Having the least amount of chips at the table is never a comfortable postion but never give up hope!

Yes, we know its not a very nice feeling when the blinds start eating up your chips and you sit there without the strength or muscle to make a move. The outlook is grim because your wagers will be small and its highly unlikely you will scare anyone off.

So, what can you really do?

Even Small dogs know how to bite

Do you remember in the old Looney Tunes cartoon when Bugs Bunny and Christopher Columbus were stranded in a small rowboat under the hot sun starving and Chris Columbus looked over at Bugs and only saw a steaming pile of tasty meat?
Ya, well that pretty much sums up what your opponents are looking at in this particular scenario. Every player at the table is starving and itching to take a bite by dealing a killer blow to get you off the table.

But have no fear because there in the distance land is glimmering in the sunset.

You might be a small dog at the table but you can still pack a pretty big bite. Just remember that small dogs don’t go picking fights with the big dogs. At this point you need to choose your moment before making a major move.
What’s the move?

With a short stack in front of you, options are at best minimal. The best option you do have though is an “all-in”. Going all-in by pushing all of your chips to the middle of the table says, “I like my hand and I am willing to bet it all.” If you are sat in a late position such as on the button, this move is far more powerful as you have less chance of getting called and can probably pick up the blinds.

Remember, this is a do-or-die move. You should really be looking for a reasonable hand to do this with. Don’t simply shove your chips into the middle with a dumb ass hand. Try and get something like a high pair, Q-K, A-T or something similar before staking your poker life on the outcome of a hand.

If you are called and you win, you double your chip stack instantly. If you lose you are out.

Patience is not only a virtue – it’s the key

Simply put if you can afford to pay the blinds for another 50 rounds then, while you might have the smallest chip stack, you have plenty of time to find a good hand. What’s key here is the relation between the blinds and the amount of chips you have left. This also means your opponents will be more reluctant to call your all-in as they know you have the time to wait for premium hands.

If you can’t afford to play the blinds for less than ten rounds, things are considerably more desperate. Your stack is going to decrease with every street, so options become more limited because you are forced to act faster. This means that you will make your move with a wider range of cards because you don’t have the time to wait for a pair of Kings. This results in your opponents more than likely calling your all-ins because they are aware of your situation.
Double or nothing

The real short stack aim is to double up or bust. If by some miracle you do come across a strong hand, like two kings or aces, you need to try and get the larger stack to call you. Odds are he has the chips to make the call and he can afford it.

It is imperative to remember that Luck plays a major role in Poker. Even if you are holding a pair of aces, sometimes you can be let down. No matter how much the odds are in your favor just don’t let it get under your skin when you bust out through no fault of your own. It is after all just a game.