Daniel Negreanu – Tip of the Week

Never Surrender

Just remember Jack Strauss. He became a World Champion when it looked like there was no way he could win another hand let alone the whole championship.

You have to stay positive, dig deep and try to claw your way back into the tournament. Too many players give up, inevitably saying something like, "I didn't have a choice. I had no chips anyway."

Well, you always have a choice, and the decisions you make as a short stack aren't insignificant at all. In fact, they are critical.

Here are a couple of final thoughts on the topic.

It's important to figure out just how short your stack is. If your stack is just below average and the blinds are relatively small, there is no real need for drastic adjustments to your strategy. However, if you find yourself with just one big blind left, you can't afford to wait too long for a hand to play. You'll have to lower your starting hand requirements significantly and hope for the best.

The last thing you want to do is ante yourself to death. When your stack becomes excessively short, hands like Q-7 suited or A-5 offsuit are clearly playable. Go ahead and toss all of your remaining chips into the pot.

And keep your fingers crossed.