How to Play NL Hold ‘em with a Short Stack

This is a guest post from March Madness Picks:

Inevitably at some point in your poker playing career you're going to find yourself sitting at a table with a short stack. Hopefully it will be the final table, but if not a good strategy just might help to get you there. The most popular strategy (and usually the only logical option you have) is a push/fold one.

Short Stacking in Tournament Play

The first thing you need to do when you are short stacked in a tournament is to assess how long you have before you will have to go all in. For example, if you have 1000 in chips and the blinds are 250/500 it won't be long before the blinds will take your stack anyway. Depending on your table position, you may have one hand or several before the blinds hit you. If they hit before you make your move, then they will be making the move for you. The better option is to take the first decent hand that comes along and go all in.

If you have a short stack that allows you to play several hands, then you have a little more breathing room but ultimately are still looking for a chance to push. Knowing your opponents is especially crucial at this point. Those with bigger stacks know that you are going to have to make a move, and a smart, aggressive player may challenge you. Another short-stacked player however is unlikely to, as is a tight player, making it possible for you to build your stack steadily by stealing blinds. Alternately, if you happen to luck into a hand you would be happy to put your chips behind anyway, the aggressive players building the pot could ultimately be the ones that keep you in the game.

Final Table Strategy

If you are sitting at the final table, you have some additional factors to consider. One, how many of your opponents are also short-stacked? How many players have significantly larger stacks than you? What place would you be in now, and what's the payout difference between that place and the next highest one? If there is another short-stacked player slowly fading away, and the difference between the payout for this placing and the next is significant, it may be smarter to avoid pushing until after they do if your stack can hold out that long. This does not mean you should pass on hands with potential, just that you might wait to push, ensuring that if you do go out, you'll earn the extra payout of the improved placing.

Ultimately a short-stacked player has only one option—to push. If you do not take that option you will lose anyway, so the basis of your strategy will always be choosing the best time to make your final stand.