It can be done!

These are eight consecutive hands, during which stretch I open shoved six times and actually almost tripled up, going from short stack to chip leader. It helped that the two players to my left were very tight, with similar numbers, around 12% VP$IP and 6% PFR:

PokerStars Game #21892512645: Tournament #119382629, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/11/09 13:16:09 ET
Table '119382629 2' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 2: ghaisissa (13005 in chips)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (13320 in chips)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (5545 in chips)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (8630 in chips)
ghaisissa: posts the ante 75
zeegiedm: posts the ante 75
SlackerInc1: posts the ante 75
smilburn36: posts the ante 75
SlackerInc1: posts small blind 600
smilburn36: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SlackerInc1 [Ad Jh]
ghaisissa: folds
zeegiedm: folds
SlackerInc1: raises 4270 to 5470 and is all-in
smilburn36: folds
Uncalled bet (4270) returned to SlackerInc1
SlackerInc1 collected 2700 from pot
SlackerInc1: shows [Ad Jh] (high card Ace)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2700 | Rake 0
Seat 2: ghaisissa folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (small blind) collected (2700)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (big blind) folded before Flop


PokerStars Game #21892524566: Tournament #119382629, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/11/09 13:16:36 ET
Table '119382629 2' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 2: ghaisissa (12930 in chips)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (13245 in chips)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (6970 in chips)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (7355 in chips)
ghaisissa: posts the ante 75
zeegiedm: posts the ante 75
SlackerInc1: posts the ante 75
smilburn36: posts the ante 75
smilburn36: posts small blind 600
ghaisissa: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SlackerInc1 [9s 6s]
zeegiedm: folds
SlackerInc1: raises 5695 to 6895 and is all-in
smilburn36: folds
ghaisissa: folds
Uncalled bet (5695) returned to SlackerInc1
SlackerInc1 collected 3300 from pot
SlackerInc1: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3300 | Rake 0
Seat 2: ghaisissa (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: zeegiedm folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (button) collected (3300)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (small blind) folded before Flop


PokerStars Game #21892537506: Tournament #119382629, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/11/09 13:17:04 ET
Table '119382629 2' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 2: ghaisissa (11655 in chips)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (13170 in chips)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (8995 in chips)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (6680 in chips)
ghaisissa: posts the ante 75
zeegiedm: posts the ante 75
SlackerInc1: posts the ante 75
smilburn36: posts the ante 75
ghaisissa: posts small blind 600
zeegiedm: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SlackerInc1 [4s 7d]
SlackerInc1: folds
smilburn36: folds
ghaisissa: raises 10380 to 11580 and is all-in
zeegiedm: folds
Uncalled bet (10380) returned to ghaisissa
ghaisissa collected 2700 from pot
ghaisissa: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2700 | Rake 0
Seat 2: ghaisissa (small blind) collected (2700)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)


PokerStars Game #21892546197: Tournament #119382629, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/11/09 13:17:23 ET
Table '119382629 2' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 2: ghaisissa (13080 in chips)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (11895 in chips)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (8920 in chips)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (6605 in chips)
ghaisissa: posts the ante 75
zeegiedm: posts the ante 75
SlackerInc1: posts the ante 75
smilburn36: posts the ante 75
zeegiedm: posts small blind 600
SlackerInc1: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SlackerInc1 [Js 6d]
smilburn36: folds
ghaisissa: raises 11805 to 13005 and is all-in
zeegiedm: folds
SlackerInc1: folds
Uncalled bet (11805) returned to ghaisissa
ghaisissa collected 3300 from pot
ghaisissa: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3300 | Rake 0
Seat 2: ghaisissa (button) collected (3300)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: smilburn36 folded before Flop (didn't bet)


PokerStars Game #21892554141: Tournament #119382629, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/11/09 13:17:40 ET
Table '119382629 2' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 2: ghaisissa (15105 in chips)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (11220 in chips)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (7645 in chips)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (6530 in chips)
ghaisissa: posts the ante 75
zeegiedm: posts the ante 75
SlackerInc1: posts the ante 75
smilburn36: posts the ante 75
SlackerInc1: posts small blind 600
smilburn36: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SlackerInc1 [As 8h]
ghaisissa: folds
zeegiedm: folds
SlackerInc1: raises 6370 to 7570 and is all-in
smilburn36: folds
Uncalled bet (6370) returned to SlackerInc1
SlackerInc1 collected 2700 from pot
SlackerInc1: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2700 | Rake 0
Seat 2: ghaisissa folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (small blind) collected (2700)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (big blind) folded before Flop


