Joined: Feb '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 1886
Question: You have a bad beat in the first round of a tourney and are left with three big blinds on the button. Do you accept defeat and close the tourney, go all-in every hand and hope for a miracle, try and double up quick or keep a cool head and play the best damn poker you can.
Obviously when you are extremely short stacked the odds are not in your favour and because you "need" to win several showdowns and beat variance several times over you're not very likely to reach an average stack again but a chip and a chair is all you need to win a tourney or say they say. And the odds are more in your favour if you play the cards right. So if in the next hand, there's a raise UTG and a shove all-in it's not in your best interest to call with any two. You're just lowering your implied odds even more.
But what does it matter? Is 1.5% chance of winning a tourney much better than 0.5% and is it worth you spending more time on a tourney you've already lost (practically)? Well if you were playing live or in a really big game but in a small online tourney? With another about to start?
Well I have hung on in there a few times and I've gone on to cash. I don't mind playing short-stacked. It can even be fun. And the number of times through no fault of your own you end up in a really hopeless situation, it's surely best to play your odds as much as possible.
What I try to do is get it in when there are lots of callers so I can pick up about 10 bb in one hand and I only need one miracle board not several. I prefer to call with two live cards rather than king or queen rag. And I call when I know there's going to be raises to take people out of the side pot.
So mobsters what are you views on this sort of play?
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6786
With just 3 BB left there will be no post flop play for us. So we have to put our few chips in with any good hand before the flop and hope for a double- or triple-up.
Joined: May '11
Location: Netherlands
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 8
Well i dont think ur stack size s of the most important, its more the hands u decide 2 play. if ur low stack i think u should get at least 1 time BB for 1 round and best is to get 2BB. Therefor the later position u play in the stronger every1 of ur hands get, when ur lets say the button and u get 27 off and 1 or more players go all in before flop its a bit pointless to make the donk call, however if all players in front u decide 2 fold u have ceveral options. u can make a check/call BB however if he hits will be impossible to get him out cause small stack, so i would make late position raise all i and try steal blinds, what also gives u 1 more advantage when u do hit and u went 5 time all in before u get easy called. so i would say BLUFF ! at small stack only , with good position dont make noob call make pro bluff
Joined: Jun '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 67 (M)
Posts: 318
Wait for you two best cards and go all in (if you don't get good cards before your bb then go all in on your bb) if your really short you will get more than 1 caller and if you get a bit of luck you triple up plus the blinds if not your out anyway.
Joined: Jun '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 52 (M)
Posts: 1332
short stacked is good fun sometimes,you get your chips in with hands you wouldnt normally play out of position,if you miss theres always another tourny,if you hit the buzz is amazing and the insults are funny......your mother sucks my....your a f$%%&^g donk...etc..gl all ..
Joined: Oct '09
Location: Portugal
Age: 52 (M)
Posts: 233
I guess it would depend on what tournament it is. If it is a freeroll, probably all in and hope for a miracle. But if there is money involved, even if it is 1$ I would try to recover. Nevertheless, 3 BBs doesn't allow you to play much, just wait for 2 high cards or a pocket pair
Joined: May '11
Location: Canada
Age: 34 (M)
Posts: 979
unlike most people saying wait for 2 high cards, smfh you have 3bb you have to push with just about anything before the blinds come and hope for the best, normally at worst youll only be a 70-30% underdog so you still have a chance, just hope someone isolates the pot after you push so you arent getting called by 8 people
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 6669
Of course you need to shove with every hand, if the dynamic of the game allows you to see more hands without paying a blind(small or big bling), if you get a large card like every Ax or Kx or even Qx you definately need to shove it all in pre flop.
Thats why it's so important to play in the limits of your bankroll, it's innevitable that in situations like this one will be over the years, so thats why it is so important to respect a good bankroll management all the time
As long as variance it's a poker word in your dictionary you need to expect things like this to happend from time to time if you are a tournament player, same thing can happen pretty much if you are a cash game player too though....
Joined: May '09
Location: India
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 4873
3 BB is too small to even think of playing poker, best thing here is to shove all mediocre - good hands and try getting few chips. many times i have seen get lucky from these kinda position to reach even final table, so no quitting till u get busted out.
Joined: Feb '11
Location: Canada
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 1660
Good topic. For me, no question, I'll be throwin' all in at the next reasonable opportunity, but I will be cautious and pick my move. Ideally lookin' to heads up 1 to 1. That way even though I'll be unlikely to win I'll at least have a chance.
I love trying to battle back from nothing it's actually fun, I've been successful at least a few times.
with just 3 BB it's very hard 
i use a short stack strategy and go all in when i have a good opportunity. 
