It is inevitable at one time or another that you will find yourself short stacked in a tournament. Whether it is having a bad beat early on or simply getting deep and the blinds catching up with you. However even if you are short don't give up, remember you've got to be in it to win it!
What is being short stacked?
Being short stacked in a tournament is calculated differently by different people. The easiest way to do it is to work out how many big blinds are in your stack. If you have 10 big blinds or less then this is when you are classed as short stacked.
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What to do?
When you are short stacked the usual 3 times the big blind bet is not going to work as well as if you are called then you are already pot committed whether you hit or not. So much larger bets or simple all-ins mean that the other players will think twice before calling you unless they have a monster hands.
When to push your chips in
If you are low in chips you want to be the first to act and not have to call anyone. This leaves the decision with the other players to work out what you have. Also if the chance comes to move all-in in late position then do so, the blinds will usually not have a hand to call with.
What hands to play?
If you are moving all-in you have a think about who is going to call you and with what. If you push early with an Ace Rag the chances are that you are going to get called by an Ace with a higher kicker. However moving with an Ace Rag in late position is a legitimate and smart move as there are fewer players to act after you. Moving all-in early is sometimes a lot better with the obvious monster hands and high suited connectors, at least if you are called be Ace 9 etc then you have live cards to hit.
Although a good short stack strategy does not always work it will always give you a chance to extend your life in a tournament, which means only one thing higher finishing places and more money!
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