Short Stack Poker Strategy

Short stack strategy (SSS) for no limit holdem poker This is about a near game theory optimal (GTO) strategy for short stack no limit holdem. If you play in the $1/$2 no limit holdem game at the California Commerce Casino, the buyin is $40 or 20 big blinds (20BB). Any chip stack that is between 10-20 big blinds will be referred to as simply a short stack. Any stack that has more than 20 big blinds is not considered a short stack in tournament poker, since you have the flexibility to do a lot of extra moves without committing your entire chip stack.

This is about a near game theory optimal (GTO) strategy for short stack no limit holdem.

If you play in the $1/$2 no limit holdem game at the California Commerce Casino, the buyin is $40 or 20 big blinds (20BB). If you play online for real money at Blck Chip Poker, Americas Cardroom, or Bovada, the minimum buyins range between 20-40 big blinds. These may be considered to be short stacked games. The fast foldem holdem games at Bovada seem to be 50BB for a buyin.

Except for the first few rounds, most people in a tournament are short stacked most of the time.

There are some misconceptions about big stacks. Big stacks hold no intrinsic advantage over small stacks in cash no limit hold 'em games - see Ed Miller's Getting Started in Hold 'em.

There may be psychological aspects to having a particlular stack size.

This is just a continuum really. The smaller the stack, the fewer hands we can play. The deeper the stack, the more hands we can play in general. In particlular, in when we have a short stack, we do not play any come hands like 76 suited. All of our hands will have value (i.e. pair value or high card value).

We consider a short stack to be 25 big blinds (25BB) or less.

We will use Ed Miller's Short Stack Opening Strategy from our textbook.

Opening

When no one has entered the pot except the blinds

• Early position: TT+, AK
• Middle position: 99+, AQ+
• Late position: 77+, AT+, KQ

Entering the pot when someone has raised

If there is one raise in front of you, regardless of position, play only TT+ and AK. If there is more than one raise in front of you, play only KK+ (i.e. 3-bet or 4-bet with KK+).

Sizing your first raise

Usually we want to bring it in for 3-5BB. If there are only limpers in front of you, raise to 3-5BB plus 1BB per limper (if you have a hand that you would normally open with in that position). In general, we like to raise more in early positions and less from later postions (if this confuses you, simply always raise to 4BB+1BB/limper).

If someone has raised in front of you and you have a playable hand (TT+, AK), usually go all in. If your stack is larger than 30BB-35BB (i.e. becoming a medium stack) or when there is only one raiser and the raise was the minimum, make the largest raise you think your opponent will call.

When you get reraised by someone behind you, usually you should go all in or fold. If you have QQ+ or AK, go all in. Go all in with any hand if your (or your opponent's) remaining stack is less than twice the size of your original bet.

A few more hands we can sometimes play

There are a few more hands we can play when there are just limpers. If you are on the button or cutoff, after only limpers, call with 22-66, A2-A9 and any two suted cards that are both ten or higher ( i.e. KJs, KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs). If you have a stronger hand, be sure to raise as described above.

More on Ed Miller's SSS

Crushing Short Stacks - The Playbook - this is what a deep stacker needs to do when playing against us. This is how we should play when playing against short stackers.

Seems like there is some controversy about this strategy. I suspect that this is a case of sour grapes from the deep stackers. They need to adjust their play when they are in the pot with us and they seem resistant to doing so.

Short Stack Poker Tournament Strategy

This thread (from 2007!) is about how to adjust to playing with a deep stack against a small stack. This is a very informative article, please read this. TLDR: Crushing Short Stacks - The Playbook - this is what a deep stacker needs to do when playing against us. This is how we should play when playing against short stackers.

My take on this is that sss is the correct way to play at this stack size (provided that these sss's are near to gto).

Another interesting thing I found online about sss's was: '... the truth is that you should play as high VPIP as you can until you start losing. 15% is the baseline for any 9player game with the same rake. Back in the day you could win with 12/10 because players were so bad. As the skill level increased overall in the game, you had to bring your VPIP up to 15% or better, (unless you were an FPP whoring multitabler who could play at 14%) '. This makes some sense: play as loose as possible, but tighter than most of your opponents.

interesting: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/15/poker-theory/short-stack-strategy-holes-ed-miller-562943/ - http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=24079874&postcount=26 http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=10855133&postcount=49

Very goog read: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/32/beginners-questions/i-grew-up-learning-30-bis-where-enough-1426985/ add http://archives1.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=3029808&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1 and other links like this https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topicsearchin/rec.gambling.poker/%22short$20stack$20strategy%22/rec.gambling.poker/mdo7ddmdKcU

more stuff The 3 Factors That Should Determine Your Cash Game Buy-In http://www.pokernews.com/strategy/3-factors-that-should-determine-your-cash-game-buy-in-19629.htm Positives to Playing a Short Stack in Tournaments http://www.pokernews.com/strategy/positives-to-playing-a-short-stack-in-tournaments-20569.htm WSOP 2014: Short Stack Strategies with Bart Hanson http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/2014-wsop/event-54/post.232972.htm http://www.pokertube.com/videos/pca-2015-jonathan-duhamel-on-short-stack-bubble-strategy http://www.tournamentpokeredge.com/innovative-short-stack-strategy/ Learning Poker By Short Stacking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5WCWJin8FU http://my.888poker.com/go/thread/view/111146/30044265/maths-in-poker-and-game-theory?pg=1

Learn how your short-stack can become a menace to deep-stacks who know that they might be forced to play large side pots out of position. The more you are able to frustrate and provoke the other players, the more successful your strategy will be.

Who can benefit from this strategy?

• Amateur players who need a way to play online poker that helps them avoid making difficult decisions on later streets (try www.carbonpoker.ag for some soft poker games)
• Seasoned players who want to mix up their game or reduce the massive swings of deep-stacked play
• Multi-tablers or players who need want to streamline their game in order to play more tables
• Prerequisites for the strategy to work
• The table has to have at least 6 – 7 players on https://kayabola.net. If there are fewer players at the table, sit out or stand up.
• If there are other short-stack players at the table, this will inhibit you from making the correct moves. If there is more than one other short-stacked player, get up and find a better table.
• Do not stay too long. It is harder to play profitably if other players have adapted to your presence and figure out your strategy.

Rules

You will buy in for 20 BBs.

Short Stack Poker Strategy

Never limp pre-flop or flat-call a raise. You are either opening with a raise or shoving all-in over the top. Every time you successfully pick up dead money or force a fold, you are adding a considerable percentage to your chip-stack. You need to take control of every coin-flip situation. In some cases it possible to quickly double your stack without ever having to see a showdown.

You can check from the big blind in the unlikely event of a limped pot.

Make your decisions pre-flop and do not be tempted to ever open your range. Play an extremely tight and aggressive game. Only raise or re-raise premium hands.

Do not try to set-mine. With a short stack, you will never the odds to try flop a set. You can open with higher pocket pair from late position, but you can never call a raise.

If you double your money, you will leave immediately. If you drop below 15BB, you need to rebuy.

Your hand range

Short Stack Poker Strategy Tournament

The range below is only a guideline. You will need to study specific opponents at the table in order to exploit their game by adjusting your range. For example: In position, you can steal from tight players with a wider range and you can shove on loose players who enter too many pots.

99 – AA, AK and AQ. These hands can be raised or shoved to a raise. It is better to get it in as early as possible to maximize your fold equity.

If you see a flop

On the flop, you cannot check-call unless you flop a monster and want to evoke a bluff from another player. You are either shoving the remainder of your chips (for value or as a semi-bluff) or checking with the intention of folding.

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