Short Stack Tourney v. Deep Stack Tourney: Strategy

[SoSpacey]

So I am playing in a satellite on Saturday at Borgata in AC. $225 + $25 to get me into the Sunday Main Event which is $1000 + $100. 1/5 players from Saturday gets into Sunday so I need to finish in the top 20%.

Saturday is 6000 in chips and 20 minutes blinds
Sunday is 15000 in chips and 1 hour blinds
Blinds start at 25/50 both days.

Obviously you must employ different strategies for each tournament.

Patience is both my strength and my Achilles Heel. I tend to be the guy who just finishes outside the money in these short stack tournaments.

I have been reading up on Negraneau's "small ball" theories and I can see it working in a deep stack tournament but not as much in a short stack tournament. I figure I will try it out a bit when the blinds are small and see if I can get a roll with it.

A lot of his starting hands and positional strategies I use now anyway. Playing hands like QQ with a flop that stays under is something I used to play strong but may slow down a bit now.

I am also concerned that i am starting to mix up my different strategies...using strategies from the past with current that I have read about.

Anyway, any discussion on the different strategies you use for different size tournaments would be appreciated.

[djbrown]

Constantly computing your "M" (how many orbits you have before being blinded out), and pretty make pushing preflop or folding when it gets under 5.

Letting it get much less than 5 kills any fold equity you might have if you are making a play for the blinds in late position, so you've got to be willing to push prior to this point.

Be willing to just steal the blinds, buying yourself another full oribt in the process, by being the first action preflop if you pick up merely a decent hand in late position.

M= your chips/(small blind+big blind+antes paid for one orbit)

These small stack tournaments generally allow for typical play for the first hour (3 blind levels), but your first hand or two after the break is typically a push or fold unless you've been in some big pots earlier.