If a shorty has a couple of blinds left then it could be correct to call with any Ace big king or pair. If he has around 6-10 blinds you probably need a big ace or medium pair. Try not to call with small pairs, they are likely to have 66+.
Big stacks are for bullying medium stack 10-20 BB's. This means stealing blinds and re-stealing etc. It isn't your responsibility to knock out shortstacks so just play your game and call them when you beleive you could be ahead. (emphasis added by doops)
I agree completely. And I agree because I have sometimes become KO-crazy with my big stack and turned it into a small stack and a bust when I had been in great position for making it to FT (or first place if it was a SNG.).
It does absolutely nothing for increasing your chances to call a SS shove with a poor hand. Poor
hands=unlikely to win. Mostly, you will just double up the shorties, and cut your own lead. Yeah, you will KO a SS sometimes, but there is no need for
you in particular to call those shoves with garbage. Let it be. Patience is key to this as well.
In fact, with a big big stack, I feel my responsibility is to keep it a big stack. I let others battle it out. I pop into a hand only when I have very good cards and am likely to win -- which increases my lead at the same time as it may KO someone else.
That said, when I am a short stack and a big stack calls me with garbage and wins, it's OK. I wanted him to call me with garbage because it increased my chance of winning the hand. I didn't but I appreciate him giving me the best chance to double up.