PokerStars Game #21892562973: Tournament #119382629, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/11/09 13:18:00 ET
Table '119382629 2' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 2: ghaisissa (15030 in chips)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (11145 in chips)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (9070 in chips)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (5255 in chips)
ghaisissa: posts the ante 75
zeegiedm: posts the ante 75
SlackerInc1: posts the ante 75
smilburn36: posts the ante 75
smilburn36: posts small blind 600
ghaisissa: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SlackerInc1 [Qh Ts]
zeegiedm: folds
SlackerInc1: raises 7795 to 8995 and is all-in
smilburn36: folds
ghaisissa: folds
Uncalled bet (7795) returned to SlackerInc1
SlackerInc1 collected 3300 from pot
SlackerInc1: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3300 | Rake 0
Seat 2: ghaisissa (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: zeegiedm folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (button) collected (3300)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (small blind) folded before Flop



PokerStars Game #21892572862: Tournament #119382629, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/11/09 13:18:22 ET
Table '119382629 2' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 2: ghaisissa (13755 in chips)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (11070 in chips)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (11095 in chips)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (4580 in chips)
ghaisissa: posts the ante 75
zeegiedm: posts the ante 75
SlackerInc1: posts the ante 75
smilburn36: posts the ante 75
ghaisissa: posts small blind 600
zeegiedm: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SlackerInc1 [5s 5h]
SlackerInc1: raises 9820 to 11020 and is all-in
smilburn36: folds
ghaisissa: folds
zeegiedm: folds
Uncalled bet (9820) returned to SlackerInc1
SlackerInc1 collected 3300 from pot
SlackerInc1: shows [5s 5h] (a pair of Fives)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3300 | Rake 0
Seat 2: ghaisissa (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: zeegiedm (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 collected (3300)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)



PokerStars Game #21892580268: Tournament #119382629, $30+$3 Hold'em No Limit - Level XI (600/1200) - 2008/11/09 13:18:38 ET
Table '119382629 2' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 2: ghaisissa (13080 in chips)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (9795 in chips)
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (13120 in chips)
Seat 9: smilburn36 (4505 in chips)
ghaisissa: posts the ante 75
zeegiedm: posts the ante 75
SlackerInc1: posts the ante 75
smilburn36: posts the ante 75
zeegiedm: posts small blind 600
SlackerInc1: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SlackerInc1 [Kh Kc]
smilburn36: folds
ghaisissa: folds
zeegiedm said, "44"
zeegiedm: folds
Uncalled bet (600) returned to SlackerInc1
SlackerInc1 collected 1500 from pot
SlackerInc1: shows [Kh Kc] (a pair of Kings)
SlackerInc1 said, "wow gf"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1500 | Rake 0
Seat 2: ghaisissa (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: zeegiedm (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: SlackerInc1 (big blind) collected (1500)
Seat 9: smilburn36 folded before Flop (didn't bet)


ETA: Oops, the last one is, obviously, a walk rather than a shove. I saw on the HH that I had won the hand and that it was KK and made the incorrect assumption. However, I do get significantly more walks when I've been shoving a lot!

Nice work!

Thanks

As I say, I guess I'm sort of a coward or something, lol...I much prefer getting chips this way than playing with people who have shown interest in the hand. I also like shorthanded play for this reason (people usually don't have much and there's usually a lot in the starting pot and everyone's at least somewhat short).

They all look kinda standard.
lol @ the dude folding 44 in the last one.,

Yeah, that was super tight--I was buttering him up so he'd keep doing so (I've seen people fold a lot better, like TT, in live tourneys btw). Still, as it turned out he was crushed by my 55!

I agree, they are pretty standard; I was just pointing out that when the starting pot gets big enough, you can get a lot of chips with open shoves without ever having to be called, and that just because you can do so doesn't mean you are in big trouble--it's just that everyone's shortstacked. This was a point of dispute in another recent thread, so when I played a string of such hands that more than doubled me up, I thought I'd post them (and also illustrate my selective showing).

I agree about the shoving here. A lot of people really don't open up their calling ranges in these situations and playing with the blinds so high, it's really the only play you have.

So what do you think calling ranges should be? I think I'm pretty reluctant to call, myself. As I say, I really prefer to get chips without going to showdown whenever possible--I think I'm very risk averse in that way (some people might think it's not very risk averse to shove 6 out of 8 hands, lol, but it makes sense to me).