My short stack strategy is a modification of the famous Ed Millers short stack strategy. Basically the Ed Millers short stack strategy is based on the fact that short stack players have an advantage compared to the other full stack players at the table. In short - and I will go into more details about this in later bankroll building updates - when you play the short stack strategy you often get folding equity for free.

Folding equity is the value you get when your opponents fold. Let’s say you are using the short stack strategy and have 5$ at a table where all the other players have 50$ and you pick up QQ. You go all in preflop and get two callers. One of the two callers bets on the flop and the other player folds. You win the hand against the remaining player, but would have lost if the third player hadn’t folded. Your folding equity in this hand was that one of the preflop callers forced the other caller -who otherwise would have won the hand-to fold.

Here’s my version of the Ed Miller short stack strategy (check out my online poker guide for further information):

• I will buy in with 20xBB, starting on the 0,15/0,25c tables
• I will rebuy to 20xBB when my stack drops below 15xBB
• I will leave the table whenever I reach 40xBB
• In early position I will raise AA,KK,QQ,JJ,AKs,AKo and 1010 8-10xBB preflop, and always go all in on the flop. I will go all in on preflop reraises
• In middle position I will also raise AQs,99 and AQo, go all in on the flop and on preflop reraises
• In late position I will add 88, AJs, 77, AJo, ATs and KQs to my raising hands, go all in on the flop and on preflop reraises.
• When I am in Big Blind and don’t have an early position starting hand, I check if there are no preflop raises. On the flop I only bet if I hit something good like two pairs, and I only call with drawing hands if the pot odds are ridiculously good.
• When I am in Small Blind and don’t have an early position starting hand, I call up to the big blind if there are no preflop raisers, otherwise I fold. On the flop I only bet if I hit something good like two pairs, and I only call with drawing hands if the pot odds are ridiculously good.
• If I have raised preflop in position and don’t hit the flop I go all in if my opponents check. If they make a significant bet before me I evaluate the situations on a case to case level. I would say I fold the majority of the times when my opponents bet.

I have great expectations for my short stack strategy, and I will keep you updated on my progress on my bankroll building thread on the pokerBRB forum.

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