Playing & Winning with Small Stacks

One of the most vital ingredients in playing winning Poker is knowing how to play in different kinds of situations. Nowhere is this more needed than when one is faced with depleted chips. Although it is a difficult spot, great players use it as an opportunity to excel. You can too, if you follow the basic tactics.

If you are playing in a tourney, then you know that every Poker strategy that you can and are thinking of using will be entirely dependent on how much you have. Because it represents your lifeline to the more advanced tables, you need to be very considerate.

If you find yourself short of chips on a multi table game, you must step up to the plate and take the initiative. This does not warrant going all in with trash hands and praying for a miracle draw; rather the Poker strategy that you should employ is bet and raise with hands that you usually call with.

In a lot of instances, this Poker tourney strategy will work. One is that those with larger stacks will be more concerned with getting to the latter tables with lots of chips rather than busting you out. Thus, they will not be willing to risk a lot against you. Take advantage of this opportunity, and you will find yourself back in the game.

When you are in a cash game, you need to first assess the kind of table that you are in. Being short stacked in a tight table, you should try and be aggressive, raising with your hands. Their predictable style of play (raising with only premium hands) will allow you to take a of pots easily. If you are on the button, try to get as many blinds as cheaply as you can.

Of course, reading your opponent will always figure into any Poker strategy, but nowhere is this more true than when you are playing heads up. It is more difficult to play catch up in heads up, basically because there are no weak players that you can pick on.

In this instance, you should try to get a read on your opponent. Is he getting overconfident? This can happen often, and they may try to use tactics like value betting or bluffing. Just check the hands that he will bring to the showdown, and you will have an idea if he is getting reckless. If he is, then you should be willing to call him down the next time. Of course, when you get the high hands, be as aggressive as you can.

Being short stacked can occur at any type of Poker game, but that does not mean it is reason to despair. Rather, just accept the fact that it happens, and that it is an opportunity for you to try and learn new strategies. By learning to play with short stacks, you will be able to add a new and winning dimension to your game.