It can be nerve-wracking to find yourself with a very small stack during a Texas Holdem poker game. You know that one bad decision can eliminate you from the game, and you hope that one good hand will put you back into the running. When you have the small stack, however, it is even more important to relax and use the strategy that always works best for you. The other poker players at the table are looking for you to make bad decisions because you are frustrated, or to go all-in in a desperate last-ditch attempt to double your chips. It’s true that with a small stack you are in a bad position, but by no means does that mean that you are on your way out. You may have to play tight more than you usually do, but you also need to be aggressive when you think your odds of winning a poker hand are good.

A lot of professional poker players come back from having a small stack to winning it all. They do so by keeping their heads and not showing that they are rattled by their table position. You’ll see that they will probably fold more often when they have a small stack, but you’ll also see them play when they think their odds of winning a hand are better than 50 percent. By all means, when you have a small stack, fold bad hole cards. In fact, this can even be used as a strategy. If you feel brave enough, you can fold for a few hands like you just aren’t getting the cards you need, and then bet big in one hand, no matter what your hole cards are. The other players may just be fooled into thinking that you finally got dealt the winning cards that you need, and you may find yourself raking in the pot when they get nervous and fold.