Low stake live short stack play (100bb deep)

[ozzy]

Ive been meaning to post on this subject for awhile. Harrington wrote about this (in his book I think.)

Basically anytime a standard raise preflop is more than 3 or 4x preflop you are playing a shortstack strategy when you arent actually a shortstack.

For example - most brick and mortar low stake casino or home games. The preflop raise in 1 2 games is 10, 12$ or more... Which is 5x or more. Sitting with 100bb (200$ buy in) you are basically playing a correct 1 3 game with a shorter stack.

In a 1 3 game, when the standard preflop raise is 15$ or more, you are basically playing a 2 5 game with 300$ buy in (50-60bb) therefore drastically changing the way the game is played.

If you play anywhere live in columbus you have learned that games are played this way. And rightfully so. No one is folding 87o after they have limped utg to a 12$ raise (in a 1 2 game.) So you have to make qq otb 18$ (9x in a 1 2) which is insane.

Now you are faced with more problems:
1. Pots are already inflated and out of control. (If you make it 15 preflop after 5 limpers, and 3 call you now have a 60$ pot with 180 behind.)
2. Pot control is much harder.
3. You find yourself stacking off much much lighter (top top, overpairs = stacking off easy)
4. Pricing draws out is essentially an all in bet.
5. Deep stack poker is basically impossible.

At one time I had these games mastered, and if you are running hot you can make a shitload of $... But after playing online for awhile I have kind of forgotten my optimal style of play for these games. I really feel that in a standard game of 150+ bb its really really hard for me to lose in the short and long term. The last time I lost a 300+bb stack was kk to aa 9 months ago.

So other people that play a lot of live small stakes advice and opinions? Gonna elaborate more in a little bit, dont have time at the moment...

[CHRIS SLICK]

i live in florida, where the max bi is 100, 1/2 nl or 2/5 nl. i do well in these games. these games are filled with players that usually have no clue. you do put yourself in race situations, usually im on the 70/30 side. i avoid marginal situations, unless vs a severe short stack. when i build it to 300, its hard for me to lose, as i nit it up. most are too clueless to notice or players rotate. when i get it to 500 or so, ill usually leave unless the game is really juicy. playing in these games makes me a worse player overall, but i beat it for $, so thats what its about for me at this time.

[Acesfull1026]

Ive played 3 sessions in a 1/2 casino game (200 max) and have came out w 700, 220, and 345... My standard raise is 10-12 but if its folded to me on the button or cutoff i make it 7 and if there are limpers ahead i make it 15. This usually isolates the action and i can c-bet the flop (often taking it down). This is only because the players are typically tight/passive and easy to read for the most part. In a looser game, I think its better to go back to the basics and play tight-aggressive position poker.

Make adjustments to the players as the game goes on (you cant be a boxer and go into an MMA expecting to win by just boxing ), and try to pick up on players styles and capabilities. Find which players can only shove the nuts, and which can shove anything (be sure to pay attention to their stack sizes when they do this).

Now that ive posted this, ill be back next week to tell you how i lost 1k

[ozzy]

Other opinions.....?

[ThrillCory90]

At gemini once you get to the main game stacks are like 1500 which is very deep regardless of pfr sizes.

Acesfull's post is really good.

My standard raise size at gemini is 11 until I'm 1kish or more deep then it's 16. My standard at 1-2 games around town is....

are you ready for this?

$6

[acdawg712]

i guess im lucky i get to buy in for 300 at 1/2 in Atlantic City when I play there. I haven't had many sessions yet and I feel like the games you guys are playing in Ohio are a little bit different. I'm decently sure the players here are way worse, especially on weekends. I do like AcesFull's reponse a lot. The players are very easy to read and many are loose-passive so you can take them to value-town and make some tough laydowns rather easily. In these games I find you can steal a lot of limped pots. If you don't take it down on the flop a turn bet will usually take a down on blanks or high cards like an Ace or King after a low flop. People peel light with mid/low pairs/gutshots and hate most turns.

I do agree that there are some tricky spots like finding hands like Jacks or Tens in the blinds after 6-7 limpers(I usually raise big like 5.5x+nx with n being limpers + 3(blinds) 2(ep) if i am in the blinds) or finding queens utg and having 5 callers after raising to 15. This is where player tendencies come into play. Honestly if you have a tough spot folding isn't that bad because there are easy profitable spots later.