Poker: How to Play a Short-Stack Part 2

Adjust you short-stack strategy when playing shorthanded tables (6 players maximum):
For ‘shorthanded' tables, with a maximum of 6 players, you consolidate the first two positions into a single group, which will then give you a tighter selection of potential hands. If the players sat to your left are playing a very tight game you can open with a few more hands, in particular after the button and the cutoff. You will be paid a little more often than if playing aggressively, and you will win more often since your opponents will be paying you ‘light', i.e. expand the number of hands by which your opponents will follow your stake.

If a player raises before you, you should tighten even further your game. If the raiser is in a first position to speak (as indicated above) push with a Jack-Jack + and Ace-King. Against a raiser in a middle to speak position you can go All-In with a 10-10 + and Ace-Queen +. Against the cutoff, the base cards are 8-8 + and Ace-Jack+, against the button it is 6-6 +, Ace-10 +, King-Queens (assorted). Finally, against the small blind, you can go All-In, or pay, with 4-4 +, Ace-& +, King-Jack +. These are a tight selection of carts. Particularly because some opponents play more aggressively and open with hands such as assorted connectors, then you can expand your selection of hands in certain cases, at your discretion. The problem with many of the large-aggressive types of player is that they do not adjust their game if they are playing a short-stack strategic player, often they will raise with assorted connectors as low as 6-7s when there is a short-stack sat at the blinds, this can allow you to lead with a better hand.

Learn to adapt your game when faced with a short-stack opponent:
If you are playing with the full buy-in in front of you, then you need to adapt your selection of hands calculated to steal the blinds. If a short-stack player, especially if he has only 10BB, is in the round then you can raise, but go in hard in the order of around 3.5 or 4 BB (instead of the normal order of a raise which is 2.5-3 BB) in aim of not implicating yourself too much in the pot. You can always fold in the case that there is an All-In re-raise. Because with a hand such as 7 of Hearts and 8 of Hearts, going All-In at the pre-flop against the selection of hands for a short stack is -EV (negative expected value in the long run).

What you will also often encounter are players who pay just the blind (known as limping) when a short-stack is at the big blind. As a short-stack you should ensure to draw profit from this situation. With good hands you should go All-In.

Even when you have a medium hand you can push against a bad player of the large-passive type, this is because you will have a good FE (Fold Equity= your ability to make other opponents fold their hands). The other option is to speak at the big blind and see the flop. If you flop a double-pair or a top-pair against several limpers you can either choose to open All-In or check-raise (raise after having spoken) All-In. Your decision will rest, principally, on the type of opponent you are playing and on the strength of your hand. In a multi-way pot (4 or more players) you can go All-In with a strong hand at the flop. When going head-to-head, you can even throw a bluff into your arsenal if the flop is really weak, such as with 3 small cards or ‘rainbow' (3 different colours). Often, raising after the big blind position will be enough to bring in the pot. If you occasionally find yourself being suckered by a bluff, then you are not yet completely drawn into the pot and you can still decide to fold your hand if you want.

The fact is that you will win many pots, thus lots of money, by playing in such a manner. It is not a perfect strategy, and the other players will adapt themselves to your game, but not always in the most profitable of manners. The problem with the short-stack game is that you will win money, but not as much as you would had you bought-in at the maximum allowance. If you receive a pair of Aces and win when going All-In at the pre-flop against a pair of Kings, you will only bring in 10BB, whereas with the same hand when buying-in maximally, you would have won a lot more. But, on the other hand, playing with the minimum buy-in is a good method of increasing your bankroll without losing an enormous amount of money in your attempts, and may be a good method for approaching the upper limit; it will also afford you the time to observe the comportment of opponents and to adjust your game accordingly.

Poker: How to Play a Short-Stack Part 1 Poker: How to Play a Short-Stack Part 2 Poker: How to Play a Short-Stack Part 3

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