What\'s better for your last stand, 1 or several opponents
 

I'm mostly a limit player but I've been practicing tourneys to get ready for that Porsche freeroll that I accidnetally qualified for. One basic question - when you're severely shortstacked and making you last stand all-in, are you better off with just one opponent or 3-4? Obviously you're chances of winning are better with one, but you're still gonna be short-stacked and have to do it all over again. At least with 3-4 oppos, when you win, you win more.

I'm guessing the answer is still just one opponent, but I wanted to ask the experts to be sure.

Also, as a practical matter, is the difference big enough as to be worth passing on a better hand and going with a slightly less good hand?

Re: What\'s better for your last stand, 1 or several opponents
 

Make sure you make your stand early enough for it to matter (5x BB is generally the number) and try to isolate one opponent. That's the best bet for doubling up and sticking around.

Re: What\'s better for your last stand, 1 or several opponents
 

I've read (and sometimes follow) that if you are committing 40% of your stack on a call or raise you should be pushing or folding. Obviously there are no rules in stone but its a good number to start at.
-Heath

Re: What\'s better for your last stand, 1 or several opponents
 

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I'm mostly a limit player but I've been practicing tourneys to get ready for that Porsche freeroll that I accidnetally qualified for. One basic question - when you're severely shortstacked and making you last stand all-in, are you better off with just one opponent or 3-4? Obviously you're chances of winning are better with one, but you're still gonna be short-stacked and have to do it all over again. At least with 3-4 oppos, when you win, you win more.

I'm guessing the answer is still just one opponent, but I wanted to ask the experts to be sure.

Also, as a practical matter, is the difference big enough as to be worth passing on a better hand and going with a slightly less good hand?

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It depends dude, ace rag does better against 1 opponent for obvious reasons, while 67s does better against 5... A3o is better than 67s HU, but I would MUCH rather have 67s if my all in was getting called 5 ways...

This is really quite simple

Re: What\'s better for your last stand, 1 or several opponents
 

I had a funny last stand experience with people 2 weeks ago. I was down to only triple the big blind, so I raise all in with J-10 off suit. 5 people call (the whole table except one player). I realize how bad my odds are and stand up to leave. I flop the high pair jacks, get trips on the turn. My friend goes all in to the sidepot and everyone folds. On the river he turns over J-10 off suit and we split it up. I still tripled up. I went on to finish in 2nd in the tourny. But I like a good draw hand against a table full of people, but if I have a hand like rockets or cowboys I like a single opponent.

Re: What\'s better for your last stand, 1 or several opponents
 

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But I like a good draw hand against a table full of people, but if I have a hand like rockets or cowboys I like a single opponent.

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This doesn't make any sense if the circumstance we are analyzing is AI pf in a NL tourney. All you want is numbers and they don't get any better than AA, no matter how many people are in the hand.

And IMO, if you are short (+/8-10 BB) and surviving has immediate potential returns (i.e., you are close to the money), I want as many people in the hand as possible when i decide to go in. There's survival and then there's revival. I prefer the latter.

Re: What\'s better for your last stand, 1 or several opponents
 

I would personally prefer to go heads up to the flop as a last-stand, but I recall one time at a two-table tournament, we were down to 5 players, top 3 get paid out. I was shortstacked and pushed pre-flop with 8-8, and all 4 of my opponents called. I managed to win the hand with just that pair of 8s [miracle somehow] and I quintupled up [is that even a word?] and manged to come in 3rd and finish even.

But I still prefer to be heads up.