How to Play a Short Stack in Mixed Game Poker

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You’ve likely read multiple articles about how to play a short stack in NL Hold’em games, but what about mixed games such as HORSE or 8-Game? Navigating a short stack in these games is a bit different than what you might see in NL Hold’em tournaments.

Today, we will go over a few tips that will help you navigate a short stack in mixed game poker tournaments. These tips are applicable to both online poker tournaments and live poker tournaments.

Understanding Stack Size

The first thing to remember in most mixed games is that you’re going to be playing a lot of Limit poker. Your blind and ante structures are going to be different. For example, for Limit Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and 2-7 games, you are only going to have to worry about the blinds. There are no antes. For Stud games, you are only worrying about the antes and the bring-in.

You’re looking at how many big bets you have in your stack as opposed to big blinds. Generally, when you’re less than 10 big bets, you’re working on a short stack. Anything under 5 is a severe short stack.

Don’t “Pick a Hand and Go.”

In NL Hold’em tournaments, you’re often told to “pick a hand and go” because of potential fold equity in a hand. You don’t have that same luxury in most mixed games. Completing a bet in Stud or making it two bets in Hold’em or Omaha isn’t going to push out a big who may have a hand worth trying to bust you with.

Instead, you want to look for stronger hands. Position definitely helps, but it isn’t going to help as much as in an NL game. Instead, look for a strong hand that gives you a chance to take down a pot.

Notice we didn’t say double-up. There are going to be times where you’re playing with a short stack that you can’t get your entire stack in play, or at least not until near the end of the hand. Knowing this, you want a hand that gives you a chance to win.

Don’t Be Afraid to “Blind Down”

In NL Hold’em, you really don’t want to blind down as you don’t have fold equity. Since fold equity is next to non-existent in Limit Poker, you don’t have to be as afraid. Also, if you are playing Hold’em, Omaha, or Draw poker games, you don’t have an ante. This makes your rounds cheaper and gives you more time to try and pick up a hand.

Stud will require you to ante every hand, but you also have more information available each hand. For example, if you pick up an ace against other players with nothing higher than a ten, you may be able to take a pot, or at least isolate against a single opponent.

Don’t Become Married to a Hand

One thing that is great about Limit Poker is that you can sometimes still get away from a hand when you’re short stacked. In NL Hold’em, if you have a pair of sixes and decide to play them, someone may raise you all-in and force you to commit your entire stack.

In Limit Poker, often you’re usually facing one to two big bets max at the start. If you start to see that the hand is going badly for you, you can get out and save some chips to try and double later.

For example, if you are in Stud with a pair of tens and someone picks up open aces on Fourth Street, you can still get out and fight again a little later. You don’t have to stay in the hand because you are short stacked. There are times where you will have to stay committed to the hand, such as if you only had 1 bet left on Fourth Street. However, in many other cases, you can fold and try again later.

Playing a short stack in a mixed game isn’t just putting up your chips and hoping to get lucky or for your hand to hold. You can make calculated decisions to give yourself the best chance to stay alive and possibly rebuild your stack.