NOW, I'd like to use my alotted monthy rant ......

(posted this by mistake in the tourny hand analysis forum .... sorry)



...... on shortstackers in $25nl.

I have learned to simply look for tables without too many of them, or get up and leave when the table becomes too populated with them.

If you play $25nl, I'm sure you have noticed this is VERY common.

Why? Is it as simple as what I expect, that their 'strategy' is just to sit there at 5/5, wait for their A's or K's and shove thier $5 stack? I guess they can't do this at the smaller tables as they won't get any callers.

Is it to protect their bankroll so they limit the amount they can lose in any given hand? Why not do that with good decisions? Don't they see that, much more importantly, they are severely limiting the amount they can WIN?

I have seen quite a few of them that all in with $5 pf is their only move. It's annoying. Buy in with a stack that doesn't look like you borrowed it from your 8 year old kid and play the freakin game.


Ok, I'm done.

(I guess I'll get the smackdown now and told why I want them at my table ........ )

Depends.

Most shortstackers are just scared bad players and the only trouble with them is that you can only take their money small amounts at a time, but anyway, any donation is welcome whatever its size.

Then you have some good shortstackers who know how to exploit their stack size as an edge against deeper stacks. Their are simply impossible to beat and prevent you from playing good deep stack strategy, so unless the table has enough fishes to compensate for that, you should leave their table.

Note that a shortstacker who plays 5/5 is not good. If he makes any profit, it's from unobservant fishes, but he has no edge over decent players. Just don't get involved in the pots they play unless you have a preflop monster and then you can consider their seat as an empty seat contributing to the table by paying blinds. No reason to stay away from them at all.

By the way, there are shortstackers at ALL stakes.

Belgo's right, if they're playing too tight, they're not exploiting any advantage they might have by not having to make decisions later in the hand. But that's why shortstackers do it, because they don't WANT to have to make decisions later, they don't want to play multi-street poker.

If there are more than 2 shortstackers at my table (and especially if there are no big donators), I just change tables.

I wouldnt avoid them I would go looking for them just for that reason.
You know that there playing all in or fold and if you bring a big stack to
the table a get a good hand you can call them and take there cash but
they can get lucky and double up so make sure you only play good hands
against them.$1 or $100 cash is cash.

Steal their blinds with atc and fold to their shoves and you will always see a profit. Just make sure they are on your left not your right. Ofc this only applies to nitty SSers, as "good" shortstackers would resteal very often, but there aren't any good SSers at micro stakes.