot, and I’m looking to shove with a pocket pair or a strong ace.
Click here to test your poker tournament skill at Aced Poker
