There's an interesting discussion among the fracas in GtrHtr's post
$22: Push or wait with an uber short stack.
I've been thinking about making a post that addressed a similar situation, and maybe the same in theory. It stemmed from playing the hand below, and hands similar to it since.
$55 PP SNG
PartyPoker, Big Blind is t300 (5 handed)
Converter on pregopoker.com
UTG (t1813)
Hero (t499)
Button (t2544)
SB (t2848)
BB (t2296)
Preflop: Hero is in CO with K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
<font color="gray">UTG folds</font>, <font color="red">Hero raises t499</font>
Button was a 2p2er (Degen), and said I made a bad push, referring to this section in
Darse's No-Limit Hold'em Tournament Primer:
[ QUOTE ]
Rule 8: Treat your last few chips as though they were precious, because
they are.
If your stack is so small that you do not even have enough for a decent
raise of the big blind, then you actually need a stronger hand to call,
since you don't have that added chance of winning the hand uncontested.
Now you are simply waiting for cards which you fully expect to be the
best hand going in. If it doesn't come, keep waiting until the big
blind forces you all-in (or close to it), and let your luck decide the
issue. The mathematics of tournament poker show that your last few
chips are actually worth more than each of the chips in a tall stack, so
entering into a border-line situation is not in your favour. For more
on this phenomenon, the reader is again referred to Mason Malmuth's
studies of tournament strategies.
If you are in the blinds, it will often be correct to call even with a
very weak hand. For example, if you are in the small blind and calling
the big blind will put you all-in, you should call with _any two cards_
(unless there was a raise indicating a very strong hand, and even then it
may be correct to call).
[/ QUOTE ]
First, I think this has different implecations for MTT play, where it is more likely that sticking around with a short stack will make you more money... and taking your chances in the BB is likely to give you life for another round at a full table, which could make all the difference in the world. In a STT though, I'm not so sure.
Since I/'m a big fan of SNG Power Tools, I countered Degen's argument at the time with some SNGPT numbers, showing that it was always +EV to push, regardless of calling ranges. Now in retrospect, I realize that it is likely that I will be called in more than one spot here being so short, and therefore I may need to be stronger Than K2o to push here. Though I see the merits of the Darse argument, I am not convinced it applies to STTs that well.
I like to think of the fact that should I double there, I have much more FE with a bigger stack, and another chance to push UTG on the next hand and be right back in the hunt for the money.
It is an interesting problem, and therefore I ask you the 2p2 STTer your approach to this situation, and <2BB play in general in a SNG.
This is something I have definitely glossed over in the past, much to my detriment. It's too easy to say, "[censored] it, I've got 6 other tables left to worry about." It's leaving money on the table (or the 2001FPs) to not treat the table where you are shortie with as much thought as you would the table where you have a huge stack. So I ask you...
Push on your first opportunity?
Wait for the SB/BB?
Totally depends on the table? (I'll admit it at least somewhat depends on stack sizes, etc., but there is still a valuable discussion here in general.)
To me it seems this could be worth a lot of $EV in the long run, especially for us multi-tablers that frequently run into this spot. Interested to hear your responses. -DT