Is there any way to win a tourny when shortstack?

[TStoneMBD]

its not hard to win an event shortstack. ive done it multiple times actually. one time i was at the final table with 9 other players remaining and i had 1BB to my name and won it all.

still, you should certainly be looking to move up in the money and not trying to have a "win it all mindset". the odds of you winning are slim but your equity should be greater than your mathematical chips:equity ratio if you play your shortstack correctly with the intention of moving up in the money.

[AaronBrown]

I'd add one thing. It's rare for someone to go up early and stay above the average chip count for the entire tournament. One reason is just the normal random fluctuation, you seldom see a wire to wire lead in any competitive event, still less in one with as much chance as poker. Another reason is when people pull ahead, they tend to let others catch up. It's not just conservatism, it makes strategic sense. Anyway, the chip leaders are forced to play small because other players have shorter stacks. Some of the bottom players will double a few times and catch up with the leaders, the leaders cannot double.

So you have to learn to play well short-stacked, because you expect to be in that situation, even if you're destined to win the tournament. If you don't win, even if you come in second, you're virtually guaranteed to be shortstacked at some point.

With tournaments that pay deep into the field, you can make a lot of money nursing your short stack to move up a few places by outlasting others. That doesn't mean just playing tight, the blinds get you. It doesn't mean playing tight until the blinds are about to wipe you out, then getting loose. That's too predictable and your desperation bets are too unfavorable. There's as much, maybe more, skill to nursing a short stack as facing down top players at a final table with even chips; and it makes more difference to your profit.