optimal play with 1 to 3 big blind stack in ante mtts
in normal ante mtts online, imagine you're down to your last few bigs in the range of 1-3 big blinds.
at first one may think these spots are relatively less important, but think of how the correct play here may leverage itself into your future stack development. after being almost out of the tourney, you got lucky and find yourself on the final table. would you prefer to have 50% more chips now? let's think about what happened earlier when we had 1-3 bigs.
if we wait longer, we know we'll have to be allin in the big blind the next time it comes around.
with every hand that we fold, ante eats relatively more and more of our stack. if we have 1 big, it's already around 10% ante for one hand.
at this point, do we want to get it in with any 2 cards? or do we want to keep waiting on a decent hand or a decent spot?
if we happen to end up with 1-3 bigs UTG and some trashy hand like 82off, do we fold and be allin in the next hand in the big, or do we go allin now?
consider this: we're for example on the BTN. if someone raises before us and we get it in against him, the odds we're getting are much better, our stack will increase by relatively more than when we get it in vs the big.
having such a shallow stack, what strategy is best?
3 Replies
I don't think you want to get it in with ATC, although online with the antes you want to get it in sooner than you would live with the BBA.
Stage of tournament matters a lot. If you're still in re-entry, then might as well get it in as soon as possible. If you're near a pay jump, stalling/folding to make it is probably the most +$EV play unless you get a really good hand.
And there's a real difference between 1 and 3 BB; the former you need to get in ASAP and the latter you have slightly more time.
But basically, you want a hand that at least have a chance of winning the pot. Of course that "chance" has to be wider and wider the shorter you get. Short enough, something like ten-high becomes "a chance to flop top pair."
The best thing to do is get GTO w and study their free pf charts.
High card equity is a thing.
