Push/fold and resteal spots
Being short-stacked in a tournament isn't the end — it's a different game. When your stack drops below 15 big blinds, traditional raise-and-play-postflop poker becomes impractical. A standard open-raise commits too large a portion of your stack, and you don't have the chips to maneuver on multiple streets.
Instead, short-stack play centers on a single decision: push or fold. You either shove all-in or fold. This simplification actually makes your strategy mathematically precise and nearly unexploitable when executed correctly.
Key Insight: Don't wait for a premium hand to shove. As your stack shrinks, the value of fold equity decreases. Shoving with a wider range at 10 BBs is much more profitable than waiting until you have 3 BBs and no fold equity.
The M-ratio (or M-zone, named after Paul Magriel) measures how many orbits you can survive paying blinds and antes. It's calculated as your stack divided by the total cost of one orbit (small blind + big blind + antes). M gives a more accurate picture than big blinds alone because it accounts for antes.
Full range of plays available. You can open-raise, flat-call, 3-bet, and play postflop poker normally. No urgency to push.
Start narrowing your opening range and look for re-steal opportunities. Avoid flat-calling — either raise or fold. Consider shoving over limps and small raises with decent hands.
Push/fold mode. No more standard raises — when you play a hand, go all-in. Fold equity is still significant, so use it before it disappears. Shove with a wide range from late position.
Desperate territory. You have very little fold equity, so your shove needs to have good showdown value. Push with any ace, any pair, and most face cards. You must act before your stack evaporates completely.
You have 8 big blinds in a tournament. What is the correct approach?
Push/fold charts tell you which hands to shove based on your stack size, position, and the action before you. These ranges are derived from Nash equilibrium calculations and are nearly unexploitable. Here's a simplified guide for 10 big blinds:
Ranges widen as stack size decreases and narrow as it increases. Always adjust for ICM in tournaments.
A resteal is a shove over someone else's open-raise, usually from the blinds or late position. Restealing is one of the most valuable short-stack weapons because you pick up the opener's raise plus the blinds and antes.
Ideal Resteal Conditions
The opener is in late position (likely opening wide), you're in the blinds or button, your stack is 10-15 BBs (enough fold equity), and no other players have shown interest in the pot. The opener will fold the majority of their wide range.
Best Resteal Hands
Hands with good blocker value (Ax, Kx) that reduce the chance your opponent has a calling hand. A-5 suited is a great resteal hand — it blocks AA and A-K, has suited flush potential, and can make a wheel straight if called.
Warning: Don't resteal against tight players who only open with strong hands. Your fold equity is much lower against a UTG open than a button open. Pick your spots wisely.
You have 12 BBs in the big blind. The button (a loose opener) raises to 2.5x. You hold A-5 suited. What's the best play?
Answer all quiz questions correctly to complete this lesson and earn XP.