04 Dec 2024 Intermediate This material is for medium-skilled players equity variance In cash games, a short stack means you have less money at the table than other players — significantly below 100bb. If everyone at the table has a short stack, that’s a completely different strory. Understanding short-stack strategy and how to play against short stacks is essential and can greatly improve your game. Whether you prefer playing with a short stack or a full stack, you’ll frequently encounter short-stackers. Knowing how to counter them is key to avoiding costly mistakes. In this article, we’ll explain how a short stack can give you a big edge over the field, how to maximize EV with it, and how to adjust your strategy when facing short-stack opponents. Let’s dive in! 1. Short Stacks Reduce Variance While short stacks may lead to more frequent all-ins, the overall variance is still significantly lower. For example, variance in 50bb stacks is nearly half of that in 100bb stacks, simply because the most you can lose in any given hand is your stack size. Why it matters? Players used to full-stack play often fail to adjust to short stacks. They continue open-raising and playing as if they were deep-stacked, even when they shouldn’t. This leads to frequent mistakes. 2. Opponents Must Adjust to You When you play with a short stack, you dictate the action, which gives you a fundamental edge. The effective stack size in any hand is determined by the smallest stack, so even if opponents have 500bb, the game revolves around your 50bb. If they don’t adjust, they lose EV. Many players struggle to adapt to short stacks, especially regulars who are not used to this style. This leads to exploitable mistakes. 3. Short-Stack Strategy Is Simpler Focusing solely on one stack size (short in this case) allows you to see faster results, especially as a beginner. You don’t need to master deep-stack play. If your stack grows significantly, you can switch tables if your poker room and game selection allow it In contrast, players starting with 100bb need to know multiple strategies: Short stack strategy when facing a short-stacker Full stack strategy Deep-stack strategy after doubling or tripling their stack Learning these strategies takes more time and effort. 4. Decision-Making Is Easier Short stacks simplify decision-making because SPR (stack-to-pot ratio) is lower in most situations. With a lower SPR, fewer streets of betting are involved, making decisions less complex. The likelihood of reaching the turn or river decreases, removing a large portion of the information full-stack players must process. Why this helps: It helps you avoid big mistakes, which usually happen on the turn and river. It makes multi-tabling simpler, especially if you’re focused on earning rakeback and bonuses. 5. Strategy Becomes Equity-Driven In 100bb stacks, you often need to be cautious, checking for pot control. With short stacks, this isn’t as important. You can be more aggressive, shove with weaker hands, and simplify the game tree early in the hand. Key tips: Always be aware of your equity in each spot. Use aggression to overrealize your equity, even out of position. This principle is especially important in short-stack play. 6. You Force More Side Pots In multiway pots with a short stack, side pots are more common. These are advantageous when you’re already all-in. Deep-stacked opponents often battle each other for side pots, sometimes knocking each other out of contention. For them, the "all-in threshold" is higher, which gives you an advantage. Final Thoughts Whether you play online or live, there are always opportunities to leverage the advantages of being the shortest stack at the table. Short-stack strategy is simpler to learn and execute. It allows you to overrealize your hand equity and gives you an edge in multiway pots. Variance is lower with short stacks, especially if deep-stacked opponents fail to adjust properly. If your opponents treat a 50bb stack as if it’s 100bb, they will lose in the long run. Short stack isn’t just a strategy — it’s a powerful tool for boosting your EV.
