Sup 3bettors,

I have a live low stakes cash game background but have been playing more live low stakes MTTs lately and hoping to continue.

In cash, playing typically between 100 - 150 bbs, I use a light side 3betting range to go after weak opens/squeezes, typically with combos like suited wheels or suited connectors to balance value 3bets and take a shot at winning pots outright before the flop. At the 100 - 150 bb depth, we have some post-flop maneuverability in terms of stabbing certain boards and double barreling certain turns.

In the limited low stakes live MTT experience I have, much of the tournament is played somewhere between 30-45 bbs effective. Because of the short stacked nature (compared to cash) it seems like any 3bet pot, you're playing for stacks, and, similar to low stakes cash, opponents do not like to fold.

At such a depth, are you guys still implementing a light 3bet range or do you like to just have more of a value 3bet range at this depth against opponents that are more on the recreational side?

I only 3bet light against opponents that have fold buttons.

In position
Against villains who open 20% or more
You need postflop skills
Always look for stack sizes and SPR
Use good sizing (leverage)
Villain has to know how to fold ( don't 3b light against calling stations)

With this parameters you can 3b! light with weak hands like KTo or even J9/8/7s, suited gappers too , as long you know how to play postflop

Against players I feel are good enough to fold the middle/bottom of their range I’ll light 3bet certain parts of my range but against the players at low/microstakes it’s rarely an option.

It’s better to take advantage of their calling mistakes with value hands and exploit them by not having a weak bluffing range.

On the button is the place to be 3 betting light but only against LJ onward opens from someone that opens light and will fold,I wouldnt bother doing it too much from the blinds as they will call knowing they'll have position.
Obviously dont do it against <25BB stacks as a lot will reshove on you and thats 6bbs wasted.
The lower the stacks If you are going to 3 bet light it should be A-hi hands as the SPR will be low on the flop and you will be restricted it what you can do,Like you cant be check raise bluffing when the SPR is 2.
Tourney play is way different to cash and when you go below a certain stack depth you just have to play straight forward and tight,you just dont have the chips to be balancing in bluffy moves

You also have to adjust your definition of "light" when it comes to 3b bluffing in mtts. SPR becomes very relevant so as your stack gets shorter you need to shift more towards hands with high cards and blockers. For example, at 100bb I might 3b with a hand like 75s but at 40bb I start to toss those hands and 3b stuff like A2s/K3s/KTo etc.

Thx Darth. Interesting point that you need to start thinking about changing your range based on stack size/SPR. In your 40 bb example, do you shift to hands like A2s/K3s/KTo for light 3bets in low SPR situations because these hands can flop top pair and then you just go with it? Because these hands block V's value rejam combos?

Just so I make sure I am understanding your general point - when the effective stack yields a lower SPR, we want to shift to combos that essentially get there on the flop because we are going to find ourselves in many fold/shove spots on the flop, correct?

Precisely. The other important concept is that hands like small-med suited connectors require good implied odds because you'll mostly be playing draws when you flop something. So they make kich better 3b hands when you're deep stacked.