Basic NL Holdem stragtegy: Short stack game:1

In cash games, Short stack is anything less than 30 BBs, and in tournement situations, 15 BBs of less, or an 'M' of 8 or less.

Cash games:

There are much less poker to be played when you are short-stacked.  Very often hands will get to showdown, so bluffs and semi-bluffs do not usually have any part to play.  Therefore you are normally trying to win the pot with the best hand.

Try not to limp OOP with marginal hands (suited aces, connectors, small/medium pairs), because as soon as you are raised, you are faced with a very difficult decision.  You are not playing for implied odds with such a short stack, so dump everything except the very best to range of hands.  I would suggest QQ+ and AK.  Raise it up and in most circumstances, you are likely to be going broke or doubling up if you get action (AK on a blank flop is the exception).

JJ, TT and 99 in EP/MP are horrible hands on a full table if your stack is in the region of 30BBs.  If you raised too much, you are unlikely to be called unless you are beat, and if you put in a standard raise of 3 BBs preflop, you are playing OOP with a very vulnerable hand unless you hit your set.  In most situations, you should be looking either to limp on an over aggressive or over passive table, and dump them on a 'normal' table. On aggressive tables, you should be looking for a limp-reraise, trying to get all your chips in the middle when you are likely to be ahead, and on passive tables, you are looking to hit a set, or see a cheap showdown if you dont improve, always remembering to dump your hand if you face strong action.

You can just about play more speculative hands in LP with 30 BBs if there are no raises in front, and you are unlikely to face raises behind.

If you have less than 20 BBs, raise with anything better than TT+ and AQ+ in any position, and either look to get all your chips in preflop, or on the flop, whatever the flopped cards. Dump everything else in EP, and try to see a cheap flop in LP with any smaller pair, otherwise dump them.

I shall be looking at Tournement situations next time.