Short stack strategy – how do you play before the flop?

Strategy: No Limit

What is your position on the table?

BU

COMP3

MP2

MP1

UTG3

UTG2 UTG1

SB

BB

► Das Starting Hands Chart (SHC)

What cards do you play?

If nobody raised, you raise with....

You are in the early positionJJ to AAAK

You are in the middle positions99 to AAAK, AQ

You are in the late position or the blinds

77 to AAAT, AJ, AQ, AK, KQ

If an opponent bets, you go all-in with…

There was 1 raise before youJJ to AAAK

There were 2 or more raises before you

KK, AA

Somebody after you raisesTT to AAAK

► The starting hand chart (SHC)

What cards do you play?

How big is your raise?

Nobody raised before you4 Big blinds + 1 big blind per opponent who called before you

Somebody raised before or behind you

You go directly all-in

You resteals or somebody tries to resteal

You go directly all-in

Resteals

You resteal with88 to AAAJ to AK

If your opponent attempts to resteal, you goo all-in with

99 to AAAJ to AK

► Card abbreviations Each card is illustrated through a letter or a number. Here the label relates to

the English terms (for example: Q = queen).

Starting Hands Chart - explanations

Ace

King

Queen

Jack

Ten

Nine

A

K

Q

J

T

9

► If nobody raised The SHC tells you whether or not your cards are good enough to raise from

your position. If they aren’t, you fold. If you raise, then by 4 big blinds + 1 big blind per player who has already

called.

► If an opponent bets If somebody raised before you or if somebody raises your bet, you can see

in the SHC whether or not you should go all in directly or fold. The hands you go all in with depend on the situation.

► Resteals Blind steal: A player raises in late position or in the small blind after all

players before him folded. Re-steal:An opponent is confronted with a blind steal and goes all in.

The lower part of the SHC tells you which cards you should re-steal with, or, with which cards you should go-all in with in response to a re-steal.

Starting Hands Chart - explanations

Game limit : NL10 (Blinds 0.05/0.10)

Cards : Position : Early position (UTG+2)Situation : Both players fold before you, what do you do now? According to the SHC, AQ is folded in the early position so this is what you

should do.

Cards : Position : Middle position (MP3)Situation : Two players called the big blind before you. According to the SHC, you should raise with 99 in the middle position. The rule for a raise: 5 BB + 1 BB for each player that already called. Thus, you

raise by 6 BB. With a big blind of $0.10, that would be $0.60.

Examples

Game limit : NL10 (Blinds 0.05/0.10)

Cards : Position : Late position (BU)Situation : A player from the middle position raised, what do you do? In the second part of the SHC you can see that you should go all-in with AK

if exactly one person raised before you..

Cards : Position : Big BlindSituation : A player in the late position raised to $0.40. A raise from the late position is also called a blind steal. In the third part of the SHC you will find the entry that you should re-steal,

or go all-in, with all hands that are 88 and better and with AJ, AQ and AK.

Examples

► You learned

…that you should never call before the flop. If you play, then raise!

…what your position is and how you figure it out.

…which cards you play in which situation.

…that you raise to 4 big blinds + 1 big blind per player who called if nobody

raised yet.

…that you should bet all of your money – or go all-in – as soon as somebody

raises before you or after you, provided your hand is playable.

…what a blind steal and re-steal are and when you should use these moves.

Summary