... wondering if someone could help me figure this out...i almost always finish second place...and its not becuase my heads up play is bad, i was bad at heads up before, but i learned to loosen up and have gotten much better at it. It's just when im heads up im almost always short stack...i have to say at least 90 percent of the time im short stack and have to double up a lot and most of the time its against the person thats been getting lucky all night and always having to double up gives the other person a chance to get lucky, or me just to simply run into a better hand...so i've been trying to loosen up when the table gets down to like 3-4 people, i've been prety much playing by the book, ...just can't figure out why i always come up short.....any help would be great thanks alot to those who post

There really aren't any "by the book" plays for 3-4 handed. You just need to be more aggressive, not just loosen up. It sounds like you are just limping in by playing really tight.

If this is a consistent thing its not too bad, 2nd's every time... just learn to play a short stack hyperaggressive HU. Basically just push allin every hand until they figure out what your doing....

even short stack you should still be winning HU in sngs. If you say "what do i have to lose, im gunna finish 2nd any way", then use this to your advantage. Play like a nut. I mean you push so hard then your gunna get some chips. Then you get chips and now you can slow down and play your regular HU game.

But you gatt start building up when its 3 way.