playing against short stacks

thunder1276

thunder1276

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What do you guys think about playing with short stacks at the table. I like to play pretty tight and I never try to steall their blind. I am too afraid of the all in raise. Should you play them tight unless you have position?
 
blueskies

blueskies

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I won’t try to steal from ss blinds but if I have something like K10 and ss is really short (like 2 BBs or worse left), I wouldn’t mind putting them all in. Because they are so short, they might be pressured to call with hands like 78.

The other day, at a DoN, this guy only had 50 chips left after posting the 400BB. This was right on the bubble with 6 ppl left. I shoved from BTN with A9os. I only had 4BBs left but had both sb and bb covered. Sb folded like I expected, but amazingly, bb folded too and promptly got blinded out the next hand.

That’s a situation where you call with any two cards.
 
josephs333

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I also wouldn't mind putting them all in, most of the time they don't have anything and it is all or nothing!
 
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manofthehour

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You can shove them with like a hand such as k9 or k10 or any ace with a moderate kicker because the odds of them having a good hand is very slim. When you get a face card and good kicker, you should shove them if you ahve a decent chip stack.
 
PNJs_dad

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When the blinds are small I wouldn't confront them with any hand that I wouldn't play against an average to big stack. When close to the bubble crush them. Closer the better. Remember when you are the big stack you aren't obligated to KO all the shorties. But when you do raise and the odds are right always call.
 
MrEpic94

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this question is so broard its impossible to give a good answer. Try posting some Hands in the HH analysis section where you are against a short stack and see the response you get.
 
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WiZZiM

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Depends on a trillion differing variables.
 
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andre136

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When you are early in a tournement I think you should be more tight, but when you are late, I think its best to push around the small stacks, because they are trying to get higher in the money ladder
 
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liguolong

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I would bluff on the flop. Since in preflop, he would just go all in with 2, maybe not so good cards. Buf after flop, it is likely he has no good hand and little probability to make it good and a 2/3 bluff with 2 bad cards should be worthwhile.
 
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The_Pup

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Depends on a trillion differing variables.

True, but we might still be able to give some guidelines here.

The OP seems to be about situations where we have a decent stack (say 15BB) and are thinking about stealing from a blind with a shortstack (say 6BB), where losing all in to them would leave us in a weak position. The problem is that a standard 3BB steal raise followed by the shortstack's shove would leave us with a 3BB call into a 9.5BB pot - we are almost obliged to call here because the odds are so good. We have got ourselves into a pickle with our J7o type rubbish - calling off a quarter of our stack with pretty nasty cards.

So, what else to do? We could open for 6BB and give the shortstack the wrong odds to call - but again we are getting in trouble with our J7o as we are only getting called by better hands. I will often min raise steal, the min raise is usually enough to do the job but will allow us to fold if the villain fights back.

As Wizz says there are plenty of variables but in general terms we should look at the our stack and the villain's stack when sizing our bets. If, for example we have AA in the small blind and the BB is short we want to put in a bet that will tempt the BB into shoving - if we raise half their stack then they will not think they can scare us off with a shove but if we bet too small the pot might not be big enough for them to risk a resteal.
 
JMTalbert

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The Pup makes some excellent points above. The terms short stack and big stack are irrelevant without the context of number of blinds left and tournament position.

In a large MTT, you can have a huge stack (100xBB) while some others at the table have 10BB or less. At that 10 or less mark, a decent player should be waiting to shove as soon as they get a winnable hand. I think usually holding an Ace, Faces, or a pocket pair would be enough to shove. Remember the range of cards you are likely to face before you call with some junk J7.

In a small SnG or right on the bubble, a small stack can potentially be a bit more patient waiting for a hand, but at some point they have to shove and most of the time have at least a good high card. If the stakes are low enough, they might shove with anything if they took a significant tough beat a hand or two earlier. The philosophy of getting back in the game by doubling up or entering a new one plays in here.

I know there are some who push with anything with a small stack. At 2 or 3 BB left, I can see that, but 5 - 10BBs gives you a couple of rounds. If it's bubble time, its better to fold that K10os and home someone else gets antsy. You will hate the decision to push when the villain (usually big stack) calls your push with A3o and wins the pot with Ace-high after the board misses both of you.
 
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kyndlyon

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You can shove them with like a hand such as k9 or k10 or any ace with a moderate kicker because the odds of them having a good hand is very slim. When you get a face card and good kicker, you should shove them if you ahve a decent chip stack.
i agree...any pocket pair as well.
 
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