I still managed to beat Phil Ivey in the NBC Heads-Up even though I was down to only four percent of the chips at one time. Check out my tips for how to play when you are short handed.

If you get deep in tournaments like me, then eventually you are going to encounter a short-handed table. With short-handed play, the simple strategy is to play more hands, and play them more aggressively. However, playing more hands more aggressively can mean quicker losses and a quicker exit if you don’t play correctly. It’s easy to say be more aggressive, but harder to determine when to do so and what exactly that means.

Players over the years are more aware of this short-handed aggressive style and how to counter it when necessary. So, you need to use a selective aggressive approach wisely during short-handed play and focus on picking up the small-to-medium sized pots. Let the other players use their aggression to contend for big pots while you take all the little ones.

You need to develop a raise or fold style for pre-flop play short-handed. If no other players have entered a pot, I will raise with any slightly connecting hand (4-5 or higher) when I have a good read on the players in the blinds. You will likely steal a majority of the blinds in your raised pots since a raise makes it harder for your opponents to play their marginal hands. Players normally only play marginal hands if they are the ones in control.

If someone else has entered the pot ahead of me, I then play my normal game and look to only get involved with very strong hands. The reason for this is simple, if you are not going to be in control of the pot short-handed, then the pot likely isn’t worth playing.

Once the flop comes down, fire out a continuation bet of anywhere between 50-75% of the pot regardless of whether or not you hit the flop. You must take a stab at a pot on the flop before the hands are completely defined. Remember, you are not always playing good cards, but neither is your opponent. It’s as hard for them to connect with the flop as it is for you.

Let’s look at an example:

You raise with 4-5o and the flop comes down A-Q-K. This flop is very scary for both you and your opponent, and this is where raising from position works to your advantage. If you bet when it’s checked to you, your opponent is folding any pair (2-2 to 10-10), and most pairs like K-x and Q-x.

In addition to stealing the blinds, another advantage to raising pre-flop is it will minimize the number of opponents that call, making it more likely for you to win with a continuation bet on the flop.

Another important lesson to remember when making your steal attempt is that you need to be able to let go of the pot if you are called. Continuing with a bluff will require you to bet every street, and the more you waste on one pot, the less you have for future steal attempts. Think of your stack as a loaded weapon. The more bullets you fire at one target, the less ammunition you’ll have to fire at future pots.

Let’s look at an example:

You raise it up pre-flop with 9-10 suited and you get called by both blinds. The flop comes down A-5-9 and you use your position to continuation bet when it’s checked to you. Once one of the blinds calls, it doesn’t matter that you’ve caught a piece of that flop because you should be done with this hand unless you improve on the turn.

Your aggressive short-handed style might also set a trap for your opponent. If you actually flop a monster with one of your hidden hands, your aggressive play will work to your advantage. Eventually a player is going to make a stand against you with a marginal holding, and now you can set the trap and catch the prey, baby!

Try using these tips to qualify for the Scotty Boot Camp! Haven’t entered the competition yet? Join now

- Scotty Nguyen, Poker Ambassador Expekt.com