Structured hand analysis

#1 23rd October 2009, 12:39 PM

I have just re–read Harrington on Holdem volume 2. My first read was Christmas 2005.

Structured hand analysis (SHAL) is a fascinating and logical concept.

SHAL is basically about being on a low ‘M’ in comparison to others at the table, and needing to steal the blinds and antes with a less than average hand, by being the first to bet and going allin.

EXAMPLE 9, It’s the final table of a Major tournament. Blinds and antes equate to $11,700, you are 5th to act of nine, there are no callers and you have $90,000 chips.

Harrington assesses the players to his left in different categories from tight through to very loose.

Tight will only call your T8o allin with-
AA KK QQ Aks Ako. 2.8% of possible card combinations (TD and 8S are taken out of possible combinations).

Very loose player will call with-
ANY PAIR, ANY AK through to AJ also KQ. This equates to 11.1 %

Harrington’s SAMPLE has 2 tight players to follow 1 loose and 1 very loose.
Chance of being called –
Tight 2.8%
Loose 5.3%
Very loose 11.1%
Tight 2.8%
No one calls 78.0%
From this sample as we can see almost 4/5 Harrington picks up another ‘M’.

Harrington then works out win $ % and Loss$% when called, along with the no call win$% against this selection of players.
The expectation if allin $91,865
The expectation if fold $90,000
Harrington then goes on to explain –
Against 4 tight players expectation = $98,524
Against 4 very loose players, expectation = $85,229

As we can see from Harrington’s assessments, we would be far better off against four tight players (2005)

It could be that Harrington commands so much respect that tight players become even tighter when he enters a pot! The reason I have written this post, is to ask opinions as to whether we are ever likely to come across two or three players as tight as Harrington’s example sitting to our left at a final table(2009)?

When we do reach a final table, we are pitched in together without any prior knowledge of half the participants. We may have only sat with the other half for 20 hands or so. By the time I have worked out who is tight, loose etc my 'M' may have decreased dramatically!

Maybe because I play low $ MTTs, I just don’t see players that tight even at the business end.

If you were lucky enough to have four tight players to your left, I doubt if you would ever get a chance for your allin bet because someone else would beat you to it! That is another story, and we can gain major benefits in another way.

I tried to simplify what were several pages of writing from Harrington's End Game.
I hope this post is understandable to all!

GL at the tables.

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