Short Stack Poker Strategy

In your poker journey, there will inevitably be moments when you’re the short stack at the table, having fewer chips than others. Whether it’s due to a rough patch in a tournament or a deliberate choice in cash games, knowing and using a solid short stack strategy is beneficial when playing with fewer chips. Playing a short stack in poker can be incredibly enjoyable in Texas Hold’em. Here, we’ll explain what short stack poker strategy means for both cash games and tournaments. Short-stack poker strategy and mid-stack poker strategy are completely different. They demand distinct approaches and tactics for effective gameplay.

What Does Short Stack Mean in Poker?

Playing short stack poker means entering a game with fewer chips compared to other players at the table. It involves strategic play due to the limited resources, requiring careful decision-making with a smaller bankroll. In cash games, a short stack usually means having fewer than 40 big blinds. In tournaments, it’s generally less than 20 or 30 big blinds, depending on how quickly the blinds increase and the pace of the event. You might have seen that the phrase ‘short stack’ depends on how big your stack is compared to the blinds, not how it compares to your opponents’ stacks. So, even if you’ve got 30BB and your opponents have 20BB, you’re still counted as having a short stack. That’s why it’s important to keep using a solid strategy for a short stack.

Playing With a Short Stack | What to Do with Short Stack in Poker?

Playing with a short stack in poker means having fewer options to make moves at the table. Bluffing and advanced strategies, like float plays, rely on making calculated checks, bets, calls, and raises during each round. But when you have a short stack, the space for these special manoeuvres is significantly reduced, sometimes even eliminated, for both you and your opponents.

In a no-limit Texas Hold’em game, the larger bets usually occur during the turn and river, while the preflop and flop rounds primarily set the stage and build the pot for further action. However, a short stack drastically limits our ability to participate beyond the flop in terms of betting because we lack enough chips to continue.

When you’re dealing with a short stack, most, if not all, of the action happens during the preflop and flop betting rounds.

Short Stacking in Cash Games

Some folks get the wrong idea about short stacking. If you check the big poker talk places online, they often diss short stackers. Most people think if you don’t buy in with the full amount (usually 100 big blinds), you’re not that good at the game. But that’s not the real deal.

Sure, newbies and casual players often play with short stacks. But now, many players mix it up with different stack sizes. It all depends on what you like. If you dig playing fast and grabbing the pre-flop mistakes opponents make, short stacking might be your jam. But if you’re more into a slower game with fancy post-flop moves, you’d prefer a deeper stack.

Short Stacking in Tournaments

Tournaments are quite different from cash games. Firstly, it’s all about chips, not cash. And everyone starts off with the same number of chips. So, you don’t really decide to be short-stacked. During a tournament, your stack can swing wildly. One moment you’re deep-stacked, the next, you’ve got the shortest stack at the table. It’s the players who adjust their game based on their stack size and the pace of the tournament that do well.

Here’s the big difference between short stacking in cash games and tournaments. In tournaments, you can’t pick your stack size. Everyone will be short-stacked at some point. So, it’s super important for anyone aiming to be a tournament pro to know how to handle all the different stack sizes.

Reasons To Play a Short Stack | What Is the Advantage of A Short Stack in Poker?

1. Mistakes and coolers are less punishing.
2. It’s the larger bets that lead to the toughest situations. So, if you make a wrong decision or lose with a very strong hand, it stings much less if you have only 40 big blinds or fewer at risk.
3. Fewer tricky choices to make.
4. Deciding on big money bets during the turn and river requires a lot of skill to do so profitably. Having a smaller stack means you can often decide whether to fully commit or not right after the initial deal, without having to keep up with multiple rounds of large bets.
5. It’s harder for opponents to bluff you.
6. This relates to point #II. Skilled opponents with a lot of chips can’t use their advantage against you since they have to play based on the amount you can actually risk. As a player with a shorter stack, you don’t have to worry about making the wrong decision in a huge pot at the final stage of the game, as you would’ve already committed either after the initial deal or the subsequent betting round.
7. Attempting to mine for specific card combinations isn’t effective against a short stack.
8. Set mining involves players betting before the card reveals in hopes of getting a specific card combination and winning a significant pot against another player’s high-ranking hand. To succeed, set mining needs a player to win a large pot when they do get that specific combination to make up for the times they don’t. However, since they can’t win a substantial pot against a player with a shorter stack, their strategy becomes ineffective when a player with less than 40 big blinds raises the initial bet.
9. Players with shorter stacks can confidently bet with a wider range of hands after the initial deal.
10. If you land a moderately strong hand, like having the highest card, going all-in with a full or deep stack is often a mistake. However, the smaller your stack, the more valuable a single strong hand becomes. Hence, it’s often a mistake not to go all-in with the highest card when you have a shorter stack.

Choosing Hands to Play when You’re Short Stacked

Choosing hands to play when you have fewer chips. Because our betting choices end after the flop, we need to pick strong hands that can form powerful combinations by the flop. Instead of weaker hands with potential, focus on robust, high-value hands.

Avoid hands like connected cards of the same suit and low pairs. These hands work well with larger chip stacks because we have better chances of getting compensated even if we miss the flop. Ideally, opt for big suited cards that can create a strong hand like a top pair or better by the flop. But also, be flexible and adapt hand selection to fit your shorter stack size.

Here’s a breakdown of hands to consider based on your chip count:

Starting Hands Chart | How Many Bb Is Short Stack?

For tournament setting:

For chip stacks of 40BB or less:

1. AA
2. KK
3. QQ
4. AKs
5. AQs
6. JJ
7. AK
8. AQ
9. AJs

For stacks of 30BB or less:

1. AJ
2. TT
3. ATs
4. KQs

For stacks of 20BB or less:

1. AT
2. KQ
3. KJs
4. KJ

For stacks of 10BB or less:

1. AXs
2. AX
3. QJs
4. QJ

The focus is on playing high-value cards that can form a strong hand like a top pair or better, often the best hand by the flop. Remember, it’s unlikely to continue betting beyond the flop, so aiming for a good pair by then is crucial.

You’ll notice the importance placed on hands containing aces, especially with very few chips. This is because, as an extremely short stack, you’re likely to go all-in on the flop, regardless of your hand. Having an ace improves your chances of winning with a high card if neither you nor your opponent hits a pair.

Short Stack Poker Strategy

1. When you’re dealing with a short stack in poker, tightening up your starting hand selection becomes crucial. With limited chips, focusing on premium hands and strong broadway cards is key. Think hands like AA, KK, QQ, and down to 66, along with AK, AQ, AJ, and suited connectors like KQ, KJ, and QJs.
2. Raising before the flop is the go-to move here. It’s proven that raising generally brings better returns than just limping in. And especially when your stack is on the shorter side, being passive won’t cut it. You’ve got to take control early on to play a winning game.
3. Adaptation matters too, especially when it’s folded to you in a late position or in a blind versus blind situation. That’s when you might expand your range slightly to try and steal the blinds.
4. In tournaments, with a short stack, it often comes down to shoving with these strong hands most of the time. It’s a different strategy and requires a different approach, which we can delve into further later on.
5. Remember, with a short stack, playing weak hands isn’t an option. Whether it’s a cash game or a tournament, keeping your hand selection tight and embracing an aggressive playstyle is the way to go when your stack is down to 20bb or less.

Also See: Poker Lingo | Poker Game Terms That You Must Know

Using Low Pair Strategies in Poker

Now that you have understood the short stack poker strategy, it’s time for you to understand how to use low pair strategies in poker. When you’re dealt low pairs like 2-2 through 7-7 in the later stages of the game, chances are you have a strong hand. However, you might prefer not to raise and play it out after the flop or call a three-bet shove from hands like 9-8-suited.

One approach is to consider open-shoving these hands when your stack is between 20 and 25 big blinds (BBs) and three-bet shoving when your stack ranges between 25 and 30 BBs.

Your stack size can significantly influence your strategy. These hands tend to lose their value considerably after the flop. When they’re ahead, they often don’t hold up in later rounds, and when they’re behind, they aren’t ideal for bluffing as they have only two outs.

Moreover, smaller pairs like 2-2 and 3-3 can be effective for pre-flop shoving. This move can force out hands that overpower them, such as 4-4 and 5-5, while maintaining good chances against many calling hands like A-K and A-Q.